Brian Cheney

Brian Cheney has been a leading figure in American tennis as a player, coach, and teaching professional for more than five decades. A member of both the USPTA and RSPA since 1978, he has combined distinguished competitive achievements with long-standing service to the game and its professional organizations.

Cheney has been professionally teaching tennis since 1974 and served as Tennis Director at the Village Tennis Club and Village Racquet and Health Club from 1976 to 2015. Since 2015, he has continued as professional emeritus, teaching at Village Camelback and Ocotillo. Throughout his career, he developed countless junior and adult players, and he has been widely recognized for his leadership and excellence in instruction. Among his honors, he was named Southwest USPTA Professional of the Year (year noted as approximately 1990).

His service to the profession includes deep involvement with the Southwest USPTA (SWUSPTA), where he has served as treasurer, secretary, and president. He has also been a frequent speaker at divisional conventions and served as convention chairman, helping shape education and professional standards across the region.

Cheney’s coaching résumé is equally distinguished. He served as player-coach for the World Team Tennis Phoenix Rackets in 1978 and earlier, in 1969, was coach, chaperone, and captain of the USTA Junior Davis Cup (18-and-under) squad that included future stars Jimmy Connors, Roscoe Tanner, Harold Solomon, Woody Blocher, and Steve Krulevitz. He has also been recognized as a Phoenix-area High Performance Coach, contributing to the development of elite junior competitors.

As a player, Brian Cheney’s accomplishments are exceptional. A three-time All-American at the University of Arizona, he went on to win 102 national USTA championships. He is a member of both the Southwest USTA Hall of Fame and the University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. Cheney was named National USPTA Player of the Year in 2004 and has earned Southwest USPTA Player of the Year honors across multiple age divisions in numerous years, including 1986, 1996, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013. He was also Southwest USTA Player of the Year in 2006, 2007, and 2012.

On the international stage, Cheney has represented the United States in ITF World Team Championships on 26 USTA teams and has been part of 12 championship-winning teams. Individually, he is a three-time ITF World Doubles Champion, further solidifying his place among the most accomplished senior tennis players in the world.

Beyond playing and coaching, Cheney has contributed to the sport through writing and innovation, publishing several articles in Sun Tennis. His tournament leadership includes serving as the original tournament director of the Fiesta Bowl Junior Championships in 1973–74 and co-director of the Devereux Charity Tournament. He is also a USTA-certified referee and umpire and helped organize community fundraising efforts, including Hit-a-Thon events benefiting PASS.

Throughout his career, Brian Cheney has exemplified dedication to tennis—on the court, in teaching, in competition, and in service, leaving a lasting impact on players, colleagues, and the broader tennis community.