Charleston's Shelby Rogers headed into SC Tennis Hall of Fame (2024)

Charleston's Shelby Rogers, who has won more than $5 million in her career and risen as high as No. 30 in world rankings, is headed into the S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame.

Rogers and Jean C. Evans, one of the most accomplished amateur players in state history, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Nov. 23 on Hilton Head Island during the USTA South Carolina's annual meeting.

Rogers, who was born in Mount Pleasant and now lives in Florida, was a highly decorated junior player before turning pro in 2009 at the age of 17.

She won five S.C. Palmetto Championship singles titles and a doubles title, all before turning 15. Rogers went on to win the 2010 USTA girls national championship (18U), following in the footsteps of legends such as Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport. She also was awarded the Maureen Connelly Brinker award for achievement and sportsmanship, which earned her a wild card in the U.S. Open in 2010.

As a pro, Rogers reached a career-high ranking of No. 30 in August of 2022, and has reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open and the French Open, and the round of 16 at the Australian Open.

She earned a reputation as a giant-killer on the WTA Tour, with victories over stars such as Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Ash Barty, Petra Kvitova and Elena Rybakina.

Growing up, Rogers worked as a ballkid at the Family Circle Cup on Daniel Island and has played in the tournament (now the Credit One Charleston Open) 13 times. She's also been an analyst on TV broadcasts and has worked to boost tennis in Charleston and in South Carolina.

"As an advocate for tennis in South Carolina, she helped lead a successful rally cry for Charleston to be named the No. 1 Best Tennis Town in America by USTA," the S.C. Tennis Foundation said in its announcement. "Shelby’s success as a player and tennis ambassador has certainly helped propel the growth of tennis throughout the Charleston area and the state of South Carolina. Although she no longer lives here, the Lowcountry will always be where she got her start."

Evans, who lives in Cambridge, Mass., grew up in Belton, home of the S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame. Playing in the late 1950s and 1960s, she won nine Palmetto Championship singles title, still the tournament record. From 1961-1964, she won both the singles and doubles titles at the S.C. high school championships.

In 1963 and 1964, Evans played No. 1 for both the boys and girls teams at Belton High School, at a time when when the seasons were both played during the spring. In 1964, she was recruited to play on the men’s teams at Clemson, University of South Carolina and Presbyterian College, opting to play women's tennis at Queens College.

Evans went on to play in Europe and coached the Harvard-Radcliffe women's team form 1969-72. For more than 40 years, she and her family have provided the Malloy Evans Memorial Sportsmanship Award, which is presented to an 18U player at the Palmetto Championships each year.