User:Ramamayo/Joey Yates

Joseph Eric Yates (born May 11, 1962) is regarded as one of the best amateur tennis players of all time, and is considered to be one of the most influential amateur athletes from the US. He was the first “street tennis hustler”, making a name for himself by playing tennis matches for money across Southern California in the early 1980’s.

Early Life
Joey Yates was born in Detroit, Michigan. The level of aggression Yates exhibited on the tennis court was in remarkable contrast to the ivy-league, comparatively tame athletic styles used by other ranked amateurs and pros of the time. Yates is widely regarded as the first “rock star” of professional tennis. It is noted that his backhand, formless and nearly off-balance, became a signature part of Yates’ style.

Yates dropped out of high school and moved to southern California in the late 1970’s and became a contemporary of the skateboarding and rock music culture. He earned the nickname "Love" by beating multiple players at various public tennis courts. Public parks where Yates played his street tennis games included Griffith Park Public Courts, Balboa Public Courts and Encino Valley.

Early Career
In the early 1980’s, Yates played tennis pro John McEnroe in a non-ranked match that turned out to be one of the most pivotal moments in the American history of the sport. Yates defeated McEnroe in straight sets, solidifying his status as a phenomenon and creating a feud with McEnroe that persists to this day.

Controversy
In 1983, Yates was scheduled to play in a qualifying match that if he would have won, would have solidified an Olympic appearance for the amateur tennis player, but Yates failed to show up for the match and subsequently was disqualified from that match and from participating in any others that would have secured him a place in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. It is rumored that Yates frequent history of partying and excess is what caused him to miss the match.

After the controversy surrounding the qualifying match, Yates went into self-imposed exile. His specific whereabouts are unknown to the general public, but it was rumored that Yates was living in South America.

Recent Career
Recently, Joey Yates has negotiated an endorsement deal with athletic footwear and apparel brand K-Swiss. The brand will release a signature collection of clothing and sneakers that are inspired by vintage designs that have been updated to fit today's styles. K-Swiss recently released a video series re-introducing Joey Yates to the world. Joey Yates will be doing a signing for his debut collection at the Project Fashion Trade Show in New York City in July of 2011.