By Karen Ronney
For Dana Mathewson, tennis was never just a game. It was a journey that took her from the world’s biggest stages to the history books—and inspired countless athletes along the way.
A three-time Paralympian and one of the most accomplished American wheelchair tennis players of her generation, Mathewson reached the pinnacle of her sport at Wimbledon in 2022. Partnering with Japan’s Yui Kamiji, she became the first American woman to win a Grand Slam title in wheelchair tennis, forever cementing her place in tennis history.
She went on to represent Team USA at three Paralympic Games—Rio, Tokyo and Paris—and added two gold medals at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, where she also proudly served as the U.S. flag-bearer.
“Dana has been an inspiration to so many in Southern California and the world for her accomplishments in wheelchair tennis,” said Linda Milan, the Executive Director of the SCTA Foundation. “We believe she is inspiring the next generation of adaptive tennis wheelchair athletes for decades to come.”
But after years of competing at the highest level, Mathewson knew it was time for a new challenge. She officially retired from professional tennis in late 2024, closing one remarkable chapter of her life and opening another.
Today, Dana is taking everything she learned on the court into a new career focused on leadership, advocacy and inspiring the next generation. Her experiences as an elite athlete—discipline, resilience, teamwork, perseverance and the ability to overcome obstacles—have become powerful tools for her work beyond competition.
While the trophies and medals will always be part of her story, Mathewson’s greatest impact may be what comes next. Her new career gives her an opportunity to use her voice and experience to help create greater opportunities for people with disabilities, champion adaptive sports and encourage athletes to believe that limitations don’t have to define their dreams.
Dana Mathewson may have retired her professional tennis racket, but she certainly hasn’t stepped away from making a difference. The next chapter isn’t about leaving the court behind. It’s about taking everything the court taught her—and using it to change the game for others.
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About the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation:
We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization and is the charitable arm of USTA Southern California. The Foundation’s mission is to “Change lives and build communities through tennis.” Since 2020, the SCTA Foundation has had a community impact of giving over $1million in tennis grants and tennis scholarships to deserving youth, adults, tennis organizations, tennis facilities and tennis programs to make tennis an equal opportunity sport, accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, or economic background. Visit us on Social Media on Instagram and Facebook. To learn more about the SCTA Foundation go to: www.sctafoundation.org. To donate go to: sctafoundation.org/donate/.
