history
Over the past decade, Pam Shriver's Charity Tennis Classic has become Baltimore's premier charitable sporting event and a cornerstone on area planning calendars. With community-wide support, the PNC Tennis Classic presented by The Baltimore Sun funds diversified activities all targeted towards children‘s related causes. Since 1986, over $4 million has been donated to area children's charities.
The Tennis Classic has been played at the Baltimore Arena since 1990 and has attracted enthusiastic "standing room only" crowds. The event has also been televised regionally on a tape delayed basis since 1992.
the players
The Tennis Classic's list of alumni reads like a "Who's Who" in Tennis. Past participants include Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Venus and Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova, Lindsay Davenport, Jana Novotna, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Todd Martin, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Andy Roddick, Mary Pierce, Gabriela Sabatini, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, the Jensen Brothers and, of course, Pam Shriver. Renowned celebrities like "Dr. J" (Julius Erving), Kenny Rogers, Cal Ripken, Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Alomar, Brady Anderson, Tony Siragusa, B.J. Surhoff, Mike Bordick, Trent Dilfer and Shannon Sharpe have played in the Tennis Challenge's celebrity doubles match.
the charities
Founded in 1986 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Pam Shriver's leadership and guidance has enabled the Mercantile Tennis Classic to expand its charitable commitment to the community. In 1993, the Tennis Classic Fund was established at the Baltimore Community Foundation. A publicly supported endowment for the Greater Baltimore region, the Community Foundation awards charitable grants to non-profit organizations throughout Central Maryland. The Tennis Classic fund targets non-profits that work to enhance and improve the lives of the region's youth through education, physical fitness and health/mental health. Under the guidance of the Community Foundation and the Tennis Classic's Executive Committee, grants have been awarded to the following non-profits among others, since the Tennis Classic Fund was established.
| Year | Champions | Players |
| 1986 | Martina Navratilova Stan Smith |
Pam Shriver, Martina Navratilova, Elise Burgin, Carling Bassett, Stan Smith, Bob Lutz, Marty Reissen, Tom Gorman, Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer, Tom McMillen |
| 1987 | Chris Evert Tim Gullikson |
Pam Shriver, Chris Evert, Elise Burgin, Zina Garrison, Tim Gullikson, John Ross, Bud Schultz, Tim Wilkison Jim Palmer, Kenny Rogers |
| 1988 | USA d. USSR* | Pam Shriver, Zina Garrison, Elise Burgin, Natasha Zvereva, Larissa Savchenko, Leila Meskhi, Jim Palmer, Sugar Ray Leonard |
| 1989 | Chris Evert | Pam Shriver, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Zina Garrison, Elise Burgin |
| 1990 | Monica Seles | Pam Shriver, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati, Elise Burgin, Cal Ripken, Julius "Dr. J" Erving |
| 1991 | Jennifer Capriati | Pam Shriver, Jennifer Capriati, Martina Navratilova, Elise Burgin, Jim Palmer, Scott Manning |
| 1992 | Shriver/Navratilova* | Pam Shriver, Martina Navratilova, Gabriela Sabatini, Mary Jo Fernandez |
| 1993 | Jim Courier | Jim Courier, Jimmy Connors, Pam Shriver, Venus and Serena Williams, Cal & Billy Ripken |
| 1994 | Jim Courier | Jim Courier, John McEnroe, Todd Martin |
| 1995 | Mary Pierce | Mary Pierce, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Pam Shriver, Tracy Austin, Ilie Nastase, Johan Kriek, Cal Ripken, Brady Anderson |
| 1996 | Monica Seles | Monica Seles, Mary Jo Fernandez, Pam Shriver, Andrea Jaeger, Marty Reissen, John Lloyd, Brady Anderson, Roberto Alomar |
| 1997 | Monica Seles | Monica Seles, Amanda Coetzer, Pam Shriver, Zina Garrison, Fred Stolle, Cliff Drysdale, Brady Anderson, BJ Surhoff |
| 1998 | Lindsay Davenport | Lindsay Davenport, Jana Novotna, Pam Shriver, Martina Navratilova, Harold Salomon, Tom Gullikson, Brady Anderson, BJ Surhoff |
| 1999 | Anna Kournikova | Anna Kournikova, Lindsay Davenport, Lori McNeil, Ilana Kloss, Brian Gottfried, Johan Kriek, Brady Anderson, Mike Bordick |
| 2000 | Todd Martin | Todd Martin, Pete Sampras, Luke & Murphy Jensen, Kathy Rinaldi, Lori McNeil, Brady Anderson, Jerry Hairston |
| 2001 | Andy Roddick | Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Jana Novotna, Tim Wilkison, Zina Garrison, Richey Reneberg, Brady Anderson, Jerry Hairston |
| 2002 | Lindsay Davenport | Lindsay Davenport, Monica Seles, Jana Novotna, Patrick McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Richey Reneberg, Gary Matthews, Brady Anderson |
| 2003 | Andy Roddick | Andy Roddick, James Blake, Maria Sharapova, Ashley Harkleroad, Rick Bauer, Tippy Martinez |
| 2004 | Maria Sharapova | Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport, Scoville Jenkins, Phillip Simmonds, Brady Anderson, Larry Bigbie |
| 2005 | Jim Courier Martina Hingis |
John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Martina Hingis, Mike Bryan, Martina Navratilova, Bruce Chen, Melvin Mora |
| 2006 | Bob Bryan Martina Navratilova |
Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Lindsay Davenport, Mardy Fish, Robby Ginepri, Martina Navratilova |
*Fed/Davis Cup Team Format