The U.S. Open might be happening miles away, but right here in the Garden State, a local tennis instructor is serving up fun and fitness while smashing the disparities in tennis.

The rise in social fitness clubs has offered adults a space to connect, form friendships and, of course, stay fit. Onyx Tennis Club offers all the above but also has a deeper purpose. Woodbridge native Uzo Amuzie played for both Columbia and NYU and he’s the founder and head coach.

"We really started Onyx to kind of bring folks of color into the sport," Amuzie said.

Even with the success of the Williams sisters, Coco Gauff and trailblazers like Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, there’s still an under representation of Black and brown players both professionally and recreationally because of high costs and lack of access.

"I tried to strike the balance between an access point into tennis. Last Summer, I did a full-on clinic every week for free that was very ambitious and taxing. I think I saw the opportunity to prove this hypothesis that folks that look like us were super interested in it and needed an entry point," Amuzie said.

The sport was integrated 75 years ago when powerhouse player Althea Gibson hit the court at the U.S. Open, then known as the U.S. National. She was the first person to break the color barrier in international tennis in 1950. The once Essex County resident’s legacy lives on through groups like Onyx Tennis Club.

"I grew up in this sport, not really many of us were in it. I feel like we’re kind of becoming one of the leaders in that space to be able to provide that programming, that access to folks that want to learn," Amuzie said.

The group started in May 2024 and has already grown to some 300 members between the ages of 25 to 40. They meet throughout the tri-state for clinics and pop-ups. Every Saturday, you can find them in Jersey City for open play at the Lincoln Park Tennis Center.

Jocelyn Prescod from Newark is a beginner and joined the group just a few months ago.

"I’ve always wanted to play tennis, but I never had someone to play tennis with. I saw a post on Instagram talking about a group that was welcoming newcomers, and I was like, I have to get on that," Prescod said.

Onyx Tennis is free for members. It’s funded through grants from the United State Tennis Association and other partnerships. It also hosts ticketed events to raise funds for supplies. They recently kicked off a collaboration with the USTA to continue to increase access and diversity to the game in the tri-state area.