In Focus

All it took was an encounter with one of the most popular figures in the sport and Adam Davidson ’05 began dreaming.

Mired in an emotional tug-of-war between choosing a serve-and-volley dream or dealing with “real life,” Davidson had just been drafted by the Sacramento Capitals of the World Team Tennis professional league for the 2006 season. While playing with the Capitals, he rubbed shoulders with the sport’s greats, like Pete Sampras. It was also while playing with the Capitals that he met the sport’s most popular face in new teammate Anna Kournikova.

During the month-long season (the WTT plays during July and features former and current professionals), Davidson developed a friendship with Kournikova, and that is when he caught a vision for his future. He eventually sacked his real estate internship in Sacramento and finished the season, destined to hit the ATP Tour.

Yet for Davidson, joining the tour was about so much more than money, status, or for that matter, just maintaining the ability to play. Instead, he opted to use his professional status as a tool to spread the Gospel to fellow players.

“The experience with the Capitals sparked my desire to use tennis as a ministry,” said Davidson, who helped lead Azusa Pacific to its first-ever NAIA Men’s Tennis Championship as a 2005 senior. “Meeting Anna helped me see that ‘celebrities’ need salvation as well. Someone has to reach out to them, and that’s what this is about.”

As a student-athlete, Davidson shined in doubles with a 102-27 career, including a three-year run where he and partner Sam Fletcher fashioned an 80-12 record as the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the NAIA. A self-made player who did not pick up a racquet until high school, Davidson knew that his only ticket to the tour was in doubles. He just needed a partner.

Enter Patrick Briaud, a 2005 graduate and tennis standout at University of California, Berkeley. Both Davidson and Briaud played in a tournament in Sacramento when Davidson noticed Briaud wearing a Young Life T-shirt. Davidson approached Briaud, struck up a conversation, and a few months later, Cross Court Ministries was born.

“We quickly became close friends and birthed our vision to play doubles on tour and try to get to the top of the ATP through doubles,” said Davidson. “We began to develop a game plan to become professional players, while sharing the Gospel on tour. We trained for three months and then went to Tunisia in November 2006 to play in an ATP Futures Tournament as our test run.”

Some test run. They won their first-ever professional tournament and earned their first ATP points. In a matter of one tournament, the duo moved from no ATP ranking to No. 1,080 with the win, moving more than 800 spots.

“That was our opening,” said Davidson. “We were there for four weeks, just trying to get into the qualifying event. Next thing you know, we shared the Gospel with more than 20 ranked ATP players, many of whom were Muslim or Hindu. We want to share Christ with a world that needs Him, and now we are reaching the world as He commands – literally.”

Since that victory last November, Davidson and Briaud have traveled to nearly 20 different countries, including Australia, Belgium, Belize, China, Costa Rica, England, France, Greece, Italy, Panama, Spain, and Switzerland.

Along the way, though, Davidson took a few weeks off. Funds were running low; a lower-level touring pro on the Futures or Challengers circuit does not make nearly the same money as the Rafael Nadals and Roger Federers of the world. He was now caught between being able to survive financially and keeping the dream and the ministry alive.

While Davidson spent a few weeks regrouping, Briaud continued to play with other partners and continued to win. In a matter of six months, Briaud surged to a doubles ranking of No. 240 in the world. Since the two could no longer play together because Briaud’s ranking was too high and their combined ranking would not get them into higher level tournaments, the focus of Cross Court Ministries began to change.

“We want to get Patrick ranked in the top 100,” said Davidson. “I now focus on the ministry side. He takes me along to all his tournaments as his training partner and coach. I still wanted to play, but I felt like the ministry would be more successful with two of us working together. I made the choice to sacrifice my immediate shot at the big time to see where we can take the ministry.”

Thus far, they have shared the Gospel with nearly 75 different touring professionals. At the tournament site, Davidson develops relationships that ideally lead to Gospel conversations. At some point in the dialogue, he invites them to their Bible study, which is held each Monday night of the tournament week at the tournament site.

“We do not force anything on anyone,” said Davidson, “but we have been called to serve the Lord on tour. Representing Christ on and off the court is the most important call on our lives, and that’s why we are dedicating our time to do this.”

Davidson’s dedication includes getting back on the court. Ultimately, the duo wants to be able to play together again, but it will take time for Davidson to build up his ATP points.

“I’m not content just being a coach and training partner, or letting the ministry die,” said Davidson. “I am hoping the Lord will open the door for me to compete with Patrick soon. It has definitely kept my game sharp practicing with him, and I’m in the best shape of my life.”

Meanwhile, Cross Court Ministries has caught the attention of Christian former tennis greats Michael Chang, who supports the ministry through the Chang Family Foundation, and David Wheaton, who has a radio program in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“When it gets tough on the road, knowing that tennis players – current and past greats alike – think what we are doing is valuable means so much,” said Davidson. “Our ministry adds a unique dimension to the tour, at least from a player perspective. There is now someone down in the trenches showing that there’s a lot more to life than winning tennis matches, and that’s us.”

Micah McDaniel ’99 is a freelance writer living in Lake Elsinore, California. micah.mcdaniel@gmail.com

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Since the interview, the following updates have occurred:

•Davidson ranks No. 668.

•Briaud ranks No. 127.

•In July, Davidson clinched his biggest win yet, besting Kristian Pless (No. 65).