HONOLULU — The University of Hawaiʻi men's and women's tennis teams officially named the center court of the UH Tennis Complex after Rick Fried in a special dedication ceremony on Friday, September 18. Both tennis teams, along with head coaches Hendrik Bode and
Jun Hernandez, were in attendance to celebrate the milestone.
They were joined by prominent UH dignitaries including Wendy Hensel, President of the UH System;
Matt Elliott, UH Athletics Director, and Tim Dolan, UH Vice President of Advancement and UH Foundation CEO. Kahu Kordell Kekoa conducted the traditional court blessing and dedication.
Fried's love for tennis has spanned decades—from playing collegiately at the University of Arizona to competing at the national and international levels for over 75 years. Inducted into the USTA Hawaiʻi Pacific Section Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008, he still actively competes in tournaments across the globe, from France and England to Hong Kong and South Africa.
Last year, Fried channeled his enduring love for the game into making a transformational gift of more than $100,000 to elevate the UH men's and women's tennis programs. His vital support will fund scholarships, an assistant coach, equipment upgrades, and player development tools.
Recently, the facility has seen further state-of-the-art enhancements made possible by Fried's support. This includes the installation of new Daktronics scoreboards on all six competition courts, which will revolutionize the spectator experience by allowing fans and coaches to follow the progress of all ongoing matches at a glance.
"We're raising young men and women leaders who care about their community, who give back over and over and over, who are fierce competitors out in the workplace and in the state, and who continue to bring home benefits to this university because they love this university," Hensel said.
"The future of UH tennis is so bright because of your leadership, because of your passion, and because of all of your dedication to the thing you love, tennis," Elliott said. "You've given our future generations a gift, and you've done it through a medium of tennis that we all love so much."
Off the court, Fried has established a legendary career as a prominent attorney in Hawai'i. He has dedicated over 55 years to the legal field and built a national reputation for his work in personal injury, medical malpractice, and aviation law.
Fried reflected on his deep connection to Hawaiʻi and the lifelong values instilled by the sport. "I made this contribution because I wanted to do something meaningful for a university that I've really grown to love," he said.
"The lesson learned on a tennis court... discipline, perseverance, preparation, sportsmanship, and how to handle both winning and losing go a long way in life and are lessons that will stay with you for the rest of your life," Fried added. "I want the players who compete here in the years ahead to feel proud when they walk onto this court. I hope there'll be some great victories here, some exciting matches."
The UH Tennis Complex has a rich history and continues to evolve to meet the needs of modern collegiate athletics. The venue received a multi-million dollar facelift during the 2003-04 season and was unveiled in time for the start of the 2004-05 campaign. Additionally, the courts are now equipped with high-definition cameras. These new tools enable international broadcasting, match recording and replays, and advanced AI analysis for player development.
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