The Gullikson Legacy: La Crosse's Tennis Royalty
No tour of Coulee Region tennis is complete without the story of Tim and Tom Gullikson, identical twins born September 8, 1951 in La Crosse, Wisconsin -- the most accomplished professional tennis players the state has ever produced. The family lived directly across the street from the tennis courts on the UW-La Crosse campus, and their mother enrolled the boys in a free city parks summer tennis program at age 5 because she could keep watch on them from the front window. By the age of 8, the twins were so good that a group of college students living two doors down would walk them down to the courts, find the biggest guys around, and bet them they couldn't beat the Gulliksons at doubles. The brothers won most of the time -- and were rewarded with a quarter each, which they used to buy ice cream. As Tom Gullikson later put it, that's when they technically turned pro.
The family later moved to Onalaska, where their father was the town barber and their mother worked in a grocery store. Both boys attended Onalaska High School and -- as juniors in 1967 -- won the WIAA state doubles championship, a Coulee Region accomplishment that wouldn't be matched by another local team for 55 years. Both graduated from Onalaska in 1969. Tim went on to Northern Illinois University, where he posted a 75-14 record at No. 2 singles and qualified for the NCAA Division I championships three times. As pros, the right-handed Tim won 4 singles titles, was named the 1977 ATP Newcomer of the Year, reached a career-high World No. 15 in singles in 1979, and famously upset John McEnroe in the fourth round of Wimbledon 1979 en route to the quarterfinals. The left-handed Tom won 1 ATP singles title (Newport 1985), reached a career-high World No. 34 in singles, was a 1982 US Open singles quarterfinalist, and won the 1984 US Open mixed doubles with Manuela Maleeva.
Together they won 10 ATP doubles titles and reached the doubles final at Wimbledon in 1983, falling to John McEnroe and Peter Fleming -- but receiving runner-up medals from the Duke and Duchess of Kent in the Royal Box. The brothers' second careers in coaching may have been even more impactful than their playing careers. Tim coached Martina Navratilova, Mary Joe Fernandez, and Aaron Krickstein before becoming Pete Sampras's coach from 1992 to 1995, during which time Sampras won multiple Grand Slam titles and reached the World No. 1 ranking. Tom became one of the original members of the USTA Player Development program, coaching Todd Martin, Jennifer Capriati, and Andy Roddick, and served as United States Davis Cup Captain from 1994-1999 -- captaining the 1995 Davis Cup-winning US team and coaching Andre Agassi to the men's tennis Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Tim Gullikson was diagnosed with brain cancer in January 1995 while traveling with Sampras at the Australian Open and died on May 3, 1996 in Wheaton, Illinois at age 44. After his death, Tom founded the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation, which continues today to provide programs for brain tumor patients and their families. The Gullikson Tennis Courts at Rowe Park in Onalaska -- 6 outdoor courts at 710 Hilltopper Drive, rebuilt in 2013 in a $400,000 City of Onalaska / School District joint project -- are the community's permanent tribute to the twins, with a historical marker on the east side of the complex recounting Tim's career and inspiration to the community.
Competitive Tennis in La Crosse & Western Wisconsin
USTA infrastructure in the Coulee Region runs through the USTA La Crosse Area League (LAL) -- one of the five USTA Wisconsin local leagues, alongside Greater Milwaukee, Madison, Great Lakes (Fox Valley), and Northcentral. The LAL covers La Crosse, Vernon, Monroe, Jackson, and Trempealeau counties and offers summer and fall play in women's doubles and singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles. Although La Crosse is one of the smaller USTA areas in Wisconsin, it has long been recognized for the quality of its competitive players. The LAL is administered by the Coulee Region Tennis Association (CRTA), a USTA-registered Community Tennis Association led by President Bill Hehli (also UW-La Crosse head tennis coach). CRTA matches are played primarily at the Green Island Park complex on weeknights at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., with substitution lists available, and feed into the USTA Wisconsin District / USTA Midwest Section Championships.
CRTA also runs the Coulee Region USTA Junior Team Tennis League, the Southwest Wisconsin ParPro Junior Team Tennis Summer Slam Championships, the Lifetime Tennis Teaching Association (LTTA) initiative, and CRTA-sanctioned tournaments. UW-La Crosse runs an extensive summer tennis camp program for juniors and adults under head coach Bill Hehli and assistant coach Shira Busch, with registration handled through the Ryzer platform. The City of La Crosse Parks & Recreation summer tennis program serves hundreds of players each year and has recently relocated much of its programming to Green Island Park, while Onalaska Parks & Recreation provides public access to the Gullikson Tennis Courts at Rowe Park. Holmen, West Salem, Sparta, and Tomah municipal recreation departments round out community offerings throughout the Coulee Region.
For winter indoor tennis, La Crosse-area players have historically driven 4 miles across the Mississippi River to the Winona Tennis Center in Winona, Minnesota -- a 6-court indoor non-profit facility founded in December 1991 by the Winona Area Tennis Association (WATA) and used by Winona State, Saint Mary's, and Cotter HS programs. UW-La Crosse's Hetzel Fieldhouse (4 indoor multi-sport courts) provides additional weekend open play through CRTA. The Phase 2 of the Green Island Park complex -- a 6-court indoor dome estimated at $4.5 million -- would, when funded, become the first major year-round indoor tennis facility in La Crosse and is the centerpiece of CRTA's ongoing capital campaign.
High School Tennis in La Crosse & Western Wisconsin
High school tennis in Wisconsin is governed by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), which contests state tournaments in Division 1 (larger schools) and Division 2 (smaller schools). In Wisconsin, boys tennis is a spring sport and girls tennis is a fall sport; both state tournaments are held annually at Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the UW-Madison campus. La Crosse-area programs compete primarily in the Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC, D1) -- La Crosse Central, La Crosse Logan, Holmen, Onalaska, Tomah, Sparta -- and the Coulee Conference (D2) -- West Salem, Black River Falls, G-E-T, Westby, Viroqua, and others. The most decorated recent program in the area is West Salem, thanks to the Hehli brothers' run of state titles from 2022 through 2025.
La Crosse / Onalaska / Holmen (Mississippi Valley Conference)
- La Crosse Central Riverhawks (La Crosse) -- WIAA D1, MVC -- 7 home courts at 1801 Losey Blvd S; home of 1989 D1 girls doubles state champions Angie Robarge & Katie Harrell; 2025 D1 boys subsectional second-place team.
- La Crosse Logan Rangers (La Crosse) -- WIAA D1, MVC -- Multiple recent state-doubles qualifiers including the Roberts brothers and Clark/Jarrett pairings.
- La Crosse Aquinas Blugolds (La Crosse) -- WIAA D1, MVC (moved up from D2 in 2024) -- 2021 D2 boys team state qualifier; Anderson Fortney finished 3rd in D2 boys singles in both 2023 and 2024 before qualifying for D1 individual state in 2025; coach Lori Lukens.
- Onalaska Hilltoppers (Onalaska) -- WIAA D1, MVC -- High school home of Tim & Tom Gullikson (1969 graduates; 1967 WIAA state doubles champions); team practices at the Gullikson Tennis Courts in Rowe Park.
- Holmen Vikings (Holmen) -- WIAA D1, MVC -- Northern La Crosse County program; multiple state qualifiers in girls and boys tennis.
- Tomah Timberwolves (Tomah) -- WIAA D1, MVC -- Eastern MVC program with regular sectional qualifiers.
- Sparta Spartans (Sparta) -- WIAA D1, MVC -- Monroe County program; competes in MVC dual season.
- Onalaska Luther Knights (Onalaska) -- WIAA D2/D3 -- Small private school with multiple state-tournament appearances.
Coulee Conference / Western Wisconsin (D2)
- West Salem Panthers (West Salem) -- WIAA D2, Coulee -- The Coulee Region's flagship D2 program. Brothers Jack & Kyle Hehli won 2022 D2 boys doubles state championship 6-1, 6-1 over Brookfield Academy at Nielsen (first area boys champs in 55 years -- since the Gulliksons in 1967). Kyle Hehli won the 2025 D2 boys singles state championship and was the 2025 WIAA Scholar-Athlete; girls program won three consecutive Coulee Conference championships through 2025.
- Westby/Viroqua Norse-Blackhawks -- WIAA D2, Coulee -- Recent state doubles qualifiers including the Levi/Owen King pairing; combined Westby-Viroqua co-op for tennis.
- Black River Falls Tigers (Black River Falls) -- WIAA D2, Coulee -- Jackson County program with consistent Coulee Conference participation.
- Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (G-E-T) Red Hawks (Galesville) -- WIAA D2, Coulee -- Trempealeau County co-op program.
Governing Body:
WIAA Boys Tennis -- D1 & D2 (spring) |
WIAA Girls Tennis -- D1 & D2 (fall) |
WIAA State Results
Collegiate Tennis in La Crosse & Western Wisconsin
UW-La Crosse anchors the Coulee Region's NCAA Division III tennis scene, with neighboring WIAC programs at UW-Whitewater, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-River Falls, and UW-Oshkosh forming one of the deepest D-III conferences in the country. Across the Mississippi River in Minnesota, Winona State (NCAA D-II) and Saint Mary's University (NCAA D-III) provide additional collegiate competition.
UW-La Crosse
La Crosse, WI · D-III
WIAC
NCAA Division III, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Both men's and women's programs. Head coach Bill Hehli (also CRTA President); assistant coach Shira Busch. Women's program ranks 2nd all-time in WIAC women's tennis with 15 conference championships (UW-Whitewater leads with 24+). Home: outdoor courts at 2100 Playfield Lane (16 hard courts) plus Hetzel Fieldhouse (4 indoor multi-sport courts). UWL also runs the popular UWL Tennis Camps for juniors and adults each summer through the Ryzer registration platform. Once Phase 2 of the Green Island Park dome is built, UWL will move home matches there.
Viterbo
La Crosse, WI · NAIA
NSAA
NAIA program at 998 10th Street South in La Crosse, competing in the North Star Athletic Association. Provides additional college tennis opportunity for La Crosse-area student-athletes alongside UWL.
Western WI & Cross-River
D-III / D-II Cluster
D-II/III
Regional competition includes WIAC neighbors UW-Eau Claire Blugolds, UW-Stout Blue Devils, and UW-River Falls Falcons (all NCAA D-III), plus the cross-river Minnesota programs Winona State Warriors (NCAA D-II, NSIC) and Saint Mary's Cardinals (NCAA D-III, MIAC) -- both based at the Winona Tennis Center.
Note: The 2024 WIAC women's tennis championships were held at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison and hosted by UW-River Falls. UWL's Tasha Bailey and Shelby Roth led the Eagles in WIAC singles play, while Hannah Cady and Lauren Lindow added top seeds at lower flights. Tennis On Campus and various junior camps run by UWL throughout the summer keep the Coulee Region tightly connected to NCAA tennis development.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tennis in La Crosse & Western Wisconsin
What are the best tennis facilities in La Crosse and Western Wisconsin? +
The Coulee Region's primary tennis venues are the Green Island Park Tennis Complex (13 outdoor lighted hard courts, opened September 2020 as Phase 1; Phase 2 indoor dome planned), the UW-La Crosse Eagles' Hetzel Fieldhouse (4 indoor multi-sport courts) and outdoor courts at 2100 Playfield Lane (16 hard courts), the historic Gullikson Tennis Courts at Rowe Park in Onalaska (6 outdoor courts named for hometown legends Tim & Tom Gullikson and rebuilt in 2013), and the Winona Tennis Center across the Mississippi River in Winona, MN (6 indoor courts used by La Crosse-area players for winter tennis). The City of La Crosse Parks Department and Onalaska Parks & Recreation maintain additional public courts at Central, Logan, and Onalaska high schools, plus neighborhood parks throughout the region.
Who were Tim and Tom Gullikson? +
Tim and Tom Gullikson are identical twin brothers born September 8, 1951 in La Crosse, Wisconsin -- the most accomplished pro tennis players ever to come from the state. The family lived across from the UW-La Crosse tennis courts; their mother enrolled them at age 5 in a city parks summer program. They moved to Onalaska as boys, won the 1967 WIAA state doubles championship as juniors at Onalaska High School, and graduated in 1969. As pros, the right-handed Tim won 4 ATP singles titles, was 1977 ATP Newcomer of the Year, reached World No. 15, and beat John McEnroe en route to the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 1979. The left-handed Tom won the 1985 Newport singles title, the 1984 US Open mixed doubles, and reached the 1982 US Open singles quarterfinals. Together they won 10 ATP doubles titles and were Wimbledon doubles runners-up in 1983 (losing to McEnroe and Fleming). Tim later coached Pete Sampras from 1992-1995 (during which Sampras reached World No. 1); Tom served as US Davis Cup Captain 1994-1999, captaining the 1995 Davis Cup-winning team and coaching Andre Agassi to Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996. Tim died of brain cancer in May 1996; Tom founded the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation in his memory.
Where are the Gullikson Tennis Courts? +
The Gullikson Tennis Courts are at Rowe Park, 710 Hilltopper Drive in Onalaska, on Oak Forest Drive just west of Canary Lane. The complex has 6 outdoor hard courts and was rebuilt in 2013 as a joint project between the City of Onalaska and the Onalaska School District at a total cost of approximately $400,000 (split evenly), with new asphalt, modern fencing, push-button lights, and bleachers. Onalaska High School's tennis teams use the courts as their home venue, and the courts are open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. A historical marker honoring Tim Gullikson sits on the east side of the courts, recounting his 1969 graduation from Onalaska High School, his career-high singles ranking of No. 18 in the world in 1978, his 16 doubles titles (10 with Tom), and his coaching of Martina Navratilova, Aaron Krickstein, and Pete Sampras.
Does UW-La Crosse have tennis programs? +
Yes. The UW-La Crosse Eagles compete in NCAA Division III as members of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), with both men's and women's tennis programs. Head coach Bill Hehli -- who also serves as President of the Coulee Region Tennis Association -- leads the program, with Shira Busch as assistant coach. The women's team ranks second all-time in WIAC women's tennis with 15 conference championships (behind only UW-Whitewater). The Eagles play home matches at UWL's outdoor courts at 2100 Playfield Lane (16 outdoor hard courts) and use Hetzel Fieldhouse (4 indoor multi-sport courts) for winter and inclement-weather play. UWL also runs the popular UWL Tennis Camps for juniors and adults each summer.
Tell me about the Green Island Park tennis complex. +
The Green Island Park Tennis Complex at 2300 South 7th Street in La Crosse is the centerpiece of the Coulee Region's recent tennis investment. Phase 1 -- 13 outdoor lighted hard courts with lighting on the north 7 courts and an adjacent parking lot -- was completed in September 2020 at a cost of $1.3 million. Phase 2, which would add 6 indoor courts inside a year-round dome at an estimated $4.5 million, has been on hold pending fundraising. The complex was designed and funded as a partnership between the City of La Crosse Parks & Recreation Department, UW-La Crosse, La Crosse Aquinas Catholic Schools, and the Coulee Region Tennis Association (CRTA). Green Island hosts CRTA league matches at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on weeknights, the La Crosse Green Island Adult Open tournament, and WIAA Division 1 high school subsectional matches.
What is the Coulee Region Tennis Association? +
The Coulee Region Tennis Association (CRTA) is a USTA-registered Community Tennis Association serving La Crosse, Vernon, Monroe, Jackson, and Trempealeau counties. CRTA is led by President Bill Hehli (also UW-La Crosse head tennis coach), 1st Vice-President Matt Johnson, and 2nd Vice-President Dale Barclay. The organization runs the Coulee Region USTA Junior Team Tennis League, summer USTA adult leagues, the Southwest Wisconsin ParPro JTT Summer Slam Championships, the Lifetime Tennis Teaching Association initiative, and CRTA-sanctioned tournaments. CRTA also led fundraising for Phase 1 of the Green Island Park complex and is leading the Phase 2 indoor-dome capital campaign.
Which Coulee Region high school has the most state tennis success? +
West Salem High School (WIAA D2, Coulee Conference) has been the breakthrough Coulee Region program of the 2020s thanks to the Hehli brothers. In 2022, brothers Jack (senior) and Kyle (freshman) Hehli won the WIAA Division 2 boys doubles state championship 6-1, 6-1 over Brookfield Academy at Nielsen Tennis Stadium, finishing the season 19-0. They were the first Coulee Region boys state champions in 55 years -- the previous local title belonged to Tim and Tom Gullikson, who won the WIAA doubles title for Onalaska in 1967. In spring 2025, Kyle Hehli capped a four-year state-tournament run by winning the D2 boys No. 1 singles state championship over Catholic Memorial's Oliver Milleman 6-3, 1-6, 10-7 -- West Salem's first-ever singles state champion. Hehli was the 2025 WIAA Scholar-Athlete and finished as a four-time state qualifier with a singles title, doubles title, plus 4th and 5th-place singles finishes. La Crosse Aquinas (recently moved up to D1) and La Crosse Central also routinely produce sectional and state qualifiers.
Are there community tennis programs in La Crosse? +
Yes. The Coulee Region Tennis Association is the central non-profit, organizing year-round adult and junior tennis across La Crosse, Vernon, Monroe, Jackson, and Trempealeau counties through USTA Junior Team Tennis, summer leagues, the Southwest Wisconsin ParPro JTT Summer Slam Championships, and CRTA-sanctioned tournaments. UW-La Crosse runs an extensive summer tennis camp program (UWL Tennis Camps) for juniors and adults under head coach Bill Hehli and assistant coach Shira Busch -- registration through the Ryzer platform -- and provides court reservations at Hetzel Fieldhouse during winter months. The City of La Crosse Parks & Recreation summer tennis program serves hundreds of players each year and has recently relocated much of its programming to Green Island Park. Onalaska Parks & Recreation provides public access to the Gullikson Tennis Courts at Rowe Park, and Holmen, West Salem, Sparta, and Tomah municipal recreation programs round out community offerings throughout the Coulee Region.
Does the La Crosse area offer USTA leagues? +
Yes. The
USTA La Crosse Area League (LAL) is one of the five USTA Wisconsin local leagues -- alongside Greater Milwaukee, Madison, Great Lakes (Fox Valley), and Northcentral. The LAL covers La Crosse, Vernon, Monroe, Jackson, and Trempealeau counties; offerings include summer and fall leagues for women's doubles and singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles. Matches are played primarily at Green Island Park on weeknights at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., with substitution lists available. Find
doubles leagues and
match play through
Tennis Circuits®.
Are the clubs listed affiliated with Tennis Circuits®? +
