After her older sister Courtney won a NCAA team tennis championship at UCLA, Caroline Dolehide considered following her to the iconic southern California college. But that would have meant putting off a professional career -- and the prize money that goes with it.
And so, she chose a different path.
Eight years after turning pro, the 25-year-old Dolehide is No.49 in the PIF WTA Rankings, has collected 267 professional victories (168 at the WTA level) -- and more than $4 million in prize money.
In the category of epic multitasking, Dolehide recently graduated from Indiana University East with Bachelor of Science degrees in both Business Administration and Psychology. A few days after winning the doubles title at the Canadian Open with Desirae Krawczyk, Dolehide received her diplomas in a rousing cap-and-gown ceremony.
She cited the ending of Robert Frost’s classic poem, The Road Not Taken: “Two roads diverged in a wood and I -- I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference.”
Said Dolehide: “The WTA has created an opportunity for us to pursue dual goals. The road that I took to complete my degrees at IU East has made all the difference.”
It’s all part of an 11-year collaboration between the WTA, the Women’s Tennis Benefit Association and Indiana University East. Graduating along with Dolehide this year were Raveena Kingsley, another current player, and the retired Christina McHale, who both attended commencement ceremonies on May 9 on the campus of IU East in Richmond, Indiana.
They are part of a unique group of 22 players who earned degrees from Indiana University East -- including Marie Bouzkova, Magda Linette, Sloane Stephens, C.C. Bellis and Shelby Rogers.
Rogers got her degree in Psychology in 2021. It took her five years, and it fulfilled a promise she made to her mother when she turned pro.
“I really enjoyed that my brain was engaged,” Rogers said. “I could play my match and know that I had an exam. I actually enjoyed the actual stress -- a good stress from multitasking. I could have a goal off the court and a sense of accomplishment and feel I was learning.
“IUE does a great job. You can work at your own pace, and they’ll help you with scheduling. If my flight was canceled and I needed a project extension, they’d work it out.”
There are currently 15 WTA members enrolled in the fall semester, including Bianca Andreescu, Amanda Anisimova and the recently retired Anett Kontaveit.
“This program is a different opportunity than the conventional college experience,” said Thomas Livengood, Vice President of Player Development and Member Education. “If you go the NCAA route, you’re dealing with the rules governing amateurs.
“If you’ve got the game and you want to do it, you get the opportunity to play professional tennis -- and make pro prize money. It’s a program we’re very proud of.”
Throughout her career, Venus Willians has been a groundbreaker and, sure enough, her fingerprints are all over this program. After searching for online opportunities, she applied to Indiana University East, an institution she felt was ahead of the curve in a growing trend in education. The school notified the WTA, Venus got her degree in 2013, and the rest is history.
WTA members get a 50 percent tuition discount and can choose any number of courses each semester; there is no minimum or maximum. The three leading degrees so far are: Business Administration, Communications and Psychology.
Professional tennis is the ultimate alternative education: Traveling the globe, assimilating different cultures and navigating the challenges of self-employment.
Said WTA CEO Portia Archer: “The legacy of this partnership has etched itself into the history of the WTA. The dedicated faculty at IU East help these women achieve academic excellence, showcase their perseverance and expand their professional horizons.”
WTBA Executive Director Lisa Grattan also offered strong praise for the program.
“Our 11-plus year partnership with IU East continues to exceed expectations. As an institution, IU East remains agile and pioneering in meeting the needs of WTA players who strive for excellence both on the court and in the classroom. We are extremely proud of and congratulate Caroline, Christina and Raveena for their academic successes.”
Chancellor Dennis Rome said IU East is proud of the program and promises that more pioneering innovation is on the way to enhance the one-of-a-kind partnership.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity that we want to maintain,” he said, noting the organizations met during the event at Cincinnati. “We [WTA and IU East] are absolutely excited about wanting to advance our model to better reach the student athlete.”
The future model will include more flexibility and credit for prior learning experiences, he said, because players must master unique skills of time management routines in all phases of their careers -- tournament play, practice, travel, scheduling.
“There are ways that those can be articulated into credit,” Rome said. “They are a model of how we will become more accommodating.”
For more information on the program, please contact:
John Dalton
Ken Christmon
