Tennis/Catalogs/Famous players: Difference between revisions

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imported>Hayford Peirce
(added McGregor to Sedge info)
imported>Hayford Peirce
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|Trivia=Was the younger, by 15 minutes, to his twin, [[Ernest Renshaw]], also a Wimbledon singles champion; together they won Wimbledon doubles 5 times
|Trivia=Was the younger, by 15 minutes, to his twin, [[Ernest Renshaw]], also a Wimbledon singles champion; together they won Wimbledon doubles 5 times
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Tony Wilding
|Name=Tony Wilding
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|Trivia=Joined the Royal Marines in World War I, rose to Captain; along with the American [[Joe Hunt]], probably the most prominent tennis player ever killed on active service
|Trivia=Joined the Royal Marines in World War I, rose to Captain; along with the American [[Joe Hunt]], probably the most prominent tennis player ever killed on active service
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= Maurice McLoughlin
|Name= Maurice McLoughlin
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|ProAm= Amateur only
|ProAm= Amateur only
|Trivia= The first of the great serve-and-volley attackers
|Trivia= The first of the great serve-and-volley attackers
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= Richard Williams
|Name= Richard Williams
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|Trivia= Was a [[Titanic]] survivor, nearly had his legs amputated after being rescued from the near-freezing waters.  
|Trivia= Was a [[Titanic]] survivor, nearly had his legs amputated after being rescued from the near-freezing waters.  
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= Bill Tilden
|Name= Bill Tilden
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|Trivia= In his professional debut beat [[Karel Koželuh]] before 14,000  at [[Madison Square Garden]] on February 18, 1931; thereafter toured for many years against other top professionals. Served two periods of incarceration near Los Angeles for morals charges involving underage males
|Trivia= In his professional debut beat [[Karel Koželuh]] before 14,000  at [[Madison Square Garden]] on February 18, 1931; thereafter toured for many years against other top professionals. Served two periods of incarceration near Los Angeles for morals charges involving underage males
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= Bill Johnston
|Name= Bill Johnston
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|Trivia= Died of tuberculosis at age 51
|Trivia= Died of tuberculosis at age 51
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Karel Koželuh
|Name=Karel Koželuh
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|Trivia=Along with [[Hans Nüsslein]], probably the best player never to have been a top amateur; won numerous professional championships; the American tennis player [[Vinnie Richards]] described Koželuh as "Seamy-faced, cadaverous-looking and, in general, resembled a cigar-store Indian;" was killed in an automobile crash outside Prague at age 55
|Trivia=Along with [[Hans Nüsslein]], probably the best player never to have been a top amateur; won numerous professional championships; the American tennis player [[Vinnie Richards]] described Koželuh as "Seamy-faced, cadaverous-looking and, in general, resembled a cigar-store Indian;" was killed in an automobile crash outside Prague at age 55
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= Gerald Patterson
|Name= Gerald Patterson
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|ProAm= Amateur only
|ProAm= Amateur only
|Trivia= Won the Military Cross with Australian army in World War I; nephew of diva Dame Nellie Melba
|Trivia= Won the Military Cross with Australian army in World War I; nephew of diva Dame Nellie Melba
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= Jacques Brugnon
|Name= Jacques Brugnon
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|Nationality= French
|Nationality= French
|Hand= Right
|Hand= Right
|Strength= Doubles -- was the doubles specialist of the Musketeers; "A player of rare stroke variety and delicacy of touch."  <ref>Wallis Myers, quoted in ''Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia'', edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 650</ref>  
|Strength= Doubles -- was the doubles specialist of the Musketeers; "A player of rare stroke variety and delicacy of touch."  <ref>Wallis Myers, quoted in ''Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia'', edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 650</ref>  
|Weakness=
|Weakness=
|rank times=
|rank times=
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|ProAm= Amateur only as a player; for a while was a teaching professional in California
|ProAm= Amateur only as a player; for a while was a teaching professional in California
|Trivia= Oldest and smallest of the Musketeers; nearly made the finals of the 1926 Wimbledon championship, having 5 match points in the semi-finals against Bob Kinney without winning any of them
|Trivia= Oldest and smallest of the Musketeers; nearly made the finals of the 1926 Wimbledon championship, having 5 match points in the semi-finals against Bob Kinney without winning any of them
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= Jean Borotra
|Name= Jean Borotra
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|ProAm= Amateur only
|ProAm= Amateur only
|Trivia=Always wore a blue beret during his matches; intensely disliked by [[Bill Tilden]], himself a consummate showman, master of gamesmanship, and show-off—Tilden considered ''Borotra'' to be a show-off: "a charlatan, the greatest faker in tennis history";<ref>''Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy''—Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 139</ref> "Borotra [Tilden wrote] was what passes for 'typically' French. That is to say, he had all the charm, warmth, glamour and insincerity which is Paris." <ref>''Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy''—Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 139</ref>}}
|Trivia=Always wore a blue beret during his matches; intensely disliked by [[Bill Tilden]], himself a consummate showman, master of gamesmanship, and show-off—Tilden considered ''Borotra'' to be a show-off: "a charlatan, the greatest faker in tennis history";<ref>''Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy''—Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 139</ref> "Borotra [Tilden wrote] was what passes for 'typically' French. That is to say, he had all the charm, warmth, glamour and insincerity which is Paris." <ref>''Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy''—Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 139</ref>}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Ray Casey
|Name=Ray Casey
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|Trivia=Was sometimes mistakenly called "Roy" Casey in ''New York Times'' articles; most famous pupil was [[Bob Lutz (tennis player)|Bob Lutz]]
|Trivia=Was sometimes mistakenly called "Roy" Casey in ''New York Times'' articles; most famous pupil was [[Bob Lutz (tennis player)|Bob Lutz]]
}}
}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= Henri Cochet
|Name= Henri Cochet
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|ProAm= Amateur until 1934; had an undistinguished professional career; reinstated as an amateur in 1945
|ProAm= Amateur until 1934; had an undistinguished professional career; reinstated as an amateur in 1945
|Trivia=The only one of the Four Musketeers to turn professional, then was reinstated as an amateur in 1945}}
|Trivia=The only one of the Four Musketeers to turn professional, then was reinstated as an amateur in 1945}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Vinnie Richards
|Name=Vinnie Richards
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|ProAm=Amateur until 1929, then became the first important player to turn professional; barnstormed for a few years, then played occasional pro tournaments throughout the 1930s
|ProAm=Amateur until 1929, then became the first important player to turn professional; barnstormed for a few years, then played occasional pro tournaments throughout the 1930s
|Trivia=Won the United States doubles championship in 1918 with [[Bill Tilden]] at the age of 15 and remains the youngest male to have ever won a major championship; 27 years later, in 1945, when Tilden was 52, they won the United States Pro doubles title; in 1924 won 2 Olympic gold medals for singles and doubles and a silver for mixed doubles.}}
|Trivia=Won the United States doubles championship in 1918 with [[Bill Tilden]] at the age of 15 and remains the youngest male to have ever won a major championship; 27 years later, in 1945, when Tilden was 52, they won the United States Pro doubles title; in 1924 won 2 Olympic gold medals for singles and doubles and a silver for mixed doubles.}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name= René Lacoste
|Name= René Lacoste
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|ProAm=Amateur only
|ProAm=Amateur only
|Trivia=For many years his polo shirts with the crocodile logo on the breast have been sold worldwide; developed the first successful metal racket, the Wilson T2000, used by [[Jimmy Connors]]; his daughter, Catherine Lacoste, won the U.S. Open gold title in 1967.}}
|Trivia=For many years his polo shirts with the crocodile logo on the breast have been sold worldwide; developed the first successful metal racket, the Wilson T2000, used by [[Jimmy Connors]]; his daughter, Catherine Lacoste, won the U.S. Open gold title in 1967.}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Bunny Austin
|Name=Bunny Austin
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|ProAm=Amateur only
|ProAm=Amateur only
|Trivia=Although British, he served in the United States Army during World War II, where he was diagonosed with Gilbert's Syndrome, a periodic liver misfunction that had previously caused mysterious, weakening illnesses; he lived, nevertheless to 94, dying on his birthday; the first player to wear shorts at Wimbledon and the United States amateur championships; used a split-shaft open-throat wooden racquet in 1936.}}
|Trivia=Although British, he served in the United States Army during World War II, where he was diagonosed with Gilbert's Syndrome, a periodic liver misfunction that had previously caused mysterious, weakening illnesses; he lived, nevertheless to 94, dying on his birthday; the first player to wear shorts at Wimbledon and the United States amateur championships; used a split-shaft open-throat wooden racquet in 1936.}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Jack Crawford
|Name=Jack Crawford
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|Weakness=Suffered from asthma, which sometimes affected his ability to play
|Weakness=Suffered from asthma, which sometimes affected his ability to play
|rank years='''1933'''
|rank years='''1933'''
|national rank years=
|national rank years='''1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935'''
|Davis years=8
|Davis years=8
|Davis team wins=0
|Davis team wins=0
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|ProAm=Amateur only
|ProAm=Amateur only
|Trivia=Came within 1 set of winning the Grand Slam in 1933, 5 years before [[Don Budge]] did it; with his wife, Marjorie Cox, won 3 straight Australian mixed doubles titles; as singles players, they also both made the 1931 Australian finals}}
|Trivia=Came within 1 set of winning the Grand Slam in 1933, 5 years before [[Don Budge]] did it; with his wife, Marjorie Cox, won 3 straight Australian mixed doubles titles; as singles players, they also both made the 1931 Australian finals}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Fred Perry
|Name=Fred Perry
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|ProAm=Amateur through 1936, then a touring professional through the mid-1940s
|ProAm=Amateur through 1936, then a touring professional through the mid-1940s
|Trivia=Father was a Labour Party member of the House of Commons; Perry was a [[table tennis]] champion before taking up tennis.}}
|Trivia=Father was a Labour Party member of the House of Commons; Perry was a [[table tennis]] champion before taking up tennis.}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Gottfried von Cramm
|Name=Gottfried von Cramm
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|ProAm=Amateur only
|ProAm=Amateur only
|Trivia=Along with [[Frank Sedgman]] and [[Lew Hoad]], probably the best player never to be ranked the [[Catalog of World No. 1 male tennis players|'''World No. 1''']] player; a homosexual who was persecuted by the Nazis, he was once married to the American socialite [[Barbara Hutton]].}}
|Trivia=Along with [[Frank Sedgman]] and [[Lew Hoad]], probably the best player never to be ranked the [[Catalog of World No. 1 male tennis players|'''World No. 1''']] player; a homosexual who was persecuted by the Nazis, he was once married to the American socialite [[Barbara Hutton]].}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Frank Shields
|Name=Frank Shields
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|ProAm=Amateur only
|ProAm=Amateur only
|Trivia=Known for his exceptionally good looks, Shields was married three times, twice to socialites, appeared in a number of 1930s' movies, and was the grandfather of actress [[Brooke Shields]]; the only player to ever lose a Wimbledon final by default: he had sprained an ankle in his winning semi-final and was unable to appear}}
|Trivia=Known for his exceptionally good looks, Shields was married three times, twice to socialites, appeared in a number of 1930s' movies, and was the grandfather of actress [[Brooke Shields]]; the only player to ever lose a Wimbledon final by default: he had sprained an ankle in his winning semi-final and was unable to appear}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Bitsy Grant
|Name=Bitsy Grant
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|ProAm=Amateur only
|ProAm=Amateur only
|Trivia=At 5 feet 4 inches (162 cm) and 120 lbs (54 kg), almost certainly the smallest of the great players, occasionally beating such heavy-hitters as [[Ellsworth Vines]] and [[Don Budge]]; was coached at one point by [[Mercer Beasley]]}}
|Trivia=At 5 feet 4 inches (162 cm) and 120 lbs (54 kg), almost certainly the smallest of the great players, occasionally beating such heavy-hitters as [[Ellsworth Vines]] and [[Don Budge]]; was coached at one point by [[Mercer Beasley]]}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Hans Nüsslein  
|Name=Hans Nüsslein  
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|ProAm=A professional at an early age, joined the pro tour at 21 or 22 and toured regularly throughout the 1930s
|ProAm=A professional at an early age, joined the pro tour at 21 or 22 and toured regularly throughout the 1930s
|Trivia=Along with [[Karel Koželuh]], probably the best player never to have been a top amateur; won numerous professional championships; a regular opponent of the charismatic [[Bill Tilden]], whom he played hundreds of times—at one point in 1934, had beaten Tilden 47 times while losing 116 matches.<ref>Bowers, Chapter V</ref>}}
|Trivia=Along with [[Karel Koželuh]], probably the best player never to have been a top amateur; won numerous professional championships; a regular opponent of the charismatic [[Bill Tilden]], whom he played hundreds of times—at one point in 1934, had beaten Tilden 47 times while losing 116 matches.<ref>Bowers, Chapter V</ref>}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Ellsworth Vines
|Name=Ellsworth Vines
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|ProAm=Amateur until 1933, then a touring professional through 1939
|ProAm=Amateur until 1933, then a touring professional through 1939
|Trivia=Lost interest in tennis and at 28 became a professional golfer; won one professional golf tournament and reached the semi-finals of the 1951 PGA championship.}}
|Trivia=Lost interest in tennis and at 28 became a professional golfer; won one professional golf tournament and reached the semi-finals of the 1951 PGA championship.}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Sidney Wood
|Name=Sidney Wood
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|Weakness="A dink backhand that was better for doubles than singles"
|Weakness="A dink backhand that was better for doubles than singles"
|rank years=
|rank years=
|national rank years=
|national rank years='''1936, 1937, 1947'''
|Davis years=9
|Davis years=9
|Davis team wins=1
|Davis team wins=1
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|Weakness=According to [[Jack Kramer]], his slice backhand, plus an inability to win at the very highest level "because he couldn't keep the heat on."
|Weakness=According to [[Jack Kramer]], his slice backhand, plus an inability to win at the very highest level "because he couldn't keep the heat on."
|rank years=
|rank years=
|national rank years=
|national rank years='''1949, 1950, 1951'''
|Davis years=4
|Davis years=4
|Davis team wins=3
|Davis team wins=3
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|ProAm=Amateur through 1952, thereafter a touring professional for many years
|ProAm=Amateur through 1952, thereafter a touring professional for many years
|Trivia=The first of the great post-War Australians who went on to nearly dominate world tennis for three decades; competing first against [[Jack Kramer]], then [[Pancho Gonzales]], was probably the greatest player except for [[Gottfried von Cramm]] or [[Lew Hoad]] never to be ranked as [[Catalog of World No. 1 male tennis players|'''World No. 1''']]; in 1953 is said to have been the first professional to earn more than $100,000 in a single year.}}
|Trivia=The first of the great post-War Australians who went on to nearly dominate world tennis for three decades; competing first against [[Jack Kramer]], then [[Pancho Gonzales]], was probably the greatest player except for [[Gottfried von Cramm]] or [[Lew Hoad]] never to be ranked as [[Catalog of World No. 1 male tennis players|'''World No. 1''']]; in 1953 is said to have been the first professional to earn more than $100,000 in a single year.}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Pancho Gonzales
|Name=Pancho Gonzales
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|rank years=
|rank years=
|national rank years=
|national rank years=
|Davis years=
|Davis years=3
|Davis team wins=
|Davis team wins=3
|Davis singles=
|Davis singles=4-3
|Davis doubles=
|Davis doubles=2-0
|Slam victories=
|Slam victories=9
|Slam singles=
|Slam singles=1
|Slam doubles=
|Slam doubles=7
|Slam mixed doubles=
|Slam mixed doubles=1
|Davis info=
|Davis info=
|ProAm=Amateur through 1952, then a touring pro until retirement in 1954
|ProAm=Amateur through 1952, then a touring pro until retirement in 1954
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|Slam mixed doubles=
|Slam mixed doubles=
|Davis info=
|Davis info=
|ProAm=Amateur through 1955, therefore a touring pro for a number of years
|ProAm=Amateur through 1955, thereafter a touring pro for a number of years
|Trivia=Trabert had a great amateur year in 1955, winning 18 tournaments and 106 matches against only 7 losses but was less successful as a pro, losing decisively to [[Pancho Gonzales]], a man he detested. Forty years later, Trabert said "that Gonzales' serve was the telling factor on their tour—it was so good that it earned him many cheap points.  Trabert felt that, while he had the better groundstrokes, he could not match Pancho's big, fluent service."<ref>McCauley, page 68</ref>}}
|Trivia=Trabert had a great amateur year in 1955, winning 18 tournaments and 106 matches against only 7 losses but was less successful as a pro, losing decisively to [[Pancho Gonzales]], a man he detested. Forty years later, Trabert said "that Gonzales' serve was the telling factor on their tour—it was so good that it earned him many cheap points.  Trabert felt that, while he had the better groundstrokes, he could not match Pancho's big, fluent service."<ref>McCauley, page 68</ref>}}
|}
|}
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|Weakness=Forehand; weak serve
|Weakness=Forehand; weak serve
|rank years=1961, '''1962''', '''1963''', 1964, 1970
|rank years=1961, '''1962''', '''1963''', 1964, 1970
|national rank years=
|national rank years= '''1954, 1976'''
|Davis years=6
|Davis years=6
|Davis team wins=3
|Davis team wins=3
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|ProAm=Amateur through 1956, thereafter a touring pro for many years
|ProAm=Amateur through 1956, thereafter a touring pro for many years
|Trivia=A natural left-hander, his father taught him to play right handed; was called Muscles because of his lack of them; was beaten by [[Pancho Gonzales]] 101 matches to 59; was beaten by [[Rod Laver]] either 72-61 or 75-66}}
|Trivia=A natural left-hander, his father taught him to play right handed; was called Muscles because of his lack of them; was beaten by [[Pancho Gonzales]] 101 matches to 59; was beaten by [[Rod Laver]] either 72-61 or 75-66}}
|}
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Lew Hoad
|Name=Lew Hoad
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|Weakness=Physical ailments, which curtailed his career; [[Jack Kramer]] considered him lazy and sometimes unmotivated
|Weakness=Physical ailments, which curtailed his career; [[Jack Kramer]] considered him lazy and sometimes unmotivated
|rank years=
|rank years=
|national rank years=
|national rank years= '''1953, 1955, 1956'''
|Davis years=4
|Davis years=4
|Davis team wins=3
|Davis team wins=3
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|ProAm=Amateur until 1957, thereafter a touring pro
|ProAm=Amateur until 1957, thereafter a touring pro
|Trivia=Along with [[Gottfried von Cramm]] and [[Frank Sedgman]], probably the greatest player never to be ranked as [[Catalog of World No. 1 male tennis players|'''World No. 1''']]; Kramer wrote: "Everybody loved Hoad, even [[Pancho Gonzales]]. They should put that on Lew's tombstone as the ultimate praise for the man.... Even when Hoad was clobbering Gonzales, Gorgo wanted his respect and friendship."; Gonzales considered him the greatest player of all time.}}
|Trivia=Along with [[Gottfried von Cramm]] and [[Frank Sedgman]], probably the greatest player never to be ranked as [[Catalog of World No. 1 male tennis players|'''World No. 1''']]; Kramer wrote: "Everybody loved Hoad, even [[Pancho Gonzales]]. They should put that on Lew's tombstone as the ultimate praise for the man.... Even when Hoad was clobbering Gonzales, Gorgo wanted his respect and friendship."; Gonzales considered him the greatest player of all time.}}
|}
*[[Mal Anderson]] Australian 3 March 1935, Theodore, near Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia
*[[Ashley Cooper]] Australian 15 September 1936, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*[[Roy Emerson]] Australian 3 November 1936, Blackbutt, Queensland, Australia
*[[Rod Laver]] Australian 9 August 1938, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
*[[Fred Stolle]] Australian 8 October 1938, Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia.
*[[Ion Ţiriac]] Romanian 9 May 1939, Braşov, Romania
*[[Martin Mulligan]] Australian 18 October 1940, Marrickville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*[[Cliff Drysdale]] South African 26 May 1941, Nelspruit, South Africa
*[[Arthur Ashe]] American 10 July 1943, Richmond, Virginia  Death: 6 February 1993
*[[John Newcombe]] Australian 23 May 1944, Sydney, Australia
*[[Tony Roche]] Australian 17 May 1945, Tarcutta, New South Wales, Australia
*[[Ilie Năstase]] Romanian 19 July 1946, Bucharest, Romania
{{Tennis header2}}
{{Tennis player2
{{Tennis player2
|Name=Bob Lutz
|Name=Bob Lutz
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|}
|}
===''Players to put into the Table List above with relevant information''===  
===''Players to put into the Table List above with relevant information''===  
*[[Mal Anderson]] Australian 3 March 1935, Theodore, near Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia
*[[Ashley Cooper]] Australian 15 September 1936, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*[[Roy Emerson]] Australian 3 November 1936, Blackbutt, Queensland, Australia
*[[Rod Laver]] Australian 9 August 1938, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
*[[Fred Stolle]] Australian 8 October 1938, Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia.
*[[Ion Ţiriac]] Romanian 9 May 1939, Braşov, Romania
*[[Martin Mulligan]] Australian 18 October 1940, Marrickville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*[[Cliff Drysdale]] South African 26 May 1941, Nelspruit, South Africa
*[[Arthur Ashe]] American 10 July 1943, Richmond, Virginia  Death: 6 February 1993
*[[John Newcombe]] Australian 23 May 1944, Sydney, Australia
*[[Tony Roche]] Australian 17 May 1945, Tarcutta, New South Wales, Australia
*[[Ilie Năstase]] Romanian 19 July 1946, Bucharest, Romania
*[[Jimmy Connors]] American  2 September 1952, East. St. Louis, Illinois, USA
*[[Jimmy Connors]] American  2 September 1952, East. St. Louis, Illinois, USA
*[[Björn Borg]] Swedish 6 June 1956, Stockholm, Sweden
*[[Björn Borg]] Swedish 6 June 1956, Stockholm, Sweden

Latest revision as of 15:15, 22 August 2012

This is a supplement, in chronological order, to the article about tennis and to the articles about the individual players. Many of them were considered to be the World No. 1 player at some point in their career. Although other players will also be included, this list will, at a minimum, include all players who have ever been considered to be the World No. 1 player or Co-No. 1 for an entire year.

Male

Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
William Renshaw
(William Charles Renshaw)

Info: Called Willie

Nationality: British

Birth: January 3, 1861, Leamington, England
Death: August 12, 1904, Swanage, England

Right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:Aggressiveness; serve and overhead smash

 Grand Slam  7  5    12
Davis Cup       teams  wins
World #1 player  Played before rankings; also before Davis Cup was initiated
National #1 player  
Trivia: Was the younger, by 15 minutes, to his twin, Ernest Renshaw, also a Wimbledon singles champion; together they won Wimbledon doubles 5 times
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Tony Wilding
(Anthony Frederick Wilding)

Nationality: NZ

Birth: October 31, 1883, Christchurch, New Zealand
Death: May 9, 1915, near Neuve Chapelle, Pas de Calais, France

Right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:Hit his drives with great pace and overspin; defense and baseline play

 Grand Slam  6  5    11
Davis Cup  15-6  6-3  6 teams 4 wins
World #1 player  1913
National #1 player  
Trivia: Joined the Royal Marines in World War I, rose to Captain; along with the American Joe Hunt, probably the most prominent tennis player ever killed on active service
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Maurice McLoughlin
(Maurice Evans McLoughlin)

Info: Called Red or The California Comet

Nationality: American

Birth: January 7, 1890, Carson City, Nevada
Death: December 10, 1957, Hermosa Beach, California

Right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:"Cannonball" serve; overhead smash; volleying
Weakness:Retired at 29, perhaps worn out from his violent on-court exertions
 Grand Slam  2  3    5
Davis Cup  9-4  3-4  4 teams 1 wins
World #1 player  1914
National #1 player  1912, 1913, 1914
Trivia: The first of the great serve-and-volley attackers
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Richard Williams
(Richard Norris Williams)

Info: Known variously as Richard, Dick, and R. Norris

Nationality: American

Birth: January 29, 1891, Geneva, Switzerland
Death: June 2, 1968, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:Took ball on the rise using the Continental grip, going for winners on every shot; unbeatable when his game was "on"
Weakness:Extremely erratic, could lose to much inferior players
 Grand Slam  2  3  1  6
Davis Cup  6-3  4-0  6 teams 5 wins
World #1 player  No world rankings because of World War I
National #1 player  1916
Trivia: Was a Titanic survivor, nearly had his legs amputated after being rescued from the near-freezing waters.
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Bill Tilden
(William Tatem Tilden, Jr., changed to William Tatem Tilden II in the 1910s)
Info: Called Big Bill; also Tillie, disrespectfully, by some players
Tilden hitting forehand.jpg

Nationality: American

Birth: February 10, 1893, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Death: June 5, 1953, Los Angeles, California

Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1930; thereafter a touring professional
Strength:"Cannonball" serve; all-court game; speed and court coverage; intelligence and analytic ability to change strategy and tactics during matches
Weakness:Initially, his backhand; possibly his overhead smash
 Grand Slam  10  6  5  21
Davis Cup  25-5  9-2  11 teams 7 wins
World #1 player  1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1931, second most to Pancho Gonzales
National #1 player  1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929
Trivia: In his professional debut beat Karel Koželuh before 14,000 at Madison Square Garden on February 18, 1931; thereafter toured for many years against other top professionals. Served two periods of incarceration near Los Angeles for morals charges involving underage males
Davis Cup info: On 7 consecutive winning teams, 1920 through 1926, still a record
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Bill Johnston
(William M. Johnston)

Info: Called Little Bill

Nationality: American

Birth: November 2, 1894, San Francisco, California
Death: May 1, 1946, San Francisco, California

Right handed
Class: Amateur only; retired from competition in 1927
Strength:Topspin forehand drive hit shoulder-high with a Western grip; volleying from the service line
Weakness:Backhand, which he hit with the same face of the racquet as his forehand; occasional physical fraility
 Grand Slam  3  3  1  7
Davis Cup  14-3  4-0  8 teams 7 wins
World #1 player  1919
National #1 player  1915, 1919
Trivia: Died of tuberculosis at age 51
Davis Cup info: On 7 consecutive winning teams, 1920 through 1926, still a record
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Karel Koželuh
(Karel Koželuh)

Nationality: Czech

Birth: March 7, 1895, Prague
Death: April 27, 1950, Prague

right handed
Class: Professional only, first as a coach, then as a touring pro; won top professional tournaments into his 40s
Strength:Tireless baseliner; court coverage; passing shots
Weakness:Never hit the ball particularly hard; needed ample running room behind the baseline for his game to be effective: was handicapped playing on some of the tighter indoor courts; seldom approached the net
 Grand Slam        
Davis Cup       teams  wins
World #1 player  Never played amateur tournaments or Davis Cup matches
National #1 player  
Trivia: Along with Hans Nüsslein, probably the best player never to have been a top amateur; won numerous professional championships; the American tennis player Vinnie Richards described Koželuh as "Seamy-faced, cadaverous-looking and, in general, resembled a cigar-store Indian;" was killed in an automobile crash outside Prague at age 55
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Gerald Patterson
(Gerald Leighton Patterson)

Info: Sometimes called The Human Catapul in Australia because of his hard serve

Nationality: Australian

Birth: December 17, 1895, Melbourne, Australia
Death: June 13, 1967, Melbourne, Australia

Right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:Very hard serve, both flat and twist; smash; volleying; forehand

 Grand Slam  3  5  1  9
Davis Cup  21-10  11-4  6 teams 1 wins
World #1 player  1919
National #1 player  
Trivia: Won the Military Cross with Australian army in World War I; nephew of diva Dame Nellie Melba
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Jacques Brugnon
(Jacques Brugnon)

Info: Called Toto; was also one of the iconic French Four Musketeers tennis players

Nationality: French

Birth: May 11, 1895, Paris, France
Death: March 20, 1978, Paris, France

Right handed
Class: Amateur only as a player; for a while was a teaching professional in California
Strength:Doubles -- was the doubles specialist of the Musketeers; "A player of rare stroke variety and delicacy of touch." [1]

 Grand Slam  10  2    12
Davis Cup  4-2  22-9  11 teams 6 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: Oldest and smallest of the Musketeers; nearly made the finals of the 1926 Wimbledon championship, having 5 match points in the semi-finals against Bob Kinney without winning any of them
Davis Cup info: On 6 consecutive winning teams, from 1927 through 1932, but actually played in only 4 of them
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Jean Borotra
(Jean Robert Borotra)

Info: Called The Bounding Basque (le Basque bondissant in French); was also one of the iconic French Four Musketeers tennis players

Nationality: French

Birth: August 13, 1898, Domaine du Pouy, in the Basque Pyrenees country near Biarritz, France
Death: July 17, 1994, Arbonne, France

Right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:Attacking game and volleying; skillful gamesmanship; a great indoor player who won the French indoor title 12 times, the British 11, and the U.S. 4

 Grand Slam  4  9  3  16
Davis Cup  19-12  17-6  17 teams 6 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: Always wore a blue beret during his matches; intensely disliked by Bill Tilden, himself a consummate showman, master of gamesmanship, and show-off—Tilden considered Borotra to be a show-off: "a charlatan, the greatest faker in tennis history";[2] "Borotra [Tilden wrote] was what passes for 'typically' French. That is to say, he had all the charm, warmth, glamour and insincerity which is Paris." [3]
Davis Cup info: On 6 consecutive winning teams, from 1927 through 1932;
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Ray Casey
(Raymond John Casey)

Nationality: American

Birth: February 15, 1900, San Francisco, California
Death: January, 1982, Palo Alto, California

Left handed
Class: Amateur into the 1940s, then became a successful tennis coach
Strength:Very hard serve, one of the fastest in the world at the time
Weakness:Lack of mobility compared to many other top players
 Grand Slam        
Davis Cup       teams  wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  Never had a national ranking because he played exclusively on the West Coast
Trivia: Was sometimes mistakenly called "Roy" Casey in New York Times articles; most famous pupil was Bob Lutz
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Henri Cochet
(Henri Jean Cochet)

Info: Called The Ballboy of Lyons, also The Magician; was also one of the iconic French Four Musketeers tennis players

Nationality: French

Birth: December 14, 1901, Lyons, France
Death: April 1, 1987, St. Germain-en-Laye, France

Right handed
Class: Amateur until 1934; had an undistinguished professional career; reinstated as an amateur in 1945
Strength:Taking the ball on the rise to make volleys and half-volleys; overhead; successful shots from apparently impossible positions; winning matches that apparently had been lost
Weakness:"A weak serve, he seldom bothered to lob, and he had a backhand which Tilden characterized as 'a little too cramped and defensive.' "[4]
 Grand Slam  7  5  3  15
Davis Cup  34-8  10-6  11 teams 6 wins
World #1 player  1928, 1929, 1930
National #1 player  
Trivia: The only one of the Four Musketeers to turn professional, then was reinstated as an amateur in 1945
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Vinnie Richards
(Vincent Richards)

Nationality: American

Birth: March 30, 1903, Yonkers, New York
Death: September 28, 1959, New York, New York

right handed
Class: Amateur until 1929, then became the first important player to turn professional; barnstormed for a few years, then played occasional pro tournaments throughout the 1930s
Strength:Superb volleyer, a great doubles player

 Grand Slam    7  2  9
Davis Cup  2-0  2-1  4 teams 4 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: Won the United States doubles championship in 1918 with Bill Tilden at the age of 15 and remains the youngest male to have ever won a major championship; 27 years later, in 1945, when Tilden was 52, they won the United States Pro doubles title; in 1924 won 2 Olympic gold medals for singles and doubles and a silver for mixed doubles.
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
René Lacoste
(Jean René Lacoste)

Info: Called The Crocodile, mostly in France, or The Alligator, mostly in the United States; there are differing explanations for the origin of his nickname; was also one of the iconic French Four Musketeers tennis players

Nationality: French

Birth: July 2, 1904, Paris, France
Death: October 12, 1996, St. Jean-de-Luz, France

Right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:Relentless backcourt returning; passing shots and lobs
Weakness:Fragile health; retired in 1929 at age 25
 Grand Slam  7  3    10
Davis Cup  32-8  8-3  6 teams 2 wins
World #1 player  1926, 1927
National #1 player  
Trivia: For many years his polo shirts with the crocodile logo on the breast have been sold worldwide; developed the first successful metal racket, the Wilson T2000, used by Jimmy Connors; his daughter, Catherine Lacoste, won the U.S. Open gold title in 1967.
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Bunny Austin
(Henry Wilfred Austin)

Info: Bunny came from a character of that name in a comic strip called Wilfred

Nationality: British

Birth: August 20, 1906, South Norwood, London, England
Death: August 20, 2000,

right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:"Fluid, classic strokes"[5]

 Grand Slam        
Davis Cup  36-12    9 teams 4 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: Although British, he served in the United States Army during World War II, where he was diagonosed with Gilbert's Syndrome, a periodic liver misfunction that had previously caused mysterious, weakening illnesses; he lived, nevertheless to 94, dying on his birthday; the first player to wear shorts at Wimbledon and the United States amateur championships; used a split-shaft open-throat wooden racquet in 1936.
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Jack Crawford
(John Herbert Crawford)

Info: Called Gentleman Jack

Nationality: Australian

Birth: March 22 1908, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
Death: September 10, 1991, Sydney, Australia

Right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:Graceful, effortless, but powerful baseline strokes; a fine serve
Weakness:Suffered from asthma, which sometimes affected his ability to play
 Grand Slam  6  6  5  17
Davis Cup  23-16  13-5  8 teams 0 wins
World #1 player  1933
National #1 player  1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935
Trivia: Came within 1 set of winning the Grand Slam in 1933, 5 years before Don Budge did it; with his wife, Marjorie Cox, won 3 straight Australian mixed doubles titles; as singles players, they also both made the 1931 Australian finals
Davis Cup info: During his long career, was on only 1 winning team, in 1939, but didn't play in the final round against the United States
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Fred Perry
(Frederick John Perry)

Nationality: British

Birth: May 18, 1909, Stockport, Cheshire, England
Death: February 21, 1995, Melbourne, Australia

Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1936, then a touring professional through the mid-1940s
Strength:Extremely good footwork and great speed; played an all-court attacking game dominated by a superb forehand that, with a Continental grip, took the ball on the rise
Weakness:An "underslice" backhand;[6] was perceived as being selfish, sarcastic, and egotistical; Jack Kramer says that as a professional Perry frequently gave less than 100% in his matches, not caring whether he won or lost[7]
 Grand Slam  8  2  4  14
Davis Cup  34-4  11-3  6 teams 4 wins
World #1 player  1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1941
National #1 player  
Trivia: Father was a Labour Party member of the House of Commons; Perry was a table tennis champion before taking up tennis.
Davis Cup info: Led Great Britain to 4 consecutive wins; Great Britain has never won since
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Gottfried von Cramm
(Baron Gottfried Alexander Maximilian Walter Kurt Freiherr von Cramm)

Info: Called The Baron

Nationality: German

Birth: July 7, 1909, Nettlingen, Hanover, Germany
Death: November 8, 1976, Cairo, Egypt

right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:Endurance and tenacity

 Grand Slam  2  2  1  5
Davis Cup  58-10  24-11  9 teams 0 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: Along with Frank Sedgman and Lew Hoad, probably the best player never to be ranked the World No. 1 player; a homosexual who was persecuted by the Nazis, he was once married to the American socialite Barbara Hutton.
Davis Cup info: Lost in 5 sets to Don Budge in what has been called the greatest Davis Cup match of all time, the 5th and deciding match of the 1937 semi-finals.
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Frank Shields
(Francis Xavier Shields)

Nationality: American

Birth: November 18, 1909, New York, New York
Death: August 19, 1975, New York, New York

Right handed
Class: Amateur only


 Grand Slam        
Davis Cup  16-6  3-0  3 teams 0 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  1933
Trivia: Known for his exceptionally good looks, Shields was married three times, twice to socialites, appeared in a number of 1930s' movies, and was the grandfather of actress Brooke Shields; the only player to ever lose a Wimbledon final by default: he had sprained an ankle in his winning semi-final and was unable to appear
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Bitsy Grant
(Bryan Morel Grant, Jr.)

Nationality: American

Birth: December 25, 1909, Atlanta, Georgia
Death: June 5, 1986, Atlanta, Georgia

right handed
Class: Amateur only
Strength:"A retriever supreme"[8]

 Grand Slam        
Davis Cup  8-2    3 teams 1 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: At 5 feet 4 inches (162 cm) and 120 lbs (54 kg), almost certainly the smallest of the great players, occasionally beating such heavy-hitters as Ellsworth Vines and Don Budge; was coached at one point by Mercer Beasley
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Hans Nüsslein
(Hans Nüsslein)

Info: Called Hanne

Nationality: German

Birth: March 31, 1910, Nuremberg, Germany
Death: June 28, 1991, Altenkirchen, Germany

right handed
Class: A professional at an early age, joined the pro tour at 21 or 22 and toured regularly throughout the 1930s
Strength:A very speedy, tireless baseliner with "excellent groundstrokes"[9]
Weakness:Not known for his ability at the net
 Grand Slam        
Davis Cup       teams  wins
World #1 player  Never played amateur tournaments or Davis Cup matches
National #1 player  
Trivia: Along with Karel Koželuh, probably the best player never to have been a top amateur; won numerous professional championships; a regular opponent of the charismatic Bill Tilden, whom he played hundreds of times—at one point in 1934, had beaten Tilden 47 times while losing 116 matches.[10]
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Ellsworth Vines
(Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr.)

Info: Called Elly

Nationality: American

Birth: September 29, 1911, Los Angeles, California
Death: March 17, 1994

Right handed
Class: Amateur until 1933, then a touring professional through 1939
Strength:Tremendously hard serve and forehand, both hit flat with no spin, "murderous" overhead,[11] good volleying
Weakness:Very erratic, played with no margin of safety when hitting shots
 Grand Slam  3  2  1  6
Davis Cup  13-3  0  2 teams 0 wins
World #1 player  1932, 1935, 1936, 1937
National #1 player  1931, 1932
Trivia: Lost interest in tennis and at 28 became a professional golfer; won one professional golf tournament and reached the semi-finals of the 1951 PGA championship.
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Sidney Wood
(Sidney Burr Beardsley Wood)

Nationality: American

Birth: November 1, 1911, Black Rock, Connecticut
Death: January 10, 2009, Palm Beach, Florida

Right handed
Class: Amateur only


 Grand Slam        1
Davis Cup  5-6  3-0  2 teams 0 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: Won his sole Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 1931 at age 19 when his scheduled opponent, frequent doubles partner Frank Shields, defaulted because of a sprained ankle
Davis Cup info: In a "Tennis Courts" column for The New Yorker, James Thurber once slipped "I'm tired of seeing our tennis hopes brought back home on our Wood Shields" past his celebrated editor, Harold Ross, who was both pun-hating and sports illiterate.[12]
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Adrian Quist
(Adrian Karl Quist)

Nationality: Australian

Birth: August 4, 1913, Medindia, South Australia
Death: November 17, 1991, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Right handed
Class: Amateur
Strength:An all-court game and "telling" volleys; "a classical forehand drive with a natural sink"
Weakness:"A dink backhand that was better for doubles than singles"
 Grand Slam  3  14    17
Davis Cup  24-10  19-3  9 teams 1 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  1936, 1937, 1947
Trivia: Slim and only 5' 6-1/2" tall
  • Gardnar Mulloy, American, born November 22, 1913, Washington, D.C.—still winning Senior events as of 2007
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Don Budge
(John Donald Budge)

Nationality: American

Birth: June 13, 1915, Oakland, California
Death: January 26, 2000, Poughkeepsie, New York

Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1938, then a touring professional through the early-1950s
Strength:Universally considered to have had the greatest backhand of all time, at least until Ken Rosewall; very powerful serve; powerful all-court game; also considered to be a great doubles player
Weakness:Hurt his shoulder during military service, which eventually rendered his overhead less effective
 Grand Slam  6  4  4  14
Davis Cup  19-2  6-2  4 teams 2 wins
World #1 player  1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942
National #1 player  1936, 1937, 1938
Trivia: In 1938 was the first man to achieve the singles Grand Slam by winning the four major tournaments: Australian, French, United States, and Wimbledon championships
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Frank Parker
(Frank Andrew Parker)

Info: Called Frankie

Nationality: American

Birth: January 31, 1916, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Death: July 24, 1997, San Diego, California

Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1949, then a touring professional for a few years
Strength:relentless court coverage and all-round defensive game; calm temperament; robotic stokes
Weakness:Smaller than many of his opponents such as Budge and Kramer, and not as powerful; his once-classic forehand was changed by his long-time coach, Mercer Beasley, and thereafter was never again as effective
 Grand Slam  4  2    6
Davis Cup  12-2    4 teams 3 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  1944, 1945
Trivia: Was born Franciszek Andrzej Pailowski, legally changed his name to Frank Andrew Parker; the foster son of Mercer Beasley, he married Beasley's divorced wife when he was 22 and she was at least 20 years older; they were happily married for 43 years; ranked in the U.S. Top Ten for 17 straight years, 1933-49, a record for many years
Davis Cup info: On the winning 1946 team but did not play
  • Vivian McGrath, Australian, born February 17, 1916, Merrendee, near Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia, died April 9 1978, Burradoo, New South Wales, Australia
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Bobby Riggs
(Robert Larimore Riggs)

Nationality: American

Birth: February 25, 1918, Los Angeles, California
Death: October 25, 1995, Leucadia, California

Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1941, then a touring professional for a few years after World War II
Strength:Return of serve; lob; dropshot; passing shots; overhead smash; court coverage; all-round defensive game; calm temperament
Weakness:Smaller than many of his opponents such as Budge and Kramer, and not as powerful, but no noticeable weaknesses
 Grand Slam  3  1  2  6
Davis Cup  2-2    2 teams 2 wins
World #1 player  1941, 1946, 1947
National #1 player  1939, 1941
Trivia: Played women's champion Billie Jean King in "The Battle of the Sexes" in 1975, a match televised worldwide; was notorious as a highly successful hustler in both tennis and golf, particularly after his retirement from top-level tennis; generally thought of as a defensive player, but had a fine serve and volley and frequently played a very aggressive game
  • Bill Talbert, American, born September 4, 1918, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, died February 28, 1999, New York, New York
  • John Bromwich, Australian, born November 14, 1918, Kogarah, New South Wales, died October 21, 1999, Geelong, Victoria
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Frank Kovacs
(Frank Kovacs)

Info: called Frankie; also The Clown Prince of Tennis

Nationality: American

Birth: 1919
Death: 1990

Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1941, then an occasional touring professional for a number of years after World War II
Strength:His best shot, says Kramer, was "a hard, angled backhand crosscourt, but he could never figure out how to set it up so he could take advantage of it." [13]
Weakness:"Kovacs had picture strokes, but the reason he could never win anything is because he didn't have any idea how to go about winning. He never had a set plan for a match. Hell, he never had a set plan for a shot. He could sort of decide what to do with it halfway through the stroke." [14]
 Grand Slam        
Davis Cup       teams  wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: Known for his on-court eccentricities, such as chewing tennis balls; one source says that as of October, 1951, Kovacs held a remarkable 14-3 lead over Jack Kramer, the world's best player, in their head-to-head meetings, which is difficult to credit;[15] his cousin was the entertainer Ernie Kovacs.
  • Dinny Pails, Australian, born March 4, 1921, Nottingham, England
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Pancho Segura
(Francisco Olegario Segura)

Info: called Segoo

Nationality: Ecuadorian/American

Birth: June 20, 1921, Guayaquil, Ecuador

 right handed
Class: Amateur through 1947, then a touring professional for two decades
Strength:Two-handed forehand, which Jack Kramer once called "the greatest single shot ever produced in tennis"; exceptional quickness; lob; dropshot
Weakness:Relatively ordinary backhand; over-reliance on his forehand
 Grand Slam        
Davis Cup       teams  wins
World #1 player  1950, 1951, 1952
National #1 player  
Trivia: Small and bandy-legged, suffered from hernias, malaria, and rickets as a child; according to Kramer, probably played "more matches against top players than anyone in history"; never won any major amateur titles but was, for 3 years, the World Co-No. 1 as a professional
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Ted Schroeder
(Frederick Rudolph Schroeder)

Nationality: American

Birth: July 20, 1921, Newark, New Jersey
Death: May 26, 2006, LaJolla, California

right handed
Class: Amateur throughout his career; was planning to turn professional in 1949 after the U.S. Championships but unexpectedly lost to Pancho Gonzales and Gonzales was signed instead
Strength:Serve, particularly a fine second serve; net game; conditioning—was very strong in five-set matches
Weakness:According to Jack Kramer, was not confident using his ground strokes, so developed his rush-the-net game before Kramer and other great players who became known for it
 Grand Slam  2  3  1  6
Davis Cup  11-3  2-3  6 teams 4 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  1942
Trivia: Schroeder was the only man in Tennis that Gardnar Mulloy ever disliked: Schroeder had a habit, at table, of trying to eat his companions' food; Mulloy once dumped his salad into Schroeder's lap and another time poured tomato soup on his head; Bill Talbert agreed that Schroeder was widely disliked[16]
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Jack Kramer
(John Albert Kramer)
Info: Called Jake or Big Jake
Jack Kramer plaque cropped.jpg

Nationality: American

Birth: August 1, 1921, Las Vegas, Nevada
Death: September 12, 2009, Los Angeles, California

Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1947, thereafter a touring professional and promoter
Strength:Serve; second serve; volley; overhead; forehand; ability to pace himself and play "percentage tennis"; also considered to be a great doubles player
Weakness:no noticeable ones except physical infirmities, particularly in his back, that eventually curtailed his career
 Grand Slam  3  6  1  10
Davis Cup  6-0  1-2  3 teams 2 wins
World #1 player  1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953
National #1 player  1946, 1947
Trivia: The first great player to use serve-and-volley with every point; an important tennis figure in four separate categories: as a player; as a promoter of the professional tour; as a powerful advocate for Open Tennis; as a broadcaster and tennis spokesman
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Vic Seixas
(Elias Victor Seixas)

Nationality: American

Birth: August 30, 1923, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 Right handed
Class: amateur only until he was over 50 and turned pro to compete on the Grand Masters circuit
Strength:Attacking style; temperament, conditioning, and determination; exceptional volleying
Weakness:a "thrashing topspin forehand and sliced backhand"[17]
 Grand Slam  2  5  8  15
Davis Cup  24-12  14-5  7 teams 1 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  1951, 1954, 1957
Trivia: Played a record 28 years at the U.S. Championships at Forest Hills; along with Pancho Gonzales set a record for a 24-year span between his first and last rankings in the U.S. Top Ten (1942 and 1966)
Davis Cup info: Helped U.S. reach the finals all seven years he played, but was on only one winning team; played a record number of Davis Cup matches for an American until surpassed by John McEnroe
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Frank Sedgman
(Frank Arthur Sedgman)

Info: Called Sedge

Nationality: Australian

Birth: October 29, 1927, Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

 Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1952, thereafter a touring professional for many years
Strength:Superb fitness; exceptional quickness, particularly at the net; fine serve and a great volley; also considered to be a great doubles player, particularly with Ken McGregor
Weakness:According to Jack Kramer, his slice backhand, plus an inability to win at the very highest level "because he couldn't keep the heat on."
 Grand Slam  5  9  8  22
Davis Cup  16-3  9-0  4 teams 3 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  1949, 1950, 1951
Trivia: The first of the great post-War Australians who went on to nearly dominate world tennis for three decades; competing first against Jack Kramer, then Pancho Gonzales, was probably the greatest player except for Gottfried von Cramm or Lew Hoad never to be ranked as World No. 1; in 1953 is said to have been the first professional to earn more than $100,000 in a single year.
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Pancho Gonzales
(Ricardo Alonso González, or Richard Alonso Gonzalez)

Info: Called Gorgo

Nationality: American

Birth: May 9, 1928, Los Angeles, California
Death: July 3, 1995, Las Vegas, Nevada

right handed
Class: Amateur through 1949, then a touring pro for more than 2 decades
Strength:Overwhelming and relentless serve and volley game; speed and court coverage; physical strength and mental tenacity; unbreakable will-to-win
Weakness:Backhand was relatively less reliable than his other strokes
 Grand Slam  2  2    4
Davis Cup  2-0    1 teams 1 wins
World #1 player  1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961
National #1 player  1948, 1949
Trivia: Was once called a "cheese champ," hence his nickname, from Gorgonzola; was married 6 times, twice to Miss Rheingold of 1958, once to the sister of Andre Agassi; died in near penury; Agassi paid for his funeral.
Davis Cup info: Played only 1 year before turning pro; won both his singles matches in the finals
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Ken McGregor
(Kenneth Bruce McGregor)

Nationality: Australian

Birth: June 2, 1929, Adelaide, Australia

 Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1952, then a touring pro until retirement in 1954
Strength:Powerful serve, good volley, tremendous overhead; with Frank Sedgman, one of the greatest doubles teams of all time
Weakness:Ground strokes that were erratic, particularly his forehand
 Grand Slam  1  7  1  9
Davis Cup  4-3  2-0  3 teams 3 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: Was an excellent player of Australian football, and, after quitting tennis, played in 52 games for the West Adelaide team.
  • Rex Hartwig, Australian, born September 2, 1929, Culcairn, New South Wales, Australia
  • Mervyn Rose, Australian, born January 23, 1930, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Tony Trabert
(Marion Anthony Trabert)

Nationality: American

Birth: August 16, 1930, Cincinnati, Ohio

 Right handed
Class: Amateur through 1955, thereafter a touring pro for a number of years
Strength:Tremendously athletic; strong serve and volley, good groundstrokes
Weakness:Slowness; Pancho Segura said: "Of all the guys he would have been the best if he had been quicker."[18]
 Grand Slam  5  5    10
Davis Cup  16-5  11-3  5 teams 1 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  1953, 1955
Trivia: Trabert had a great amateur year in 1955, winning 18 tournaments and 106 matches against only 7 losses but was less successful as a pro, losing decisively to Pancho Gonzales, a man he detested. Forty years later, Trabert said "that Gonzales' serve was the telling factor on their tour—it was so good that it earned him many cheap points. Trabert felt that, while he had the better groundstrokes, he could not match Pancho's big, fluent service."[19]
  • Neale Fraser, Australian, born October 3, 1933, Melbourne, Australia
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Ken Rosewall
(Kenneth Robert Rosewall)

Info: Called Muscles, or the Little Master; with Lew Hoad called The Sydney Twins, The Whiz Kids, The Gold-Dust Twins

Nationality: Australian

Birth: November 2, 1934, Sydney, Australia

 Left handed by birth; played right handed
Class: Amateur through 1956, thereafter a touring pro for many years
Strength:Sliced backhand considered, along with Don Budge's topspin backhand, to be the greatest of all time; half-volley; volley; overhead smash; lob
Weakness:Forehand; weak serve
 Grand Slam  8  9  1  18
Davis Cup  17-2  2-1  6 teams 3 wins
World #1 player  1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1970
National #1 player  1954, 1976
Trivia: A natural left-hander, his father taught him to play right handed; was called Muscles because of his lack of them; was beaten by Pancho Gonzales 101 matches to 59; was beaten by Rod Laver either 72-61 or 75-66
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Lew Hoad
(Lewis Alan Hoad)

Info: Called Hoadie;with Ken Rosewall called The Sydney Twins, The Whiz Kids, The Gold-Dust Twins

Nationality: Australian

Birth: November 23, 1934, Glebe, New South Wales, Australia
Death: July 3, 1994, Fuengirola, Spain

Right handed
Class: Amateur until 1957, thereafter a touring pro
Strength:Tremendous physical strength, could hit winners with any shot from any position; serve and volley
Weakness:Physical ailments, which curtailed his career; Jack Kramer considered him lazy and sometimes unmotivated
 Grand Slam  4  8  1  13
Davis Cup  10-2  7-2  4 teams 3 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  1953, 1955, 1956
Trivia: Along with Gottfried von Cramm and Frank Sedgman, probably the greatest player never to be ranked as World No. 1; Kramer wrote: "Everybody loved Hoad, even Pancho Gonzales. They should put that on Lew's tombstone as the ultimate praise for the man.... Even when Hoad was clobbering Gonzales, Gorgo wanted his respect and friendship."; Gonzales considered him the greatest player of all time.
  • Mal Anderson Australian 3 March 1935, Theodore, near Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia
  • Ashley Cooper Australian 15 September 1936, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Roy Emerson Australian 3 November 1936, Blackbutt, Queensland, Australia
  • Rod Laver Australian 9 August 1938, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
  • Fred Stolle Australian 8 October 1938, Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia.
  • Ion Ţiriac Romanian 9 May 1939, Braşov, Romania
  • Martin Mulligan Australian 18 October 1940, Marrickville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Cliff Drysdale South African 26 May 1941, Nelspruit, South Africa
  • Arthur Ashe American 10 July 1943, Richmond, Virginia Death: 6 February 1993
  • John Newcombe Australian 23 May 1944, Sydney, Australia
  • Tony Roche Australian 17 May 1945, Tarcutta, New South Wales, Australia
  • Ilie Năstase Romanian 19 July 1946, Bucharest, Romania
Name Biographical Technique Record
Event S D MD Wins
Bob Lutz
(Robert Lutz)

Nationality: American

Birth: August 29, 1947, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

 Right handed
Class: Amateur until 1971, then played on the pro tour through the early 1980s
Strength:Serve and volley, using a Continental grip

 Grand Slam    6    
Davis Cup  1-0  14-2  3 teams 3 wins
World #1 player  
National #1 player  
Trivia: In 1968, the year that Open tennis began, the United States Tennis Association sponsored two national championships for doubles, one for amateurs, one for professionals. Lutz and his long-time partner Stan Smith won both tournaments; he can therefore be considered to have won 6 Grand Slam doubles, not 5; Lutz was apparently the first tennis player of note to do weight training—he became known for his muscular frame.

Players to put into the Table List above with relevant information

Female

References

  1. ↑ Wallis Myers, quoted in Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 650
  2. ↑ Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy—Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 139
  3. ↑ Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy—Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 139
  4. ↑ Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy - Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 142
  5. ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 640
  6. ↑ Kramer, pages 58
  7. ↑ Kramer, pages 59-61
  8. ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 677
  9. ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 780
  10. ↑ Bowers, Chapter V
  11. ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 753
  12. ↑ Thurber, page 136. Thurber goes on to say, "Ross had never heard of Sidney Wood or Frank Shields, then our two outstanding Davis Cup players, and I'm sure he didn't know about slain warriors being brought back home upon their shields."
  13. ↑ Kramer, page 51
  14. ↑ Kramer, page 51
  15. ↑ McCauley, page 198
  16. ↑ Once a Champion: Legendary Tennis Stars Revisited, by Stan Hart, Dodd, Mead & Co., New York, 1985, pages 56 and 130
  17. ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 739
  18. ↑ McCauley, page 70
  19. ↑ McCauley, page 68
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