Tennis/Catalogs/Famous players: Difference between revisions
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imported>Hayford Peirce (corrected typo) |
imported>Hayford Peirce (finished changing or adding national rank years) |
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|Weakness=Hurt his shoulder during military service, which eventually rendered his overhead less effective | |Weakness=Hurt his shoulder during military service, which eventually rendered his overhead less effective | ||
|rank years=1937, '''1938''', '''1939''', '''1940''', '''1942''' | |rank years=1937, '''1938''', '''1939''', '''1940''', '''1942''' | ||
|national rank years= | |||
|Davis years=4 | |Davis years=4 | ||
|Davis team wins=2 | |Davis team wins=2 | ||
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|Weakness=Smaller than many of his opponents such as [[Don Budge|Budge]] and [[Jack Kramer|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 | |Weakness=Smaller than many of his opponents such as [[Don Budge|Budge]] and [[Jack Kramer|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 | ||
|rank years= | |rank years= | ||
|national rank years= | |||
|Davis years=4 | |Davis years=4 | ||
|Davis team wins=3 | |Davis team wins=3 | ||
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|Weakness=Smaller than many of his opponents such as [[Don Budge|Budge]] and [[Jack Kramer|Kramer]], and not as powerful, but no noticeable weaknesses | |Weakness=Smaller than many of his opponents such as [[Don Budge|Budge]] and [[Jack Kramer|Kramer]], and not as powerful, but no noticeable weaknesses | ||
|rank years=1941, '''1946''', '''1947''' | |rank years=1941, '''1946''', '''1947''' | ||
|national rank years= | |||
|Davis years=2 | |Davis years=2 | ||
|Davis team wins=2 | |Davis team wins=2 | ||
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|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." <ref>Kramer, page 51 </ref> | |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." <ref>Kramer, page 51 </ref> | ||
|rank years= | |rank years= | ||
|national rank years= | |||
|Davis years= | |Davis years= | ||
|Davis team wins= | |Davis team wins= | ||
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|Weakness=Relatively ordinary backhand; over-reliance on his forehand | |Weakness=Relatively ordinary backhand; over-reliance on his forehand | ||
|rank years=1950, 1951, 1952 | |rank years=1950, 1951, 1952 | ||
|national rank years= | |||
|Davis years= | |Davis years= | ||
|Davis team wins= | |Davis team wins= | ||
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|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 | |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 | ||
|rank years= | |rank years= | ||
|national rank years= | |||
|Davis years=6 | |Davis years=6 | ||
|Davis team wins=4 | |Davis team wins=4 | ||
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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= | |||
|Davis years=4 | |Davis years=4 | ||
|Davis team wins=3 | |Davis team wins=3 | ||
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|Weakness=Slowness; [[Pancho Segura]] said: "Of all the guys he would have been the best if he had been quicker."<ref>McCauley, page 70</ref> | |Weakness=Slowness; [[Pancho Segura]] said: "Of all the guys he would have been the best if he had been quicker."<ref>McCauley, page 70</ref> | ||
|rank years= | |rank years= | ||
|national rank years= | |||
|Davis years=5 | |Davis years=5 | ||
|Davis team wins=1 | |Davis team wins=1 | ||
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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= | |||
|Davis years=6 | |Davis years=6 | ||
|Davis team wins=3 | |Davis team wins=3 | ||
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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= | |||
|Davis years=4 | |Davis years=4 | ||
|Davis team wins=3 | |Davis team wins=3 | ||
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|Weakness= | |Weakness= | ||
|rank years= | |rank years= | ||
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|Davis years=3 | |Davis years=3 | ||
|Davis team wins=3 | |Davis team wins=3 | ||
Revision as of 16:37, 28 January 2010
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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 | ||||||
|
Nationality: British |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: NZ |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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. | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: Czech |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: Australian |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: French |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: French |
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; | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: French |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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. | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: French |
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. | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: British |
right handed Class: Amateur only Strength:"Fluid, class 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. | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: Australian |
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 | ||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: British |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: German |
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. | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: German |
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] | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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. | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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] | ||||||||||
- Adrian Quist, Australian, born August 4, 1913, Medindia, South Australia, died November 17, 1991, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- 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 | ||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
| 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, Cincinatti, 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 | ||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||
|
Nationality: Ecuadorian/American |
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 | ||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||
| Name | Biographical | Technique | Record | |||||||
| Event | S | D | MD | Wins | ||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
- Vic Seixas, American, born August 30, 1923, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| Name | Biographical | Technique | Record | |||||||
| Event | S | D | MD | Wins | ||||||
|
Nationality: Australian |
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 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 | ||||||||||
| 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. | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | ||||||||||
- Ken McGregor, Australian, born June 2, 1929, Adelaide, Australia
- 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 | ||||||
|
Nationality: American |
Right handed Class: Amateur through 1955, therefore 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."[16] |
Grand Slam | 5 | 5 | 10 | ||||
| Davis Cup | 16-5 | 11-3 | 5 teams | 1 wins | ||||||
| World #1 player | ||||||||||
| National #1 player | ||||||||||
| 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."[17] | ||||||||||
- Neale Fraser, Australian, born October 3, 1933, Melbourne, Australia
- Pierre Darmon, French, born January 14, 1934, Tunis, Tunisia
| Name | Biographical | Technique | Record | |||||||
| Event | S | D | MD | Wins | ||||||
|
Nationality: Australian |
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 | ||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: Australian |
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 | ||||||||||
| 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. | ||||||||||
|
Nationality: American |
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 | 3-0 | 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. Davis Cup info: His record here may be incomplete; the results above are from Final Round matches only; he almost certainly played in earlier rounds. | ||||||||||
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
- Björn Borg Swedish 6 June 1956, Stockholm, Sweden
- John McEnroe American 16 February 1959, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Thomas Muster Austrian 2 October 1967, Leibnitz, Austria
- Boris Becker German 22 November 1967, Leimen, Germany
- Petr Korda Czech 23 January 1968, Prague, Czechoslovakia
- Andre Agassi American 29 April 1970, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- Pete Sampras American 12 August 1971, Washington DC, USA
- Marcelo Ríos Chilean 26 December 1975, Santiago, Chile
- Gustavo Kuerten Brazilian 10 September 1976, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- James Blake American 28 December 1979, Yonkers, New York, USA
- Marat Safin Russian 27 January 1980, Moscow, Russia, USSR
- Juan Carlos Ferrero Spanish 12 February 1980, Onteniente, Spain
- Lleyton Hewitt Australian 24 February 1981, Adelaide, South Australia
- Nicolay Davydenko Russian, 2 June 1981, Severodonetsk, Ukraine, USSR
- Roger Federer Swiss 8 August 1981, Binningen, Basel-Land, Switzerland
- Rafael Nadal Spanish 3 June 1986, Manacor, Mallorca, Spain
Female
- Helen Wills Moody American 6 October 1905, Centerville, Fremont, California, USA
- Dorothy Round English 13 July 1908, Kidderminster, England, UK, Died 12 November 1982
- Margaret duPont American 4 March 1918, Joseph, Oregon, USA
- Louise Brough American 11 March 1923, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
- Doris Hart American 2 June 1925, St. Louis, Missouri. USA
- Shirley Fry American 30 June 1927, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Althea Gibson American 25 August 1927, Silver, South Carolina, USA
- Maureen Connolly American 17 September 1934, San Diego, California, USA, Died 21 June 1969
- Ann Jones British 7 October 1938, Birmingham, England, UK
- Sandra Reynolds South African 4 March 1939, South Africa
- Maria Bueno Brazilian 11 October 1939, São Paulo, Brazil
- Renee Schuurman South African 29 October 1939, South Africa Died 2001
- Margaret Court Australian 16 July 1942, Albury, New South Walws, Australia
- Leslie Turner Bowrey Australian 16 August 1942, Trangie, New South Wales, Australia
- Nancy Richey American 23 August 1942, San Angelo, Texas, USA
- Karen Hantze Suzman American 11 December 1942, San Diego, California, USA
- Billie Jean King American 22 November 1943, Long Beach, California
- Virginia Wade British 10 July 1945, Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK
- Evonne Goolagong Cawley Australian 31 July 1951, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia
- Virginia Ruzici Romanian 31 January 1955, Câmpia Turzii, Romania
- Martina Navratilova Czechoslovakian, later American 18 October 1956, Prague, Czechoslovakia
- Chris Evert American 21 March 1954, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
- Tracy Austin American 12 December 1962, Palos Verdes Peninsula, California, USA
- Andrea Jaeger American 4 June 1965 Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Steffi Graf German 14 June 1969, Mannheim, West Germany
- Monica Seles Yugoslavian, later American 2 December 1973
- Conchita Martinez Spanish 16 April 1972, Monzón, Aragón, Spain
- Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Spanish 18 December 1971, Barcelona, Spain
- Mary Pierce French, of Canadian and American parentage 15 January 1975, Montreal, Canada
- Jennifer Capriati American 29 March 1976, New York, USA
- Lindsay Davenport American 8 June 1976, Palos Verdes, California, USA
- Amélie Mauresmo French 5 July 1979, Saint-German-en-Laye, France
- Venus Williams American 17 June 1980, Lynwood, California, USA
- Martina Hingis Swiss 30 December 1980, Košice, Slovakia
- Serena Williams American 26 December 1981, Saginaw, Michigan, USA
- Justine Henin Belgian 1 June 1982, Liège, Belgium
- Kim Clijsters Belgian 8 June 1983, Bilzen, Belgium
- Maria Sharapova Russian 19 April 1987, Nyagan, Siberia, Russia, USSR
References
- ↑ Wallis Myers, quoted in Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 650
- ↑ Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy—Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 139
- ↑ Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy—Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 139
- ↑ Big Bill Tilden, The Triumphs and the Tragedy - Frank DeFord, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1976, page 142
- ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 640
- ↑ Kramer, pages 58
- ↑ Kramer, pages 59-61
- ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 677
- ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 780
- ↑ Bowers, Chapter V
- ↑ Total Tennis, The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia, edited by Bud Collins, Sport Classic Books, Toronto, 2003, page 753
- ↑ 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."
- ↑ Kramer, page 51
- ↑ Kramer, page 51
- ↑ McCauley, page 198
- ↑ McCauley, page 70
- ↑ McCauley, page 68