On November 14th the American tennis community lost one of their oldest heroes in the sport. Multiple Grand Slam champion Gardnar Mulloy passed away at the age of 102 following complications from a stroke.
Mulloy was a player that shined throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s on the tour, winning a string of titles and playing alongside some of the greatest players of all times. His breakthrough occurred in 1939 when he broke into the top 10 at the age of 26. From that moment on, he appeared in 17 grand slam finals (one singles and 16 doubles) over a 16-year period. His biggest success was in the men’s doubles with Bill Talbert. Together they won the US National Championships four times within a six-year period. Outside of his home country, Mulloy also won the 1957 Wimbledon doubles title with Budge Patty.
In the singles, Mulloy’s biggest achievement occurred at the 1952 US Open where he lost in the final to Australian great Frank Sedgman. According to the International Tennis Federation, Mullor achieved a win-loss of 102 – 46 throughout his career.
Even after his competitive career came to an end, Mulloy continued his passion for sport by participating in over 100 national tournaments. The enthusiasm shown by him resulted in his introduction to the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1972.
“Gardnar was a real treasure to our sport. He was an incredible athlete in a variety of sports, but he chose tennis and went on to become among the very best in the world. He was a five-time major champion in doubles, but his longevity in the game was a huge part of what made him such a legend. He was playing competitively into his nineties, and loving every minute of it,” said Stan Smith, president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
At the age of 89 Mulloy played his final senior ITF tournament at the 2003 20th International Austrian Championships for the Werzer Cup, where he reached the final.
Celebrating his 100th Birthday in 2013, he dismissed suggestions that the latest group of tennis stars is better than those of the past.
“If former generations – players such as Bill Tilden, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer and Rod Laver – competed with the same equipment against the likes of [Rafael] Nadal, [Novak] Djokovic, [Andy] Murray and [Roger] Federer, they would still dominate at every tournament.” He told ATP World in 2013.
A formidable character in the sport. Many will miss the man who was the first Hall Of Fame member to celebrate their 100th birthday.
