Gardnar Mulloy

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Gardnar Mulloy
Gardnar Mulloy 1956.png
Mulloy in 1956
Full nameGardnar Putnam Mulloy
Country (sports)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Born(1913-11-22)November 22, 1913
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died November 14, 2016(2016-11-14) (aged 102)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Turned pro1934 (amateur tour)
Retired1969
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
College University of Miami
Int. Tennis HoF 1972 (member page)
Singles
Career record918–310 (74.7%) [1]
Career titles60 [2]
Highest rankingNo. 6 (1947, Harry Hopman ) [3]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open SF (1947)
French Open QF (1952, 1953, 1954)
Wimbledon SF (1948)
US Open F (1952)
Doubles
Career record0–8
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open F (1951, 1952)
Wimbledon W (1957)
US Open W (1942, 1945, 1946, 1948)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon F (1956)
US Open F (1955)
Team competitions
Davis Cup W (1946, 1948, 1949)

Gardnar Putnam "Gar" Mulloy (November 22, 1913 – November 14, 2016) was a U.S. No. 1 tennis player primarily known for playing in doubles matches with partner Billy Talbert. He was born in Washington, D.C., and turned 100 in November 2013. [4] During his career he won five Grand Slam doubles tournaments and was a member of the winning Davis Cup team on three occasions.

Contents

Mulloy played collegiate tennis for the Miami Hurricanes at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

Tennis career

While he was the tennis coach at the University of Miami, Mulloy recruited Pancho Segura for the tennis team. Segura won three straight NCAA singles titles in 1943, 1944, and 1945. Segura went on to enjoy a successful professional tennis career, competing against the top touring professional players from 1947 until his retirement in 1962.

Mulloy was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1967 as part of its inaugural class of inductees. [5]

Mulloy won the Newport Casino Championships in 1946 defeating Ted Schroeder in the final in four sets.

Mulloy reached the U.S. Championships men's singles final in 1952, losing to second-seeded Frank Sedgman in three straight sets. He reached the U.S. No. 1 ranking the same year and was ranked world No. 6 by Harry Hopman in 1947 and world No. 7 by American Lawn Tennis Magazine in 1949. [3] [6]

The pair of Mulloy and Talbert won the U.S. men's doubles title in 1942, 1945, 1946, and 1948. He also won the Wimbledon doubles with Budge Patty in 1957, at age 43.

Mulloy was a Davis Cup team member in 1946, 1948–1950, 1952–53 and 1957, winning the Cup on three occasions against Australia. His Davis Cup record stands at 11 wins and 3 losses. [7] Mulloy, who served as the commanding officer of USS LST-32 during World War II in the Mediterranean Theater, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1972.

In 2015 Mulloy was awarded a French Legion of Honor knighthood for his service in the US Navy in relation to operations in Italy and Provence. As such he became the oldest first time recipient of the order ever since it was created by Napoleon.

Mulloy was a 1936 graduate of the University of Miami, and tennis coach at the school. He also was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He recruited to Miami and played doubles with George Toley, who went on to win 10 NCAA team titles at the University of Southern California. Probably Mulloy's greatest contribution to tennis was advancing the popularity of senior tennis. He played the senior circuit around the world into his nineties, and established the Mulloy Cup for international competition between men tennis players 80 years of age and over. He won over 127 national championships and 25 international titles in 75 years of playing competitive tennis.

As of 2006, Mulloy was still participating in and winning senior matches.

Among his other career highlights he won the Miami Invitational Tennis Championships in 1954 against Art Larsen.

Personal life

In 1938, Mulloy married Madeleine L. Cheney (1917–1993), with whom he had two daughters, Diane Mulloy Mazzone and Janice Mulloy Poindexter. [8] He married his second wife, Jacqueline Mayer, in 2008, when he was 95 years old. [9] Mulloy was a vegetarian and avoided alcohol, coffee, sugary drinks and tea. [10] [11]

Mulloy died in Miami on November 14, 2016, from stroke complications, aged 102, survived by his second wife, his daughters, four grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. [9] [12]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1952 US National Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Sedgman 1–6, 2–6, 3–6

Doubles (5 titles, 9 runners-up)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1940 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Wayne Sabin Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jack Kramer
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Ted Schroeder
7–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1941 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Henry Prusoff Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jack Kramer
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Ted Schroeder
4–6, 6–8, 7–9
Win1942 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bill Talbert Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Ted Schroeder
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Sidney Wood
9–7, 7–5, 6–1
Win1945 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bill Talbert Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bob Falkenburg
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jack Tuero
12–10, 8–10, 12–10, 6–2
Win1946 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bill Talbert Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Don McNeill
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Frank Guernsey
3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–3, 20–18
Loss1948 Wimbledon Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Tom Brown Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bromwich
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Sedgman
7–5, 5–7, 5–7, 7–9
Win1948 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bill Talbert Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Frank Parker
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Ted Schroeder
1–6, 9–7, 6–3, 3–6, 9–7
Loss1949 Wimbledon Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Ted Schroeder Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Pancho Gonzales
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Frank Parker
4–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1950 French Championships Clay Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Dick Savitt Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken McGregor
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Sedgman
2–6, 6–2, 7–9, 5–7
Loss1950 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bill Talbert Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bromwich
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Sedgman
5–7, 6–8, 6–3, 1–6
Loss1951 French Championships Clay Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Dick Savitt Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken McGregor
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Sedgman
3–6, 4–6, 4–6
Loss1953 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bill Talbert Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rex Hartwig
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mervyn Rose
4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Win1957 Wimbledon Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Budge Patty Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neale Fraser
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lew Hoad
8–10, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
Loss1957 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Budge Patty Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Cooper
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Neale Fraser
6–4, 3–6, 7–9, 3–6

Mixed doubles (2 runner-ups)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1955 US National Championships Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Shirley Fry Flag of the United States.svg Doris Hart
Flag of the United States.svg Vic Seixas
5–7, 7–5, 2–6
Loss1956 Wimbledon Grass Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Althea Gibson Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Shirley Fry
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Vic Seixas
6–2, 2–6, 5–7

Book

Mulloy wrote an autobiography, The Will To Win, that was published in 1960. In 2009, he released an update to his autobiography, titled As It Was, with an introduction by Billie Jean King. According to the book, Mulloy is enshrined in a record nine Halls of Fame. [13] [14] [9]

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References

Notes
  1. Garcia, Gabriel. "Gardnar Mulloy: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  2. Garcia, Gabriel. "Gardnar Mulloy: Career tournament results". thetennisbase.com. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "World's Best 10 in Tennis", The Courier-Mail, February 3, 1947.
  4. "Ex-champ Gardnar Mulloy becomes first Hall of Famer to turn 100". Fox Sports . November 22, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  5. "Gardnar Mulloy 1934-1936". University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.
  6. "Richard Gonzalez World's No. 1: Amateur Lawn Tennis Rankings", The Sunday Indian Express, November 18, 1949.
  7. "Davis Cup Player Profile". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  8. Gilbert Rogin (July 13, 1964). "The Irrepressible Mr. Mulloy". Sports Illustrated . Vol. 21, no. 2. pp. 57–62.
  9. 1 2 3 Michelle Kaufman (November 15, 2016). "Tennis legend Gardnar Mulloy of Miami dies at 102". Miami Herald.
  10. "Gardnar Mulloy, US tennis champion – obituary". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  11. "Tennis legend Gardnar Mulloy of Miami dies at 102". umsportshalloffame.com. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  12. James Buddell (November 15, 2016). "Gardnar Mulloy: 1913-2016". www.atpworldtour.com. Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
  13. Mulloy 2009
  14. Amdur, Neil (June 19, 2010), "He Forgot to Leave Tickets for the Queen", New York Times, retrieved February 11, 2011
Bibliography