Trabert, Tony
(Marian Anthony Trabert), 1930-2021, American tennis champion, b.
Cincinnati, Oh. Trabert showed talent at tennis from a young age, winning
the Ohio scholastic tennis singles title three years in a row while
attending high school. In 1950, he won the French doubles title with Bill
Talbert, who had mentored the young man, and the 1951 N.C.A.A. singles
title. After college, he served in the Korean War from 1952-53 while
continuing to play amateur tennis. He played for the U.S. Davis Cup teams
from 1951-55, including on the winning team in 1954; later, he captained the
team from 1976-80, mentoring a young John McEnroe at the beginning of his
career. He was rated the #1 U.S. amateur tennis player in 1953 and 1955. He
enjoyed his greatest success in 1955, winning the French, Wimbledon, and
American singles championships, as well as the U.S. Indoor and Clay Court
titles—a record matched only by seven other players. The following
year, Trabert went professional. All in all, he scored ten grand slam
titles, equally divided between singles and doubles competitions. After
retiring, he served as a tennis announcer for CBS TV from 1971-2004. He was
inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970, which he later
served as president from 2001-11.
See his Trabert on Tennis (1988).
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