Ben Press

Press was raised in the University Heights and North Park neighborhoods of San Diego, California.[1] Interested from an early age in tennis, his early tennis teachers included longtime San Diego tennis coach Wilbur Folsom.[1] Press's neighbors in North Park included Ted Williams, with whom Press would play baseball and tennis growing up;[1][2] and Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly, who would count Press as a lifelong friend, competitor, and coach.[1][3] Press was considered a top junior player,[4] and won the Bob Carrothers Sportsmanship Award.[5] He played varsity tennis at UCLA.[6]

Press's playing career included wins at the La Jolla Championship Summer Tournament in 1949 and 1951.[4][7][8] Press played against such contemporaries as Jack Kramer, Bill Tilden, Bobby Riggs, Pancho Gonzales, Whitney Reed, and Tony Trabert.[1][6] In addition, Press won three USTA Senior National mixed doubles titles with Jeanne Doyle Garrett in 1970, 1973, and 1974,[9] and represented the United States against Canada four times for the Gordon Trophy.[4]

Press was one of the founders of the San Diego Friars in World Team Tennis.[6] He was a nonplaying assistant coach and part owner of the 1974 WTT champion Denver Racquets.[1][10]

Over the course of more than six decades, Press was head pro at several prominent San Diego-area tennis facilities, including 17 years at the Kona Kai Club[1] and 28 years at the Hotel del Coronado, where he was pro from 1977 until the demolition of the hotel's tennis courts in 2005.[5][11] Press subsequently became head pro at the Hilton Beach and Tennis Club.[1] He was recognized as a Master Professional by the USPTA.[6]

Press taught Wimbledon champions Maureen Connolly and Karen Hantze Susman, and Australian Open winner Brian Teacher.[4] Press also taught other standout San Diego-area players, such as Marita Redondo, Walter Redondo, Kristien Kemmer, Angelica Gavaldon, Steve Avoyer, Randy Thomas, and Alexandra Stevenson.[2][4]

Along with his longtime teaching career, Press wrote at length about tennis. In the 1970s, Press wrote a regular column on tennis for the San Diego Evening Tribune.[1]

Press was a co-founder of the Greater San Diego City Tennis Council, an organization that provides resources and funds for the improvement and refurbishment of public tennis court facilities in San Diego.[1][12]

Ben served two terms as president of both the San Diego District Tennis Association and the San Diego division of the USPTA.[4][6]

In 2006, Press was one of ten initial inductees into the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame.[13] Press was awarded the National Community Service Award from both the USTA and the USPTA.[4][6]

Press was a 2010 inductee into the USTA Southern California Senior Hall of Fame.[6][14]

In 2011, Press was given the United States Professional Tennis Association's Presidential Award.[6] Press won the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award of the USPTA San Diego Division.[15]

Press was the inventor of the Scepter Racquet, which was the first commercial graphite tennis racquet.[6]

Press died of prostate cancer on September 9, 2016 at the age of 92.[16]

• 100 Years of Tennis at the Hotel del Coronado. The Greater San Diego Tennis Council/Kales Press. 2010. ASIN: 0979845637.
• The serve ADDvantage. December 2011.

Unforgettable: The Little Mo Connolly Story 2003.

Doren, Kim and Charlie Jones, Game, Set, Match: A Tennis Book for the Mind.