Gardnar Mulloy

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.

Gardnar Mulloy
Full nameGardnar Putnam Mulloy
Country (sports) United States
Born(1913-11-22)November 22, 1913
Washington, D.C., United States
Died November 14, 2016(2016-11-14) (aged 102)
Miami, Florida, United States
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Turned pro1934 (amateur tour)
Retired1969
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
CollegeUniversity of Miami
Int. Tennis HoF1972 (member page)
Singles
Career record918–310 (74.7%)[1]
Career titles60[2]
Highest rankingNo. 6 (1947, Harry Hopman)[3]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenSF (1947)
French OpenQF (1952, 1953, 1954)
WimbledonSF (1948)
US OpenF (1952)
Doubles
Career record0–8
Grand Slam Doubles results
French OpenF (1951, 1952)
WimbledonW (1957)
US OpenW (1942, 1945, 1946, 1950)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
WimbledonF (1956)
US OpenF (1955)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1946, 1948, 1949)

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 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][7]

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, 1948–50, 1952–53 and 1957, winning the Cup on three occasions against Australia. His Davis Cup record stands at 11 wins and 3 losses.[8] Mulloy, who served as the commanding officer of 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.

Personal life

In 1938, Mulloy married Madeline L. Cheney (1917–1993), with whom he had two daughters, Diane Mulloy Mazzone and Janice Mulloy Poindexter.[9] He married his second wife, Jacqueline Mayer, in 2008, when he was 95 years old.[10]

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.[10][11]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1952US National ChampionshipsGrass Frank Sedgman1–6, 2–6, 3–6

Doubles (5 titles, 9 runners-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1940US National ChampionshipsGrass Wayne Sabin Jack Kramer
Ted Schroeder
7–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1941US National ChampionshipsGrass Henry Prussoff Jack Kramer
Ted Schroeder
4–6, 6–8, 7–9
Win1942US National ChampionshipsGrass Bill Talbert Ted Schroeder
Sidney Wood
9–7, 7–5, 6–1
Win1945US National ChampionshipsGrass Bill Talbert Bob Falkenburg
Jack Tuero
12–10, 8–10, 12–10, 6–2
Win1946US National ChampionshipsGrass Bill Talbert Don McNeill
Frank Guernsey
3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–3, 20–18
Loss1948WimbledonGrass Tom Brown John Bromwich
Frank Sedgman
7–5, 5–7, 5–7, 7–9
Win1948US National ChampionshipsGrass Bill Talbert Frank Parker
Ted Schroeder
1–6, 9–7, 6–3, 3–6, 9–7
Loss1949WimbledonGrass Ted Schroeder Pancho Gonzales
Frank Parker
4–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1950French ChampionshipsClay Dick Savitt Ken McGregor
Frank Sedgman
2–6, 6–2, 7–9, 5–7
Loss1950US National ChampionshipsGrass Bill Talbert John Bromwich
Frank Sedgman
5–7, 6–8, 6–3, 1–6
Loss1951French ChampionshipsClay Dick Savitt Ken McGregor
Frank Sedgman
3–6, 4–6, 4–6
Loss1953US National ChampionshipsGrass Bill Talbert Rex Hartwig
Mervyn Rose
4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Win1957WimbledonGrass Budge Patty Neale Fraser
Lew Hoad
8–10, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
Loss1957US National ChampionshipsGrass Budge Patty Ashley Cooper
Neale Fraser
6–4, 3–6, 7–9, 3–6

Mixed doubles (2 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1955US National ChampionshipsGrass Shirley Fry Doris Hart
Vic Seixas
5–7, 7–5, 2–6
Loss1956WimbledonGrass Althea Gibson Shirley Fry
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.[12][13][10]

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. "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. "Gardnar Mulloy Tentatively Ranked No. 1 in Net World", The Palm Beach Post, December 14, 1952.
  7. "Richard Gonzalez World's No. 1: Amateur Lawn Tennis Rankings", The Sunday Indian Express, November 18, 1949.
  8. "Davis Cup Player Profile". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  9. Gilbert Rogin (July 13, 1964). "The Irrepressible Mr. Mulloy". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 21 no. 2. pp. 57–62.
  10. Michelle Kaufman (November 15, 2016). "Tennis legend Gardnar Mulloy of Miami dies at 102". Miami Herald.
  11. James Buddell (November 15, 2016). "Gardnar Mulloy: 1913-2016". www.atpworldtour.com. Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
  12. Mulloy 2009
  13. Amdur, Neil (June 19, 2010), "He Forgot to Leave Tickets for the Queen", New York Times, retrieved February 11, 2011
Bibliography
  • Mulloy, Gardnar. The Will To Win. An insider view of the world of tennis. New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, Inc., 1960.
  • Mulloy, Gardnar. Advantage Striker. London: Allan Wingate, 1959.
  • Mulloy, Gardnar P. As It Was. Flexigroup, 2009. ISBN 0-615-32745-1. A print-on-demand paperback book.
  • Toley, George "The Golden Age of College Tennis" 2009
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