Vincent Richards
Yonkers, New York, U.S.[1] | |||||||||||||||
Died | September 28, 1959 New York City, U.S.[1] | (aged 56)||||||||||||||
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Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1] | ||||||||||||||
Turned pro | 1926 | ||||||||||||||
Retired | 1951[2] | ||||||||||||||
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||
Int. Tennis HoF | 1961 (member page) | ||||||||||||||
Singles | |||||||||||||||
Career record | 472-154 (75.4%) [3] | ||||||||||||||
Career titles | 46 [3] | ||||||||||||||
Highest ranking | No. 1 (1927, Ray Bowers) | ||||||||||||||
Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||
French Open | SF (1926) | ||||||||||||||
Wimbledon | QF (1924) | ||||||||||||||
US Open | SF (1922, 1924, 1925, 1926) | ||||||||||||||
Professional majors | |||||||||||||||
US Pro | W (1927, 1928, 1930, 1933) | ||||||||||||||
Doubles | |||||||||||||||
Career record | no value | ||||||||||||||
Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||
French Open | W (1926) | ||||||||||||||
Wimbledon | W (1924) F (1926) | ||||||||||||||
US Open | W (1918, 1921, 1922, 1925, 1926) F (1919) | ||||||||||||||
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |||||||||||||||
US Open | W (1919, 1924) F (1925) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Vincent Richards (March 20, 1903 – September 28, 1959) was an American tennis player.[1] He was active in the early decades of the 20th century, particularly known as being a superlative volleyer. He was ranked World No. 2 as an amateur in 1924 by A. Wallis Myers, and was ranked joint World No. 1 pro by Ray Bowers in 1927[4] and World No. 1 pro by Bowers in 1930.[5]
Biography
Born in Yonkers, New York, he attended the Jesuit Fordham Preparatory School, attended Fordham University and studied at the Columbia University School of Journalism in 1922.[1][6]
Richards won the National Boys Outdoor Singles Tournament in 1917. He became a protégé of Bill Tilden after being defeated by the latter in a match, and he then teamed up with him to win the United States doubles championship in 1918 at the age of 15. He remains the youngest male to have ever won a major championship.[1] Twenty-seven years later, in 1945, he and Tilden won the United States Pro doubles title. While Bill Tilden teamed with Richards to win titles together, he was beaten by Richards in both singles and doubles, including for several major titles. During their long rivalry, they faced each other 102 times, with Richards holding a career record of 52–50 against Tilden.
Richards retained his amateur status for 10 years because his ambition was to compete in the 1924 Olympics held in Paris, France. He realized this ambition by winning the gold medal for the United States in both singles and doubles,
In April 1926, Richards and Tilden contested the final of the Mason & Dixon Tournament at The Greenbrier resort, with Richards winning in five sets.
Richards was one of the best singles players of the 1920s and played on several United States
Richards was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1961.[11]
Business career
After retiring from tennis, Richards joined the Dunlop Tire and Rubber Company as general manager of the sporting goods division and became vice president.[6]
Personal life
In February 1924, he married Claremont Gushee in Greenwich, Connecticut, and they had three children.[12] She died in 1950.[13] On September 28, 1959, Richards died of a heart attack at Doctors Hospital in New York.[6]
Major finals
Grand Slam tournaments
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Vincent_Richards_and_wife_LCCN2014716919.jpg/220px-Vincent_Richards_and_wife_LCCN2014716919.jpg)
Doubles: 9 (7 titles, 2 runners-up)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1918 | U.S. National Championships |
Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 2–6, 6–2 |
Loss | 1919 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–8, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 2–6 |
Win | 1921 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
13–11, 12–10, 6–1 |
Win | 1922 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 |
Win | 1924 | Wimbledon |
Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 3–6, 8–10, 8–6, 6–3 |
Win | 1925 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 8–10, 6–4, 11–9 |
Win | 1926 | French Championships |
Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 6–1, 4–6, 6–4 |
Loss | 1926 | Wimbledon | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
5–7, 6–4, 3–6, 2–6 |
Win | 1926 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 6–8, 11–9, 6–3 |
Mixed doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1919 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 11–9, 6–2 |
Win | 1924 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() |
Bill Tilden | 6–8, 7–5, 6–0 |
Loss | 1925 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
2–6, 4–6 |
Pro Slam tournaments
Singles: 6 (4/2)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1927 | U.S. Pro | Grass | ![]() |
11–9, 6–4, 6–3 |
Win | 1928 | U.S. Pro | Grass | ![]() |
8–6, 6–3, 0–6, 6–2 |
Loss | 1929 | U.S. Pro | Grass | ![]() |
4–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 5–7 |
Win | 1930 | U.S. Pro | Grass | ![]() |
2–6, 10–8, 6–3, 6–4 |
Loss | 1931 | U.S. Pro | Grass | ![]() |
5–7, 2–6, 1–6 |
Win | 1933 | U.S. Pro | Grass | ![]() |
6–3, 6–0, 6–2 |
Singles performance timeline
Richards was banned from competing in the amateur Grand Slams when he joined the professional tennis circuit in 1927.
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | SR | W–L | Win % | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Slam tournaments | 0 / 13 | 38–13 | 74.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australian Open | NH | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Not held | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | – | – | ||||
French Open | NH | NH | Only for French players | A | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Not held | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 1 | 4–1 | 80.0 | |||||||||
Wimbledon
|
NH | A | A | A | A | 4R | QF | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Not held | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 3 | 48–3 | 72.7 | |||||
US Open | 3R | 3R | 3R | 3R | SF | 3R | SF | SF | SF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 9 | 26–9 | 74.3 |
Pro Slam tournaments | 4 / 19 | 35–15 | 70.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
U.S. Pro | Not held | W | W | F | W | F | QF | W | SF | A | A | QF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | A | 2R | NH | QF | 3R | 2R | A | A | 1R | 2R | 4 / 19 | 35–15 | 70.0 | ||||||||
French Pro | Not held | A | A | A | NH | A | A | A | A | A | A | Not held | 0 / 0 | – | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Wembley Pro
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Not held | A | A | NH | A | NH | A | Not held | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | – | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Win–loss | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 5–2 | 8–2 | 4–1 | 9–3 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1-1 | 4 / 32 | 73–28 | 72.2 | ||||||
National representation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Olympics | NH | A | NH | G | Not held | 1 / 1 | 6–0 | 100 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Vinnie Richards". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
- ^ "The Record (Hackensack), 22 June 1951". newspapers.com. June 22, 1951.
- ^ a b "Vincent Richards: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ Bowers, Ray. "History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter 2, part 1: 1927-1928" – via tennisserver.com.
- ^ Bowers, Ray. "History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter 2, part 2: 1929-1930" – via tennisserver.com.
- ^ a b c "Vinnie Richards, Dunlop vp, Former Tennis Great Dies in September" (PDF). Michigan State University.
- ^ "Vincent Richards". Olympedia. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ^ "French Open 1926". www.tennis.co.nf.
- ^ "Davis Cup – Vincent Richards". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ "U.S. Pro Championships". www.tennis.co.nf.
- ^ "Tennis Hall of Fame – Player Profile Vinnie Richards". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- Fordham Prep.
- ^ "Milestones: Feb. 11, 1924". Time. February 11, 1924.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Vincent Richards at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Vincent Richards at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Vincent Richards at the International Tennis Federation
- Vincent Richards at the Davis Cup
- Vincent Richards at Olympedia
- History of the Pro Tennis Wars