Trabert, Tony

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).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Sports: Biographies