Kings of the Court: Frank Sedgman

The Golden Boy: less well known to history than to his own era.

At the middle of the 20th century, the Los Angeles Tennis club was the cradle of the tennis world, the home of Bobby Riggs and Jack Kramer, and all the great Americans that went before them.

But, the winds of revolution were blowing, winds that were about to sweep over the Americans and the world. Winds coming from Australia.

Harry Hopman the Australian Davis Cup captain scoured his country looking for superior young athletes he could mold into tennis players. It was a system that would change the balance of power in the world of tennis. Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, and Lew Hoad, were a few of these players he discovered.

But the first king from this new royal house would be Frank Sedgman. The Aussies named him Golden Boy. His demeanor, athleticism, good looks and consummate all-court game combined to make him the quintessential champion.

Today he is far less known than other Australian players such as Lew Hoad, even though he won more Grand Slam titles. (5 total Slam titles for Segdman, versus 4 for Hoad.) But in his day he was recognized as a…