Open TennisDoreen Gonzales Richard Gonzalez, the 53rd player inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In 1968, Richard Gonzalez's twenty years in tennis were honored when he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. This placed him in impressive company. Fifty-two other players had already been inducted, including Bill Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry, Don Budge, and Jack Kramer. But Gonzalez was the first person of color to make it to the Hall of Fame. In addition, he was the first player ever inducted while still a top competitor. The others had not been honored until many years after they had retired. The honor seemed appropriate. People who had never played tennis tried the sport after reading about Gonzalez's matches or seeing him compete. During the 1950s, tennis had begun trickling out of private clubs and onto public courts. By the end of the sixties, huge numbers of tennis enthusiasts came in all colors and from all economic backgrounds. In 1968, tennis officials added more excitement to the sport's increasing popularity. They opened major tennis tournaments like Wimbledon to both amateur and professional players. For the first time ever all players could compete against each other. Open Tennis had finally arrived.  Richard Gonzalez waited a long time to play Open Tennis.
Gonzalez had supported open tennis since the late 1950s. But when he spoke of open tennis, Gonzalez always added one exception. He hoped that the Davis Cup competition would remain an amateur event. Gonzalez felt that this particular competition should be played for national honor rather than for money. As for tournament tennis, Gonzalez believed that opening up the sport would be healthy. It would allow more players to earn money. In addition, it would bring more competition to the sport, improving everyone's play. Gonzalez had waited a long time for open tennis, and he was anxious to be a part of it. Others were not as eager. With more players competing against each other, some professionals feared that their own earnings would decrease. Many also suspected that open tennis would be bad for their win-loss records. Their worries seemed logical. During the previous decade, a small number of professionals had competed against each other often. They knew each other's playing styles well. This meant they could develop strategy based on their own strengths and their particular opponent's weaknesses. But open tennis would increase the number of players competing, and most amateurs were unknown to the current professionals. This would make it difficult for them to develop strategies and could mean losses for the professionals. Gonzalez understood this danger, but he still looked forward to open play.  His loss to English player Marx Cox made Gonzalez the first pro to lose to an amateur in the Open era.
The world's first open tournament was held in Bournemouth, England, in April 1968. In the second round Gonzalez faced amateur Mark Cox, an Englishman who was considered the underdog. Hundreds of English spectators had come to cheer for Cox. But as the match progressed, many people discovered the irresistible lure of Richard Gonzalez. The admiring crowd could not help the thirty-nine-year-old Gonzalez win, though. Although he took all six games of the first set, he lost the second set. He won the third set by two games but lost the fourth. During a short break, Gonzalez changed the canvas shoes worn in that era that were waterlogged with sweat. It did not help. As the two began the fifth and deciding set, Cox was strong and confident, but Gonzalez was tired. This was the first five-set match he had played in several years. Cox won the fifth set, making Richard Gonzalez the first professional player ever to be beaten by an amateur. After the historic event, reporters followed Gonzalez into the locker room for an interview.  1968 was only the second time Gonzalez played Wimbledon.
Most expected one of his trademark temper tantrums and waited guardedly for him to erupt. But Gonzalez was tired, not angry. "Somebody had to be the first to lose to an amateur. It might as well be me," he told them. "I was glad to be a part of this. Didn't think I'd ever see it happen. Now let me take a shower. I've been working pretty hard." Next came the French Open. This time Gonzalez made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated. This was a tremendous feat considering that the French tournament is played on clay, a surface that requires great stamina. Then came Wimbledon. Ironically, in twenty years of tennis, this was only the second time Gonzalez had played there. The first time had been in 1949 and it had ended in an earlier than expected loss. On this second trip, Gonzalez, now forty, lost again. He felt he played poorly because he was nervous. After Wimbledon, Gonzalez began training seriously for September's U.S. Open. There he played with such determination that he beat the number two seed, Tony Roche, to advance to the quarterfinals. One observer noted that only someone who wanted very badly to win could work so hard for so long.  In 1969 Gonzalez played a 112 game match over two days at the age of 41.
Gonzalez lost in the next round. Even so, Newsweek magazine reported that his performance had been the highlight of the tournament. In 1969, Gonzalez traveled back to Wimbledon for a third time. On this visit he won one of the most dramatic matches in tennis history. In the first round, forty one year old Gonzalez faced twenty five year old Puerto Rican Charlie Pasarell. Pasarell had won the U.S. National Indoor title earlier in the year by beating Arthur Ashe. The first set began late in the afternoon and ended with Gonzalez losing 24-22. After more than two hours of play, daylight was beginning to fade. Because of his age Gonzalez was having trouble seeing the ball. He asked the umpire several times to postpone the match until the next day. His request was denied each time. This infuriated Gonzalez. He cursed the darkness and ranted at the umpire. He was so angry that he barely tried during the second set and lost 6-1. At that point the officials finally stopped play until the following day. Gonzalez walked off the court and threw his racket at the umpire's chair. Fans booed his angry behavior, making Gonzalez the first player ever to be booed off a Wimbledon court. Back in his hotel room, Gonzalez was too angry to sleep.  Charlie Pasarell won the first two sets on day 1.
He and Madelyn played backgammon until two in the morning. Even so, the next day Gonzalez walked onto the court ready to play. Unfortunately, he had already lost the first two sets of the match. Yet Gonzalez was not ready to concede defeat. During the next two hours, the lead went back and forth as an astonished crowd watched Gonzalez fight back. A few people even began encouraging him. The number grew with each point he won. Gonzalez took the third set 16-14. Then he tied the match by winning the fourth set. Now anticipation swept through the center court and all thirteen thousand fans seemed to be rooting for Gonzalez. They cheered each time he won a point. They groaned whenever he lost one. Echoing the sounds of the spectators on the inside, several thousand people tracked his progress on a scoreboard outside the stadium. Finally it seemed that the great match was coming to an end. Pasarell was ahead in the fifth set, 5-4. Gonzalez was down love-40 on his serve. If Pasarell won any of the next three points, he would win the match. Gonzalez won the next point. Then another and another. Time after time, just when Gonzalez seemed doomed, he managed to stay alive. When the set finally ended in an amazing 11-9 victory for Gonzalez, the crowd exploded in cheers and applause.  Gonzalez and Pasarell after Richard's 11-9 fifth set victory.
As for Gonzalez, he was too tired to show much emotion. He and Pasarell walked to the net and embraced as spectators gave the men a reverberating ovation. They both had played magnificently in a record-setting five-hour, twelve-minute, 112 game match. In the locker room Pasarell found a corner and sat down and cried. Gonzalez sat next to him and put his arm around him. He told Pasarell that he was sorry. But Pasarell was not mad at Gonzalez. Pasarell had idolized Gonzalez for many years.
Pasarell called Gonzalez's serve the best he had ever seen. He went on to say that Gonzalez "was a guy who would never give up. Somehow he would figure out how to win a match." His remarkable play had simply raised Pasarell's esteem for him another notch.
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