The Old Wolf
Doreen Gonzales
Richard Gonzalez's name dropped permanently from World Top Ten tennis rankings in 1970. He had been a tough competitor for over twenty years, but now younger men would take his place.
As they did, tennis experienced an unprecedented growth in popularity. One cause of this great boom was open tennis. With more money-making possibilities, more players than ever before were entering tournaments.
This meant more tournaments were held. More tournaments brought increased exposure of the sport, which in turn, brought in more recreational players.
New tennis players needed to buy equipment and clothing for their latest hobby. This made the advertising of tennis products profitable. Advertisements increased people's exposure to the sport and produced more tennis fans.
Open tennis also continued to create an ever increasing number of tennis enthusiasts. All of these new tennis players needed places to play.
So during the 1970s, city parks everywhere seemed to overflow with people wanting to use a tennis court. New courts were built, and public recreation programs now included tennis lessons and tournaments.
In addition, television began broadcasting a lot more tournaments. These broadcasts brought large audiences, making advertising during the telecasts profitable.
Sponsoring a tournament brought even greater advertising opportunities-the bigger the tournament, the bigger the benefit. Consequently, corporations began organizing tournaments with huge cash prizes.
Of course, only the very best players made it to the final rounds of these tournaments. But those who did, earned the largest prizes ever.
Between 1950 and 1970, Richard Gonzalez had won close to one million dollars playing tennis. However, in 1974 alone, four different players earned $200,000 each in one year alone.
By the end of the decade, the best players were earning close to one million dollars a year. This was in prize money alone. In addition, many earned even more money by endorsing products.
Although Gonzalez did not share in the wealth open tennis brought, he did have some endorsements and he was happy to have played a part in bringing about the explosion in tennis's popularity. He once said, ''I'm satisfied to know I was one of the pioneers, one of the guys who made the tennis boom possible."
Undoubtedly, Gonzalez had been a crucial part of tennis's increase in popularity. He had brought raw power, emotion, and excitement to a game often thought to be a refined pastime rather than a demanding sport.
Anyone who watched Gonzalez play a set or two saw the tremendous athleticism and stamina needed to perform at tennis's top level. Furthermore, Gonzalez represented the underdog in American society.
He had never taken a formal lesson from a professional. Gonzalez was an outsider who had succeeded through hard work and a fiery desire to win.
To many people, Gonzalez symbolized triumph over adversity. Some people still credit him with revolutionizing the sport.
In 1971, Gonzalez moved to Las Vegas to work as the tennis pro at the world-famous hotel, Caesar's Palace. By 1972, his second marriage to Madelyn Darrow had ended in divorce. In December 1972, Gonzalez married Betty Steward. They would have a daughter named Jeanna.
During 1973, Gonzalez played in a series of tennis tournaments called the Grand Masters. The Grand Masters Tour was designed for men over the age of forty-five who had once been the best tennis players in the world. Gonzalez had already competed against most of them, players such as Pancho Segura, Frank Sedgman, Alex Olmedo, and Mal Anderson.
This tour gave the old professionals a chance to stay fit and play tennis against opponents of equal skill. The atmosphere among the players was friendly and nostalgic. They often gathered to play poker, socialize, and reminisce.
Unlike in the old days when Gonzalez had stayed to himself, he now attended the parties they held. In fact, he was often the first one there and treated his old comrades to drinks.
Many of these men noticed a marked change in Gonzalez since his days on the professional circuit. Now, they said, he was much more easygoing and social. According to Laver, the Old Wolf was mellowing. But how much?
Gonzalez the fighter remained alive and well. On the court, Gonzalez was a tough opponent and frequent winner. His serves were still amazingly fast, and he played in his characteristic cat-like crouch.
In addition, he demonstrated the same passion for winning he had shown in his younger days. Amid the genteel atmosphere of the Grand Masters Tour, Gonzalez sometimes lost his temper and shouted at an official or opponent.
Even non-tournament matches could be fierce competitions to Gonzalez. Once a bystander heard him challenge a friend to "suicide singles."
When he asked Gonzalez what this meant, Gonzalez replied, "If he beats me, I'll cut my throat." For Richard tennis was a lifelong sport he would play until the final months of his life.
