Fred Kovaleski:
Champion, Executive, Spy
Lee Tyler
At age 91 Fred Kovaleski is one the elite players in the world, having twice won the European 90 and over championships. He took the National 85 Grass singles from 2010 to 2012. And in doubles he won 5 national senior titles playing with the great Tom Brown. (Click Here.)
In this day and age, he might have made a living playing on the professional tour. You might have even have heard his name. But in his era, you could still say tennis took him around the world.
Fred began playing tennis at age 11, because of his handball skills. He caught the eye of tennis coach and promoter Jean Hoxie. She took him under her wing, providing racquets and balls, and teaching him tennis, social graces and dress code on and off court.
He quickly rose in the ranks to the top 5 in the 15 and under and then the 18 and under. At 17, he was named to the Junior Davis Cup Squad.
After dropping out of college during World War II, he returned to help William and Mary win the NCAA tennis championships in 1947 and 1948. He went on to win five international titles and was a finalist for four others. He reached the finals of the U.S. National Indoor Championships in 1949 and the final 16 at Wimbledon the following year, losing to Australian champion Frank Sedgman. (Click Here.)
Then just 3 years after college he gave up international competition when he was recruited by the CIA. He was sent to Egypt in 1954. His cover -- tennis player. His profession -- spy.
He claims this dual career inspired the classic TV series, "I Spy" in which Robert Culp portrays an international tennis player and secret agent.
In Cairo, he spent his time tapping phone lines at the Soviet Embassy and playing tennis with Soviet defectors.
Then through mutual friends, Fred met a married Russian woman. After two years he proposed, she said yes and got divorced, and they married in Beirut. That cost him his CIA job.
He was hired by Pepsi and sent to the Sudan. While there, the CIA made contact again, needing help translating tapes.
He was transferred to Aden (now Yemen, but then a British protectorate in the Red Sea), then to South Africa, then to Australia, where he finally severed the CIA connection.
He was hired away by Revlon and then by Nabisco. In addition to becoming vice president for operations in Europe and the Middle East, he managed the Nabisco Dinah Shore tennis event.
"Each year I would invite 12 to 16 of the old-time greats for some fun doubles with our customers. Guys like Rod Laver, Alex Olmedo, Frank Sedgman, Billy Talbert, Gar Mulloy, and Tom Brown. We had a cardinal rule -- the pro never hits a winner!"
91 now, widowed and living in Manhattan, Fred still plays. With a 60 year old. In Central Park. A life in tennis from a different tennis era.
