Gardnar Mulloy:
Unknown Legend
Lee Tyler
This is an article about the oldest living tennis champion in the world, a legend who will reach his 100th birthday this November.
He's done everything. Been a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather. Was a lawyer, a publisher, a tennis coach, a war hero. Set up a compassionate pet rescue organization. Had a street named after him in his hometown, Miami, Florida where he grew up, learned to play tennis, and still lives.
He has outlived almost all his contemporaries. The overwhelming majority of today's players and fans are actually too young to have heard about him within their own lifetimes.
Gardnar Mulloy also happened to win 129 national tennis championships. He was in the top ten 14 times. He played Davis Cup 7 times. He was Davis Cup captain twice.
He is not only in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, but also eight other halls of fame. He was a friend of presidents, princesses, kings, politicians, movie stars, and famous players across several generations.
In 1996, the International Tennis Federation added the Gardnar Mulloy Cup for 80 and over players to their super seniors competition.
Any plans for the future?
"I'm waiting to be 100," he says in a voice somewhere between a growl and a drawl, "and then we'll see."
Favorite Wins
What were his favorite wins?
"At age 15, my first year playing, beating Caroll Turner, the perpetual Florida tennis champion, in the finals of the City of Miami Championships."
"Winning three national Father & Son Championships with my dad."
"Becoming the oldest Wimbledon mens' doubles champion in 1957."
And he still is.
"I was 43 at the time and my partner Budge Patty was 33. In the final we played Lew Hoad and Neale Fraser who were the top seeds. They were half our age."
Who was his favorite men's doubles partner?
"King Gustav of Sweden." he answer with a straight face.
"Actually, Bill Talbert was my favorite partner. We won more doubles championships than I can remember or count."
Who was his favorite mixed partner?
"Althea Gibson. We were the mixed runners-up at Wimbledon in '56, and also in '57, the same year I won the men's doubles.
"I received much criticism for playing with her since she was black."
I asked if the story is true that one of the first doubles trophies he won actually came from a dog show.
"Yes. Here's what happened.
"The Everglades Club was an elegant pit stop on the Florida winter tennis circuit. Bobby Riggs, Budge Patty, Frank Shields, Gene Mako, Bill Talbert, yours truly, we all participated.
"This may sound strange today but the mixed doubles was considered the main event as the socialite members participated with the star players.
"Mrs.Robert Hassler and I won, and it was discovered in horror there was no prize for the mixed doubles female.
"But George Andrade, one of the players, came to the rescue, providing a trophy from his car for the photo op.
"When the cup was presented to the beaming Mrs. Hassler, she took one look at it, turned white, and flung it to the ground, fleeing in tears.
"Stunned, I picked up the silver trophy and saw inscribed on it, 'Best Wirehaired Bitch". One of George's dogs had won it at a dog show."
Does he follow the modern game?
"I watch very little tennis because everybody plays the same, even the women. The modern style is too repetitious and not exciting to watch."
I asked who he considers the best of today's top players. "Roger Federer, on the record, qualifies as the all-time greatest tennis player," he replied.
"But in my opinion Bill Tilden was better than anyone."
But could Tilden have beaten Federer?
"There are a number of players in my day who would defeat Federer, Murray, Nadal, or Djokovic."
"Tilden, Pancho Gonzalez, Jack Kramer, Don Budge, among others."
Like Don Budge, Mulloy didn't even start tennis until his mid-teens.
"I started at 15, because I'd broken my collarbone in football. I was too skinny to play that game anyway, although I could kick and throw a football a mile. I'd have begun tennis earlier except when I was a boy it was considered a sissy sport.
"I don't know why, as, to play well, tennis requires more agility and as much or more conditioning than any other sport."
I asked Gardnar what had been the best honor in your life?
"My most significant honor I'd call a duty. In World War II, I enlisted in the U.S.Navy and attained the rank of Lt.Commander. I was in charge of an LST 32, a 3,000 ton amphibious ship that had a crew of 100 men and 6 officers.
"We were in five invasions. We landed tanks, men and equipment that had to be placed on enemy-held beaches in North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and Southern France.
"It was both an exciting and terrifying job. At Sicily I watched aghast as American fighter planes taking off from an aircraft carrier flew in low to soften up the beach for our infantry, but in the confusion they shot down a lot of our own men. I was able to yell off the planes before too many more casualties happened, but it was awful.
"Another time I was ordered to the Isle of Port Cross off the French coast to land a radar unit to scan for the impending invasion. This time the Navy aircraft got it right. It only took about an hour for them to dive bomb the island into submission so we could go in."
I asked what age in your life has been most satisfying?
"Frankly, I don't know. My life has been up and down, with wins and losses, successes and failures, interspersed with dumbness on my part. But I have enjoyed every bit of it."
How many people are in your family?
"Two daughters, four grandchildren, and at last count I have eight or nine great-grandchildren whose names or gender I don't know."
How did you and your second wife, Jacqueline, meet?
"I met Jackie at Wimbledon in 1957. She asked me for my autograph, and I asked her for her phone number.
"We finally got around to marrying when I was 95. I'd been a widower for 17 years."
Finally I asked Gardnar if he had ever play tennis for fun--or was it always with the intent of winning?
"Whoever said 'Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing', I agree with that. The only fun of playing tennis is after the match--that is, if you win!"
