The Life of Tony Trabert
Part 10

Mark Winters

Leaving the Davis Cup captaincy (Click Here) didn't mean that Tony Trabert, all of a sudden, had a lot of time on his hands. In fact, he became more occupied.

Through the mid-1980s, his summer tennis camp was still a sensation. But that doesn't tell the actual story.

The three three-week sessions, each with 90 youngsters attending, constantly sold out. As the game's popularity continued to grow, so did his opportunities to provide insight for US Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon television viewers.

Succinct

When he was describing what was taking place in a match, he was succinct. I am always reminded when I hear commentators who seem to be paid "by the word" of what he told me long ago – "Let the point tell the story."

In "Tuning into Mary Carillo", a March 31, 2021, story by Mark Preston on the website usta.com, the widely respected sportscaster, discussed her career influences. She told Preston, "Well, I was lucky, because I had listened for many, many years to Tony Trabert and Pat Summerall.

"To me, those were the voices of tennis—and they were minimalists. They just sort of let the match come to them. So, when I got to sit next to those guys, that was something special. And I learned that if you open your mouth, it better be worth something."

David May II, the scion of the May Department Store Company was not only a millionaire, he was a tennis fanatic. All six of his children were immersed in the game. During the early 1970s, before he became US Davis Cup captain, Trabert began working with Kathy May when she was 15.

Kathy May

Trabert was rarely acknowledged `for his ability to develop talent and help an individual become a complete player. He accomplished the task with May.

Said Trabert, "I went to her house in Beverly Hills almost every day. There was a court in the backyard, so it was easy to practice. When I first saw her, Kathy had good ground strokes, but she didn't serve that well and the only time she went to the net was to shake hands after she won a match."

"She worked on her serve and getting to the net," he pointed out. "During practice, I would encourage her to try different things, like serving and coming in. She would get passed and wanted to stay at the baseline because she was so comfortable hitting groundstrokes. But she continued to work on her serve and volley and in time, it became second nature."

Before injuries brought her career to an end in 1980 at 24, she was a quarterfinalist at Roland Garros twice and the US Open once. She was ranked as high as No. 8 in the world and had victories over Martina Navratilova, Wendy Turnbull and Virginia Wade.

Over the years, I was fortunate to be able to participate in many of the workout sessions at May's home. Because of the crème de la crème practice setting, tour names such as Chris Evert regularly showed up.

One afternoon I saw the game's future and didn't realize it at the time. The player was a stocky lefthander who "punished" every shot. She didn't have much to say but her playing approach was eye-catching. It was my introduction to Martina Navratilova.

Preparation

Television continued to offer an opportunity for Trabert to showcase his talent. As was the case when he was a competitor, he was always ready. He prepared notes for every match assignment as if he were a research fellow. What's more, he was regularly praised for the thoughtful "feel" he exhibited during US Open post-match on court television interviews.

In 1982, "The Cincinnati Kid" scored again, in a big way. While covering the Tournament Players Championship for CBS in March at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, he attended one of the PGA event's social activities and met Vicki Valenti, a local real estate agent.

He and Shana Wood Trabert had divorced in the late 1960s. Fred Stolle revealed that she had no idea who he was and being Trabert, he never said a thing about being a tennis great...They married in 1985 and Ponte Vedra became his home.

Polished and articulate no matter the situation, Trabert was an ideal representative, which was the reason that in 2001, he was named President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The selection resulted in universal applause. For ten years, he chaired the induction and selection committees, earning kudos for being an effective and efficient administrator.

Throughout his life he spoke of Cincinnati as "home". It was fitting that in May 2006, the university opened the Talbert Tennis Center. A year later, he and Hall of Fame basketball player, Oscar Robertson, also an alumna, were recognized with Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

After more than 30 years with CBS and more than 20 with Australia's Channel 9, he moved to the broadcasting sidelines in the mid-2000s. Physically he was no longer the strapping Trabert of his youth, but his mind remained as active as his sense of humor. He told Cincinnati Enquirer contributor Mark Schmetzer in January 2016, "When you're doing nothing, the problem is you never know when you're finished..."

Birthday Calls

After my years working at the Tony Trabert Tennis Camp, we followed an August 16th routine. No matter where I was, I would give him a birthday call.

Prior to his 90th birthday last year, we chatted for quite some time. Being Tony, he was more interested in talking about how I was doing, saying next to nothing about himself and his declining health.

Sadly, I had no idea that it would be our final chat. Fred Stolle called him three days before he passed away, and shared some of the conversation, "I told him, ‘Trabes you've been down a break before in the fifth and come back...He told me he was ready to go..."

Our conversation switched to Lew Hoad. Stolle brought out that Tony and Lew were very good buddies...they were authentic. You could say anything and always trust that what was discussed would go no further.

Kathy May is much more than the mother of Taylor Fritz. She had put in the time to become a player of note and did her utmost to overcome a series of injuries that plagued her.

Trabert played a critical role in her life. "I have so many thoughts about Tony," she e-mailed me. "He helped me so much in my career. I was so fortunate to have him not only as my coach my entire career but to have him as a mentor and also, best friend. We had a very special relationship.

I remember when he would watch me practice or play in a tournament, if I looked at him, I knew exactly what he wanted me to do at that moment. Outside of my family, he knew me better than anyone. He was so very special, and I will miss him tremendously".

The "Tweet Tributes" following his passing indicated how much he was appreciated and for that matter, loved. A sampling of the thoughts included:

Billie Jean King – "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of my heroes, American tennis great Tony Trabert. He was the first athlete I asked for an autograph and I remember the moment at the Los Angeles Tennis Club where he took the time to speak with me. Over the years our relationship grew deeper, and he was a wonderful mentor in tennis, in broadcasting and in life...He was a legend and a friend, and I will miss him."

Rod Laver – "I'm saddened to hear that Tony Trabert has passed away, a 100% class act in every way. Legendary feats on court, Tony served the game in so many ways with a driving passion for the sport. Goodbye my friend."

My Hero

For readers who have taken the time to read through my appreciation of Tony Trabert, the end is near...But, first there will be a slight segue. On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson, who were part of "The Winter Dance Party", a 24-city tour of the US Midwest, were killed in a plane crash outside of Fargo, North Dakota on the way to their next concert venue. Because the trio played an essential role in establishing Rock & Roll, the catastrophe was called "The Day the Music Died".

When Tony Trabert passed away 62 years later on that same date, figuratively speaking, some of the sweetest music in my life died.

Tony Trabert was a mentor and an example of what I have always striven to be – fair – honest – and real. I hope I have been able to touch on just how unique and special he was to me, and so many others. Simply stated, though I have a good bit of gray in my hair now, he is still my hero.