International Tennis Hall-of-Famer Tony Trabert, one of the greatest champions the U.S. ever has produced, turns 90 on Aug. 16. In celebration, USOpen.org looks back at a particularly memorable year—65 years ago—for the Cincinnati native; part of a grand career that touched all aspects of the sport and helped to shape the modern game.
The year was 1955. Americans liked Ike, were introduced to Elvis and tasted McDonald’s for the very first time. Disneyland opened, and millions flocked to see Mickey. Those who stayed home could spend their time arguing the spelling of words they’d normally never use with a new board game called Scrabble. But in the sport of tennis, there was no argument about who was the best, and there was only one way to spell it: T-o-n-y T-r-a-b-e-r-t.
In 1955, at the age of 25, Trabert dominated the sport of tennis in a way that few—before or since—have been able to equal. The kid from Cincinnati with the buzz cut and the blistering backhand pounded his way to a staggering singles match record of 104-5, including 38 consecutive matches, 18 tournament titles and 10 straight tournament wins. Trabert won three of the four Slams that year, the only hiccup en route to completing the Grand Slam a semifinal loss to Ken Rosewall at the Australian Open. In winning both Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, Trabert did not drop a set. He was the world’s No. 1-ranked player for those 12 months, featured on a Sports Illustrated cover with the declarative cover line: “Tony Trabert: The Man to Beat.”
“I’ve been asked if I regret not having won the Grand Slam,” said Trabert. “Of course, the answer is yes. But I have no regrets about the way I played. I did my best every time I stepped on a court, from the first point to the last. My attitude was always, ‘Win fast and get off the court, because nothing bad can happen to you once you’re in the locker room.’
“I never felt unbeatable,” added Trabert, who also won the U.S. Championships title in 1953 and the French in 1954. “But I did always feel confident in my own abilities. I always knew that I’d done all that I could to be mentally and physically ready for every match. I think what the record from that year shows is that I was able to set a high standard for myself and stay there.”
In truth, Trabert’s dream season actually began before the calendar started counting down 1955. In December of 1954, Trabert beat his nemesis Lew Hoad in singles and teamed with Vic Seixas to win the doubles as the U.S. pulled off a spectacular Davis Cup challenge-round win over the Aussies on their home turf, wrestling tennis’ grandest grail away from the unrelenting grasp of the Australians for what would prove the only time in an eight-year stretch. That moment, which Trabert still refers to as “the biggest thrill of my tennis career,” served to propel him into ’55 with a new head of steam—and a heightened sense of determination.
“I never counted wins, I just wanted to win titles. I was never the most gifted guy out there, so I had to work at it, and especially in that year, the work paid off. Besides, in those days, one of the real bonuses of winning was that you’d keep getting your per diem, which meant you could eat.”
That approach would shape Trabert’s entire career—and tennis has been the lucky beneficiary of his commitment to excellence and unparalleled passion for the sport. Maybe you don’t think of Trabert when you think of the true pioneers and pillars of tennis. Maybe you should.
No one ever expected more of Trabert than he did of himself. During his spectacular ’55 campaign, whenever he appeared in a tournament, it was virtually a given that he’d appear in the winner’s circle. Indeed, a Trabert loss was so unexpected, and his personal standard so high, that when he did drop a match at the Wiesbaden, Germany, event in the spring of that year, he volunteered to play an exhibition for free, as a way of apologizing to the promoter.
After turning pro in 1956, Trabert not only played, but also helped to manage the fledgling professional tour, a marquee player in the globe-trotting caravan. Trabert’s talent, dedication, good humor and great grace went a long way in helping to popularize the sport to a worldwide audience, opening doors for the legions of talents that followed and helping to pave the way for the game as we know it today.
Trabert’s keen understanding of the intricate mechanics of strokes and strategy would later serve him well in the TV booth, where he worked as lead analyst for CBS Sports’ US Open coverage for 30 years until his retirement in 2002. Alongside partner Pat Summerall, Trabert helped to increase the popularity of the US Open to a nationwide TV audience with his engaging insight, quick wit and crisp analysis. With an economy of words, Trabert always stood out as one of the most sagacious talents in tennis broadcasting.
For decades, he was the first to interview this event’s champions and runners-up, presiding over the on-court ceremonies at the conclusion of the Flushing Meadows fortnight, his presence always adding an extra dash of class to the proceedings, helping the former champ connect to a new generation of stars.
“It’s always difficult to interview the loser,” said Trabert, “because there’s not much you can say to make them feel better. On the other hand, with the winner, you can say, ‘There’s a bone sticking out of your leg,’ and they’ll say, ‘Yeah, but I sure served well…’.”
Elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970, and later serving as its president, Trabert also captained the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1976-80, winning two titles during that stretch. He also was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions in 2014. Trabert turns 90 on Aug. 16 of this year, 65 years removed from that grand—and almost Grand Slam—year of 1955, still one of tennis’ greatest ambassadors and classiest champions.
“It may sound cliché,” said Trabert, “but I don’t know where I’d be without tennis. I’d like to think that I’d have figured something out, but I can’t imagine anything that would have taken me where I’ve been.
“I’ve traveled the world and met all kinds of people—presidents and prime ministers and movie stars. I’ve gotten an education that you don’t get out of books. I had the opportunity to represent my country in Davis Cup and win our national championship twice. For a guy from a lower middle-class family on a dead end street in Cincinnati, it’s been a pretty amazing ride.”
