In the process of uncovering stories for the tennishistory site, US tennis champion Jack Kramer stands out as the man who over a period of some 20 plus years bucked the tennis administration by creating professional tennis tours. For the players who signed on, it meant the end of their amateur status and no longer could they compete at tennis tournaments and in Australia not even at club level or any event sanctioned by the LTAA.
While professional tennis existed before Jack Kramer, it was more his systematic approach, grueling schedules and longevity in the spotlight that gives him the rightful place as one of the most influential people to impact the game.
In 1968, when Wimbledon finally caved into the fact that to many top players were leaving the amateurs for professional tennis and crowd numbers were dropping accordingly, the public finally witnessed the ultimate battles for World Champion status. After Wimbledon conceded, the rest of the World followed and Open Tennis began.
We can only marvel at Rod Laver winning the grand slam in 1962 as an amateur and then as pro not playing for 6 years until he won the grand slam again in 1969 in the Open era. The results of many tournaments over the years would have been remarkably different had the competition not been divided.
As an indication of what might have been and clearly with a huge amount of conjecture, in Kramer’s book “The Game” from page 238 he hypothesizes about these outcomes from 1931 for Wimbledon and Forest Hills. To keep it brief the table below starts at 1950.
Amateur Champions Kramer’s choice for “OPEN” Champions
Year Wimbledon….. US Wimbledon…..US
1950 Patty Larson Kramer Kramer
1951 Savitt Sedgman Kramer Gonzales
1952 Sedgman Sedgman Gonzales Kramer
1953 Seixas Trabert Kramer Gonzales
1954 Drobny Seixas Sedgman Gonzales
1955 Trabert Trabert Sedgman Gonzales
1956 Hoad Rosewall Gonzales Sedgman
1957 Hoad Anderson Hoad Gonzales
1958 Cooper Cooper Gonzales Hoad
1959 Olmedo Fraser Gonzales Gonzales
1960 Fraser Fraser Rosewall Gonzales
1961 Laver Emerson Gonzales Rosewall
1962 Laver Laver Rosewall Gonzales
1963 McKinley Osuna Gonzales Laver
1964 Emerson Emerson Laver Rosewall
1965 Emerson Santana Rosewall Laver
1966 Santana Stolle Rosewall Laver
1967 Newcombe Newcombe Laver Rosewall
Obviously, this is based on the average skill and performances on a year by year basis and rules out the potential for the upsets and wild card wins which we occasionally see today.
Nevertheless, the table does show the high esteem held for Gonzales. Frank Sedgman who turned pro for 1953 would have won the titles he won in 1952 and Ken Rosewall would have won the tournament he missed out on winning (Wimbledon) possibly 4 times.
Please read more about Frank Sedgman’s tennis career in the amateurs and professional ranks www.tennishistory.com.au
The photo shows Frankwith other professionals in the late 1950’s.
