Lew Hoad

Lew Hoad was an Australian tennis player who rose to prominence in the 1950s, winning 13 major singles and doubles titles. He was born on November 23, 1934 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was taught by his father to play right-handed, despite being a natural left-hander. He developed a powerful and effective backhand, but had a relatively soft serve. He was nicknamed "Muscles" by his fellow players because of his lack of them. He was fast, agile, and tireless, with a deadly volley. Hoad won 147 singles titles, including a record 15 Pro Majors and 8 Grand Slam titles for a total of 23 titles at pro and amateur majors. He also won 15 Pro Majors in doubles and 9 Grand Slam doubles titles. He achieved a Pro Slam in singles in 1963 by winning the three Pro Majors in one year and he completed the Career Grand Slam in doubles. He is the only player to have simultaneously held Pro Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces (1962–63). At the 1971 Australian Open, he became the first man during the Open Era to win a Grand Slam tournament without dropping a set. He also holds the record for being the youngest (18 years and 2 months) and the oldest (37 years and 2 months) men's singles champion at the Australian Open. Hoad enjoyed a long career at the highest levels from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. He was ranked as the world No. 1 tennis player by multiple sources from 1961 to 1964, multiple sources in 1970 and Rino Tommasi in 1971 and 1972. He won world professional championship tours in 1963, 1964, and the WCT titles in 1971 and 1972. He also played an important role in Australia's Davis Cup victories in 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1973. Hoad married Jenny Staley in 1956 and they had two sons, Brett and Glenn. Jenny died in April 2020 after a long illness. Hoad lived in northern Sydney and was still active in tennis events and charities. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1980 and received many other honors and awards for his achievements and contributions to tennis. Hoad died of leukemia on July 3, 1994 at his tennis resort in Fuengirola, Spain. He was buried there with his wife's ashes.