Dr. Reginald S. Weir is best known as the first black male to compete in the U.S. National Championships. This occurred on August 29, 1952. I mention the precise date because just 24 hours later another pioneering black, male player, George Stewart, played his first round match in the same tournament.
And this is where the luck of the draw comes in. In the early rounds of the grand slams half the singles draws are played each day. Dr. Weir happened to be in that half of the draw that was played first. Had he been in the same half of the draw as George Stewart, both would have gone down as pioneers. Had they each been in the opposite half of the draw, Stewart would have garnered the honor.
But such matters should not depend on luck. Both men deserve to be recognized as the first. The two were standouts in American Tennis Association tournaments, the ATA being the black tennis association organized in 1916 in response to the USLTA’s refusal to permit blacks to enter USLTA tournaments. Stewart won the ATA title seven times. Weir won it five times, and holds the truly singular distinction of being the first black to play in a USLTA national tournament, having participated in the 1948 U.S. National Indoor Championships, winning his first match and loosing to Billy Talbert in the second round. Another of the indicia of Dr. Weir’s tennis prowess came in the same tournament the next year when he took 20-year-old Pancho Gonzales to three sets, Gonzales prevailing 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Dr. Weir's power and versatility earned him the sobriquet of the “Black Bill Tilden."
Weir was 41 when he played the U.S. Nationals. Stewart was 29. Both lost in the first round, Weir falling to William Stucki, 11-9, 5-7, 8-6, 6-1, and Stewart to Bernard “Tut” Bartzen, 6-3, 9-7, 6-0. A few years later Bartzen would rise to the top of the national rankings, .
Weir and Stewart were two outstanding tennis players who would have gained considerably more renown had they been able to play on a level court.
From time to time this page will look at the backgrounds of today’s well-known players. With this post we’ll look at the 1996 U.S.T.A. Boys 18 Championships and see whose names are still recognizable.
The 1996 Boys 18 Singles title went to Kevin Kim, the fourth seed. Kim subsequently played for one year at UCLA where he was an All-American in singles and doubles. He turned pro in 1997. Most of his success came at the Challenger level where he compiled a record of 283 wins against 264 losses, and won 9 tournaments. On the regular ATP tour he won 44 matches and lost 97. His reached a career-high ranking of 63 the week of March 21, 2005. Earlier that year he had his best grand slam result, making it to the third round of the Australian Open where he lost in five sets to Thomas Johansson. His career earnings (singles and doubles) were $1,544,918. He was a respectable journeyman pro.
But the 1996 Boys 18 draw contains names far more familiar, among them Kim’s final-round victim, Bob Bryan whom Kim defeated, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0. To advance to the finals Bryan had to beat another junior who went on to big things, his brother Mike. Bob and Mike came into the tournament as the numbers one and three seeds, respectively. Bob won their encounter 7-6, 7-6. I need not expound on what the future held for the Bryan brothers.
As hindsight would suggest, the Boys 18 doubles went to the Bryans who scored a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Kim and his partner, Michael Russell, who himself went on to a long and respected journeyman’s career.
Finally, lurking in the 95th position of the 128-player draw was the youngster who went on to the most illustrious singles career. James Blake was only 16. He would win 10 ATP tour titles and achieve a career-high ranking of number four in the world in 2006 with a record of 59-25. But in the 1996 Boys 18s he went out in the first round, 6-1, 6-1, to eventual winner, Kim.
This is the first of the Rabbit’s Tennis History Quizzes. It’s about the early days of open tennis. The answers appear shortly after the last question.
Questions:
1. In what year did open tennis begin? (You should know this one.)
2. What was the first open tournament? (If you know this one, you’re good.)
3. Who won the first open tournament? (Ditto)
4. Who was the first amateur to beat a professional? (Ditto)
5. Who was the professional he beat? (Ditto)
6. What was the first open Grand Slam tournament? (The Rabbit says you’ll probably get this one wrong.)
7. What man won it? (A tough one)
8. What woman won it? (Ditto)
Answers:
1. 1968
2. Bournemouth, The British Hardcourts
3. Ken Rosewall. He beat Rod Laver
4. Marc Cox
5. Pancho Gonzales
6. The French Open
7. Ken Rosewall. He beat Rod Laver
8. Nancy Richey. She beat Ann Jones.