Gardnar Putnam "Gar" Mulloy (November 22, 1913 – November 14, 2016) was a U.S. No. 1 tennis player primarily known for playing in doubles matches with partner Billy Talbert. He was born in Washington, D.C., and turned 100 in November 2013.[4] During his career he won five Grand Slam doubles tournaments and was a member of the winning Davis Cup team on three occasions.

Gardnar Mulloy
Mulloy in 1956
Full nameGardnar Putnam Mulloy
Country (sports) United States
Born(1913-11-22)November 22, 1913
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died November 14, 2016(2016-11-14) (aged 102)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Turned pro1934 (amateur tour)
Retired1969
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
CollegeUniversity of Miami
Int. Tennis HoF1972 (member page)
Singles
Career record918–310 (74.7%)[1]
Career titles60[2]
Highest rankingNo. 6 (1947, Harry Hopman)[3]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenSF (1947)
French OpenQF (1952, 1953, 1954)
WimbledonSF (1948)
US OpenF (1952)
Doubles
Career record0–8
Grand Slam doubles results
French OpenF (1951, 1952)
WimbledonW (1957)
US OpenW (1942, 1945, 1946, 1948)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
WimbledonF (1956)
US OpenF (1955)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1946, 1948, 1949)

Mulloy played collegiate tennis for the Miami Hurricanes at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

Tennis career

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While he was the tennis coach at the University of Miami, Mulloy recruited Pancho Segura for the tennis team. Segura won three straight NCAA singles titles in 1943, 1944, and 1945. Segura went on to enjoy a successful professional tennis career, competing against the top touring professional players from 1947 until his retirement in 1962.

Mulloy was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1967 as part of its inaugural class of inductees.[5]

Mulloy won the Newport Casino Championships in 1946 defeating Ted Schroeder in the final in four sets.

Mulloy reached the U.S. Championships men's singles final in 1952, losing to second-seeded Frank Sedgman in three straight sets. He reached the U.S. No. 1 ranking the same year and was ranked world No. 6 by Harry Hopman in 1947 and world No. 7 by American Lawn Tennis Magazine in 1949.[3][6]

The pair of Mulloy and Talbert won the U.S. men's doubles title in 1942, 1945, 1946, and 1948. He also won the Wimbledon doubles with Budge Patty in 1957, at age 43.

Mulloy was a Davis Cup team member in 1946, 1948–1950, 1952–53 and 1957, winning the Cup on three occasions against Australia. His Davis Cup record stands at 11 wins and 3 losses.[7] Mulloy, who served as the commanding officer of USS LST-32 during World War II in the Mediterranean Theater, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1972.

In 2015 Mulloy was awarded a French Legion of Honor knighthood for his service in the US Navy in relation to operations in Italy and Provence. As such he became the oldest first time recipient of the order ever since it was created by Napoleon.

Mulloy was a 1936 graduate of the University of Miami, and tennis coach at the school. He also was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He recruited to Miami and played doubles with George Toley, who went on to win 10 NCAA team titles at the University of Southern California. Probably Mulloy's greatest contribution to tennis was advancing the popularity of senior tennis. He played the senior circuit around the world into his nineties, and established the Mulloy Cup for international competition between men tennis players 80 years of age and over. He won over 127 national championships and 25 international titles in 75 years of playing competitive tennis.

As of 2006, Mulloy was still participating in and winning senior matches.

Personal life

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In 1938, Mulloy married Madeleine L. Cheney (1917–1993), with whom he had two daughters, Diane Mulloy Mazzone and Janice Mulloy Poindexter.[8] He married his second wife, Jacqueline Mayer, in 2008, when he was 95 years old.[9] Mulloy was a vegetarian and avoided alcohol, coffee, sugary drinks and tea.[10][11]

Mulloy died in Miami on November 14, 2016, from stroke complications, aged 102, survived by his second wife, his daughters, four grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.[9][12]

Grand Slam finals

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Singles (1 runner-up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1952 US National Championships Grass   Frank Sedgman 1–6, 2–6, 3–6

Doubles (5 titles, 9 runners-up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1940 US National Championships Grass   Wayne Sabin   Jack Kramer
  Ted Schroeder
7–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss 1941 US National Championships Grass   Henry Prusoff   Jack Kramer
  Ted Schroeder
4–6, 6–8, 7–9
Win 1942 US National Championships Grass   Bill Talbert   Ted Schroeder
  Sidney Wood
9–7, 7–5, 6–1
Win 1945 US National Championships Grass   Bill Talbert   Bob Falkenburg
  Jack Tuero
12–10, 8–10, 12–10, 6–2
Win 1946 US National Championships Grass   Bill Talbert   Don McNeill
  Frank Guernsey
3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–3, 20–18
Loss 1948 Wimbledon Grass   Tom Brown   John Bromwich
  Frank Sedgman
7–5, 5–7, 5–7, 7–9
Win 1948 US National Championships Grass   Bill Talbert   Frank Parker
  Ted Schroeder
1–6, 9–7, 6–3, 3–6, 9–7
Loss 1949 Wimbledon Grass   Ted Schroeder   Pancho Gonzales
  Frank Parker
4–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss 1950 French Championships Clay   Dick Savitt   Ken McGregor
  Frank Sedgman
2–6, 6–2, 7–9, 5–7
Loss 1950 US National Championships Grass   Bill Talbert   John Bromwich
  Frank Sedgman
5–7, 6–8, 6–3, 1–6
Loss 1951 French Championships Clay   Dick Savitt   Ken McGregor
  Frank Sedgman
3–6, 4–6, 4–6
Loss 1953 US National Championships Grass   Bill Talbert   Rex Hartwig
  Mervyn Rose
4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Win 1957 Wimbledon Grass   Budge Patty   Neale Fraser
  Lew Hoad
8–10, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
Loss 1957 US National Championships Grass   Budge Patty   Ashley Cooper
  Neale Fraser
6–4, 3–6, 7–9, 3–6

Mixed doubles (2 runner-ups)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1955 US National Championships Grass   Shirley Fry   Doris Hart
  Vic Seixas
5–7, 7–5, 2–6
Loss 1956 Wimbledon Grass   Althea Gibson   Shirley Fry
  Vic Seixas
6–2, 2–6, 5–7

Book

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Mulloy wrote an autobiography, The Will To Win, that was published in 1960. In 2009, he released an update to his autobiography, titled As It Was, with an introduction by Billie Jean King. According to the book, Mulloy is enshrined in a record nine Halls of Fame.[13][14][9]

References

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Notes
  1. ^ Garcia, Gabriel. "Gardnar Mulloy: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  2. ^ Garcia, Gabriel. "Gardnar Mulloy: Career tournament results". thetennisbase.com. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "World's Best 10 in Tennis", The Courier-Mail, February 3, 1947.
  4. ^ "Ex-champ Gardnar Mulloy becomes first Hall of Famer to turn 100". Fox Sports. November 22, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  5. ^ "Gardnar Mulloy 1934-1936". University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.
  6. ^ "Richard Gonzalez World's No. 1: Amateur Lawn Tennis Rankings", The Sunday Indian Express, November 18, 1949.
  7. ^ "Davis Cup Player Profile". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  8. ^ Gilbert Rogin (July 13, 1964). "The Irrepressible Mr. Mulloy". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 21, no. 2. pp. 57–62.
  9. ^ a b c Michelle Kaufman (November 15, 2016). "Tennis legend Gardnar Mulloy of Miami dies at 102". Miami Herald.
  10. ^ "Gardnar Mulloy, US tennis champion – obituary". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Tennis legend Gardnar Mulloy of Miami dies at 102". umsportshalloffame.com. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  12. ^ James Buddell (November 15, 2016). "Gardnar Mulloy: 1913-2016". www.atpworldtour.com. Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
  13. ^ Mulloy 2009
  14. ^ Amdur, Neil (June 19, 2010), "He Forgot to Leave Tickets for the Queen", New York Times, retrieved February 11, 2011
Bibliography
  • Mulloy, Gardnar. The Will To Win. An insider view of the world of tennis. New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, Inc., 1960.
  • Mulloy, Gardnar. Advantage Striker. London: Allan Wingate, 1959.
  • Mulloy, Gardnar P. As It Was. Flexigroup, 2009. ISBN 0-615-32745-1. A print-on-demand paperback book.
  • Toley, George "The Golden Age of College Tennis" 2009
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