Judge Robert Kelleher, who helped lead tennis into Open era while he was president of the USTA, has passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 99.
Also captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1962 and 1963, Kelleher overcame resistance within the USTA to open the sport to both amateurs and pros. Before the Open era (1968 to present), "shamateurism" was still in place—where amateur tournaments would pay the players small wages under the table, if at all—but it had lost its appeal to most standout players, as nearly everybody who won a Grand Slam title and grew in popularity was turning pro in order to make a living.
"It was thoroughly rotten arrangement," said Jack Kramer, a former Wimbledon and U.S. Championships winner who helped create the men's first pro tour. "Even at the time, everybody said it was rotten except for a few amateur officials who perpetuated it for their own amusement. In the shamateur days we were only athletic gigolos and the system was immoral and evil."
In the spring of 1968, after the other Grand Slams had signed off on Open tennis, Kelleher convinced other USTA officials to approve it after he traveled the country preaching the gospel of Open tennis. He felt that the success of the then U.S. Championships was at risk and despised "shamateurism" on principle.
"I wasn't going to president of a crooked organized organization," Kelleher said. "And I did meet with resistance. There were those who wanted to keep things the way it was, but I was determined we were moving in the right direction and that I had the principled argument."
Kelleher also had the backing of the U.S. players. Charlie Pasarell, who would later become an influential tournament director and board member of the ATP tour, hadn't gone pro yet, but threw his support behind Kelleher.
"Every player supported it, but like a lot of other guys I would have played for nothing anyway. I played because I loved it," Pasarell said. "When Kelleher talked to me, I said 'Bob, you absolutely have to do it, you have our support. Whatever you need and now go and get it done.' Arthur Ashe [Pasarell's friend and the most popular amateur at the time] was also supportive. We just wanted to play against the best in the world like Laver, Rosewall and Gonzalez."
Kelleher eventually won the day, but still faced the problem of providing adequate prize money.
"Tennis was very small then," Kelleher said. "Our annual budget was about $100,000 and that mirrored how popular the sport was. We were in a tough spot. Then Alistair Martin (who succeeded Kelleher as president), came up to me and said, 'Here's a check for the 100,000 for the prize money.' He was so much in support of the Open that he was wiling to subsidize it out of his own pocket. Fortunately we didn't have to because I found some sponsors. But the offer was incredibly generous."
Pasarell said that Kelleher knew when to seize the moment, and it became one that would change the sport forever.
"It was momentous, it was the brave new world of tennis. People talk about all the significant moments in tennis history but to me, that was the biggest one," Pasarell said.—Matt Cronin