Tony Trabert, 1930-2021: Wise, logical and generous to all

It’s not easy to write when the first instinct is to weep.

Tennis legend Tony Trabert died Wednesday night at his home in Ponte Vedra, Fla. He was 90 years old.

Tony also happened to be someone I’d known for nearly 50 years—four summers as a camper at his tennis camp, from ages 12-15, another two as an instructor while in college, decade after decade of interviews and conversations. I could fill a volume with all the lessons I learned from him, not just about how to hit a tennis ball, but how to conduct oneself as a human being.

For this was the essence of Tony Trabert: pure class. Grace, kindness, sportsmanship—all of these attributes came to him naturally and were consistently on display. Armed with such intelligence and integrity, Tony was able to play a wide variety of roles in tennis, from Hall of Fame player to pro tour leader to broadcaster, Davis Cup captain, president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and, always, a voice of logic and reason.

Tony Trabert with Rod Laver and Pete Sampras, in Newport, R.I. (All photos courtesy of International Tennis Hall of Fame)

As a player, Tony reached the pinnacle. Born on August 16, 1930 in Cincinnati, he grew up in a working-class family. His father, Arch, borrowed money to fund his son’s junior tennis career. Mentored by another world class Cincinnati native, Bill Talbert, Tony was heartily devoted to tennis, often spending hour after hour honing the all-court game that by the 1950s became thoroughly commanding.

In 1951, Tony won the NCAA singles championships while enrolled at the University of Cincinnati (where he also played on the basketball team). After a two-year stint in the Navy, his amateur career soared. In 1953, Tony won the U.S. National Singles title, beating his doubles partner, Vic Seixas, in the finals in straight sets. The next year came the first of two consecutive singles wins at Roland Garros. And then there was a glorious 1955—Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals, the last two without the loss of a set. Tony’s amateur tally: 10 majors, five apiece in singles and doubles.

Trabert, a Wimbledon champion in 1955, would soon become part of tennis royalty.

But all that was secondary compared to Tony’s deep desire to win the Davis Cup. In those days, the international team event was considered far more significant to players than any particular tournament. After a tough loss to Australia in 1953, Tony and Seixas were determined to at last claim the precious title the next year. Playing at the historic White City Tennis Club in Sydney, Seixas beat Ken Rosewall, and Tony earned a clutch win over Lew Hoad—and the next day, the two Americans clinched the tie with a doubles victory.

Showing us tennis campers a highlight film of that match, Tony said, “That was an incredible feeling, to represent your country in international competition.”

The Trabert playing style was all-encompassing. Having learned to play on clay, his groundstrokes were forceful, most notably backed by a rare shot in those days, a lethal topspin backhand. Trabert was also imposing at the net and possessed a fine, accurate serve. As Gene Scott wrote in the book, Tennis: Game of Motion, “His physical attributes added to his sound tactical sense could torment opponents. There seemed to be no weaknesses. Even his sportsmanship discouraged foes, for they realized that a Trabert victory would be a popular one.”

Following his extraordinary 1955 campaign, Tony turned pro, joining Jack Kramer’s circuit of barnstormers. His leadership qualities began to surface brilliantly during these years, be it seeking to form a player’s association with his colleagues, or standing up to the tour’s preeminent hothead, Pancho Gonzales.

All those experiences made Tony a natural fit to be America’s Davis Cup captain, a position he filled from 1976 to 1980. Though Tony was able to convince Jimmy Connors to play Davis Cup for the first time, the real star of his era was the rising John McEnroe, front and center for two American championship runs in 1978 and ’79. Tony often noted that for all of McEnroe’s combustible qualities, he was just about always amenable to coaching input.

As a player an a captain, the Davis Cup meant the most to Trabert.

Tony’s TV career began in the early 1970s and lasted into the 21st century. Most notable was his work on CBS, where he thrived in partnership with Pat Summerall, as well as with John Newcombe, Mary Carillo and Virginia Wade.

Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1970, Tony was president at Newport from 2001 to 2011, bringing the same level of discipline that helped him excel in every other realm.

International Tennis Hall of Fame President Stan Smith, who succeeded Trabert in that role and was on two U.S. Davis Cup teams captained by Trabert, said, “I had big shoes to fill coming into this role after Tony, but that is exactly the example that Tony’s life in tennis was in all areas. He didn’t just show us all how to be a great champion. He was also a role model as a wise coach and mentor, a fair and effective leader, someone who gave back to the sport, and an all-around terrific ambassador for tennis. He was a good friend to me and to so many and he will be greatly missed.”

The champion’s mentality extended to how he ran a tennis camp. Tony’s promise to parents and campers was that he would always be on-site, personally overseeing all aspects of the camp, from instruction to off-court activities to dozens of small personal touches.

I know this first-hand. There I was, a 13-year-old lefthander, attempting to gain proficiency in the serve-and-volley style so prevalent in the early ’70s. And there was Tony, offering tips on how best to direct serves, field returns, direct volleys and overheads and adjust as the match went on. In one of his typically logical statements, Tony studied an opponent of mine and said, “That guy’s return isn’t that good, so just serve your second serve first and get in quick. That’s how I beat Seixas at Forest Hills.”

What, the U.S. champ is giving the same advice to a teenager? That was Tony Trabert: wise, logical and generous to all.