Don Budge American tennis player Date of Birth: 13.06.1915 Country: USA

Biography of Don Budge

Don Budge, an American tennis player, held the title of the world's number one player for five years. He was the first tennis player, male or female, and the only American to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year. He became the second player, after Fred Perry, to win all four Grand Slam tournaments. Before the emergence of Ken Rosewall in the mid-1950s, Budge's left-handed stroke was considered the best in the history of tennis.

John Donald 'Don' Budge was born on June 13, 1915, in Oakland, California. He was the son of a former football player and Scottish immigrant who was a member of the reserve team of 'Rangers'. Growing up, Budge tried many different sports before settling on tennis. His height and slim build were believed to be the reasons for his powerful serve. Budge began studying at the University of California, Berkeley in late 1933 but dropped out to play tennis as part of the US Davis Cup reserve team.

Accustomed to hardcourts in his native California, Budge struggled to adapt to grass courts on the east coast. However, with the help of a good coach and hard work, he secured a spot in Wimbledon in 1937 and 1938. He won the singles match, the doubles match with Gene Mako, and the mixed doubles match with Alice Marble. Ultimately, Budge became the first player in history to achieve the 'Grand Slam' in three Grand Slam tournaments, surpassing Bill Tilden's previous achievement at the US Championships.

Budge gained the most fame for his match against Gottfried von Cramm in the Davis Cup interzone finals against Germany. It was the first victory for the US in the Davis Cup in twelve years. For this feat, Budge was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year and became the first tennis player to receive the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award, given to the best American amateur athletes.

In 1938, Budge defeated John Bromwich in the Australian Open final, Roderick Menzel at the French Open, Henry 'Bunny' Austin at Wimbledon, where he did not lose a single set, and Gene Mako at the US Open. This winning streak made Budge the first person to achieve the Grand Slam. After such a triumph, he decided it was time to turn professional.

In 1939, he defeated two reigning tennis kings, Ellsworth Vines and Fred Perry, one of his most fierce rivals. With the start of World War II, many tennis tournaments ceased to be held. Budge joined the US Air Force and sustained a serious injury, tearing a shoulder ligament, during an obstacle course. In his book 'A Tennis Memoir,' he wrote, "The strain did not heal, and the scar tissue that formed from the complicated injury only worsened it. Nevertheless...I was able to continue my military service...Two years later, in the spring of '45, I was given a month's sick leave, so I was able to go to Berkeley and found an osteopath, Dr. J. LeRoy Near, who worked with me."

After the war, Budge swapped his rifle for a tennis racket and returned to the court. Unfortunately, his injury continued to bother him, and he never regained his previous form. However, he continued to play until the mid-1950s. His last significant victory was in 1954 at the North American tournament in Los Angeles, where he defeated Pancho Gonzales, who had by then become the world's best player.

After retiring from competitions, Budge shifted his focus to coaching and participated in tennis development programs. According to Bobby Riggs' autobiography 'Tennis Is My Racket,' Budge co-owned a laundry business in New York with Sidney Wood, as well as a bar in Oakland. Budge was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1964. With the start of the 'Open Era' of tennis in 1968, Budge agreed to play at Wimbledon in a doubles match among veterans.

In 1973, at the age of 57, he teamed up with former champion Frank Sedgman to win the Wimbledon veterans' championship in front of an appreciative crowd. In December 1999, Don Budge was involved in a car accident from which he never fully recovered. He passed away on January 26, 2000, at a nursing home in Scranton, Pennsylvania.