 Mulloy in 1956 | |
| Full name | Gardnar 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. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Turned pro | 1934 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | 1969 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| College | University of Miami |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1972(member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 918–310 (74.7%)[1] |
| Career titles | 60[2] |
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (1947,Harry Hopman)[3] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1947) |
| French Open | QF (1952,1953,1954) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1948) |
| US Open | F (1952) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 0–8 |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | F (1951, 1952) |
| Wimbledon | W (1957) |
| US Open | W (1942, 1945, 1946, 1948) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | F (1956) |
| US Open | F (1955) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1946,1948,1949) |
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 partnerBilly Talbert. He was born inWashington, D.C., andturned 100 in November 2013.[4] During his career he won five Grand Slam doubles tournaments and was a member of the winningDavis Cup team on three occasions.
Mulloy played collegiate tennis for theMiami Hurricanes at theUniversity of Miami inCoral Gables, Florida.
While he was the tennis coach at theUniversity of Miami, Mulloy recruitedPancho Segura for thetennis team. Segura won three straightNCAA 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 theNewport Casino Championships in 1946 defeatingTed Schroeder in the final in four sets.
Mulloy reached theU.S. Championships men's singles final in 1952, losing to second-seededFrank Sedgman in three straight sets. He reached the U.S. No. 1 ranking the same year and was ranked world No. 6 byHarry 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 withBudge 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 ofUSSLST-32 during World War II in theMediterranean Theater, was inducted into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame inNewport, 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 byNapoleon.
Mulloy was a 1936 graduate of theUniversity of Miami, and tennis coach at the school. He also was a member ofLambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He recruited to Miami and played doubles withGeorge Toley, who went on to win 10 NCAA team titles at theUniversity 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 theMulloy 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.
Among his other career highlights he won theMiami Invitational Tennis Championships in 1954 against Art Larsen.
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 avegetarian and avoided alcohol, coffee, sugary drinks and tea.[10][11]
Mulloy died inMiami on November 14, 2016, from stroke complications, aged 102, survived by his second wife, his daughters, four grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.[9][12]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1952 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  Frank Sedgman | 1–6, 2–6, 3–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1955 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  Shirley Fry |  Doris HartVic Seixas | 5–7, 7–5, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1956 | Wimbledon | Grass | Althea Gibson | Shirley FryVic Seixas | 6–2, 2–6, 5–7 |
Mulloy wrote an autobiography,The Will To Win, that was published in 1960. In 2009, he released an update to his autobiography, titledAs It Was, with an introduction byBillie Jean King. According to the book, Mulloy is enshrined in a record nine Halls of Fame.[13][14][9]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
