 Mako, circa 1941 | |
| Full name | Constantine Eugene Mako |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | (1916-01-24)January 24, 1916 |
| Died | June 14, 2013(2013-06-14) (aged 97) |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] |
| Turned pro | 1943 (amateur tour from 1927)[1] |
| Retired | 1954 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1973(member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 8 (1938,A. Wallis Myers)[2] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1938) |
| French Open | 3R (1938) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1935,1937,1938) |
| US Open | F (1938) |
| Professional majors | |
| US Pro | QF (1943) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1937, 1938) |
| US Open | W (1936, 1938) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | W (1936) |
Constantine "Gene"Mako (Hungarian:Makó Jenő[ˈmɒkoː ˈjɛnøː]; January 24, 1916 – June 14, 2013) was an Americantennis player and art gallery owner. He was born inBudapest, Hungary. He won four Grand Slam doubles titles in the 1930s.[3] Mako was inducted into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame inNewport, Rhode Island, in 1973.[3]
His fatherBartholomew Mako (Hungarian:Makó Bertalan) graduated from theBudapest Academy of Fine Arts in 1914.[4] He started to work as a draftsman for his mentorViktor Madarász.[5] He was an avid soccer player himself.[6] He fought in World War I.[7] After the war, he left Hungary with his wife, Georgina Elizabeth Farkas Mako (Hungarian:Makó Farkas Erzsébet Georgina)[1] and only son, traveling first to Italy, then stopping for three years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, then settled in Los Angeles, California.[4] There he created works for public places like churches, libraries and post offices.[8] Gene attendedGlendale High School and the University of Southern California, and he was offered a Hungarian University Scholarship in the meantime.[1][6] He quit before graduation.[1]
In 1934 he won theNCAA championships in singles and the doubles (with Phillip Caslin) while playing for the University of Southern California where he lettered at USC for three years (1934-36-37).[9] He also won the boys' singles event at theU.S. National Championships in 1932 and 1934 and the boys' doubles in 1932, 1933 and 1934.[1]
Mako was especially successful as a doubles player with his partner and friendDon Budge. They competed in sevenGrand Slam finals, four of which they won.In 1936 Gene Mako andAlice Marble won the finals at theUS Mixed Doubles Championships againstSarah Palfrey and Don Budge (6:3 and 6:2). They won theNewport Casino Invitational Tournament three consecutive times from 1936 to 1938.[10]
From 1935 to 1938. Mako was a member of theUnited States Davis Cup team and played in eight ties. The US team won theDavis Cup in 1937, defeating theUnited Kingdom in the final at Wimbledon, and in 1938 in the final againstAustralia at theGermantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia. As a Davis Cup player he compiled a record of six wins and three losses.[11]
Mako was in the U.S. top 10 in 1937 and 1938 (reaching as high as No. 3), and was ranked World No. 8 byA. Wallis Myers ofThe Daily Telegraph in 1938.[2] That year, he reached the U.S. final atForest Hills against his doubles partnerDon Budge, who was in pursuit of the first Grand Slam.[1]
In 1939. he was suspended and banned from playing for breaching the amateur rules.[12] He and Don Budge allegedly accepted a sum of 20A£ for an exhibition match in Australia, which was against amateurism.[13] Afterwards he continued to play tennis at that time during the Second World War while serving in the Navy.[3] He also played professional basketball while stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.[3]
In 1973 Mako was inducted into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was elected to the University of Southern California Athletic Hall of Fame.
He possessed strong serve and powerful smashes but due to several injuries in his career, he had to give up his power game.[1] He preferred a volleying style, which he perfected with quickness, good angle selection and pacing paired with strategy.[1]
Apart from being a sportsman, Mako composed music in his early 20s. He's the author of two songs, namely "Lovely as Spring" and "What Did You Dream Last Night?".[14] He also starred in the 1938 musicalHappy Landing and the 1941 war comedyCaught in the Draft, although he remained uncredited in both movies.[15] Mako married actressLaura Mae Church in Manhattan in 1941.[1][16] A month later, World War II broke out, and he joined the United States Navy.[1] After this, he worked in a broadcasting studio.[12] After his retirement, he designed tennis courts.[1] His wife worked as an interior designer.[17] He was involved in wrestling and was hired as a coach at the California Institute of Technology[18] while also coaching the basketball team.[19] He owned Gene Mako Galleries in Los Angeles, California.[7][20] He also published a book about his father titledBartholomew Mako: A Hungarian Master, 1890-1970.[21] In the final decade of his life, he taught art.[22] He died in 2013 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, aged 97, of pneumonia.[8][23]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1938 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  Don Budge | 3–6, 8–6, 2–6, 1–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1935 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Don Budge | Wilmer AllisonJohn Van Ryn | 2–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 1–6 |
| Win | 1936 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Don Budge | Wilmer Allison John Van Ryn | 6–4, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Win | 1937 | Wimbledon | Grass | Don Budge |  Pat HughesRaymond Tuckey | 6–0, 6–4, 6–8, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1937 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Don Budge |  Henner HenkelGottfried von Cramm | 4–6, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1938 | French Championships | Clay | Don Budge |  Bernard DestremauYvon Petra | 6–3 3–6 7–9 1–6 |
| Win | 1938 | Wimbledon | Grass | Don Budge |  Henner HenkelGeorg von Metaxa | 6–4, 6–3, 3–6, 8–6 |
| Win | 1938 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Don Budge |  John BromwichAdrian Quist | 6–3, 6–2, 6–1 |
