| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Born | (1952-09-17)September 17, 1952 (age 73) |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Turned pro | 1972 (amateur from 1971) |
| Retired | 1986 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $1,802,769 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 585–339 (63.3%) |
| Career titles | 22 |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (September 8, 1980) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | F (1976) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1972,1974,1977,1986) |
| US Open | SF (1977) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | SF (1976) |
| WCT Finals | QF (1975,1976) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 73–129 (36.1%) |
| Career titles | 1 |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (1976) |
Harold Solomon (born September 17, 1952) is an American former professionaltennis player who played during the 1970s and 1980s. He achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 5 in singles in 1980, and of No. 4 in doubles in 1976.[1] Over the course of his career, he won 22 singles titles.
Solomon was inducted into theIntercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame, theUSTA Mid Atlantic Section Hall of Fame, the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame, and theInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Solomon is Jewish. He grew up inSilver Spring, Maryland and attendedSpringbrook High School and later lived inPompano Beach, Florida.[2][3][4][5][6] He lives inFort Lauderdale, Florida, has a wife named Jan, a daughter named Rachel, and a son named Jesse.[2]
Solomon began playing tennis when he was five.[7] Ranked as high as second in the United States in his junior career, Solomon won the Clay Court Championship when he was 18.[8] He was named an All-American atRice University, where he was a political science major and a member ofWiess College.[1][9][2]
He turned professional when he finished university in 1972, and first won pro matches in 1974.[1][8] Among his shots was themoonball—a high and deep shot, normally hit with a lot of spin.[9][10]
At theFrench Open, Solomon's best showing was when he reached the singles final in 1976. He "pumped his two-fisted backhand like a cane-cutter", but lost toAdriano Panatta in four sets. Panatta said of Solomon that "his tennis is bizarre, I suppose, but he fights so hard".[11] He reached the quarterfinals in 1972 and 1975 and made it to the semifinals in 1974 and 1980.[8] At theUS Open, he was a semifinalist in 1977.[8][9] He won the tournament now known as theCincinnati Open twice (in 1977 and 1980) and was a finalist at the 1976 and 1978 United States Pro Championships.
Solomon captured a total of 22 professional singles titles.[12] His lifetime professional win–loss record is 564–315, and he earned over $1.8 million.[1] He was ranked among the top 10 singles players worldwide in 1976, 1978, 1979, and 1980, and was among the top 20 from 1974 to 1980.[1] His best year was in 1980 when his win–loss record was 64–23 and he was ranked No. 5 in the world.[9] He appeared inPlaygirl Magazine's list of 10 sexiest men that same year.[8]
Solomon played doubles withEddie Dibbs. In 1976 they were ranked No. 4 worldwide, and were among the top ten in 1974, 1975, and 1976. They were nicknamed "The Bagel Twins."[1]
Solomon is credited with coining the term 'Bagel', referring to a set in tennis that ends with a score of 6–0. It was then popularized by commentatorBud Collins.[13]
Solomon played in theDavis Cup on the American team in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1978.[1] He has a record of nine wins and four losses in this competition.[9] The US team won the Davis Cup final in 1972 (3–2 against Romania) and 1978 (4–1 against Great Britain) although Solomon did not play in either final.[9]
Solomon served as president of theAssociation of Tennis Professionals from 1980 to 1983[1] and later on its board of directors.[8][9]
Solomon was inducted into theUSTA Mid Atlantic Section Hall of Fame in 1994[14] and theInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[1] He was named to theIntercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame (player) in 2013. He was inducted into the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.[15]
Solomon began coaching in the 1990s, working withJennifer Capriati,Mary Joe Fernandez,Shahar Pe'er,Justin Gimelstob,Eugenie Bouchard,Allie Kiick,Jim Courier,Monica Seles,Anna Kournikova and others.[16][17][18][19][1][9] Some of his players wonGrand Slam events and theOlympic Games.[12] He founded and runs the Harold Solomon Tennis Center, now known as the Florida Tennis SBT Academy, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[9][20]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1976 | French Open | Clay |  Adriano Panatta | 1–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–7 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline[edit]
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
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