 | |
| Full name | Heinrich Ernst Otto Henkel |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  / / Germany |
| Born | (1915-10-09)9 October 1915 |
| Died | 13 January 1943(1943-01-13) (aged 27) |
| Turned pro | 1934 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | 1943 (due to death) |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 165–76 (68.4%)[1] |
| Career titles | 12[2] |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (1937,A. Wallis Myers)[3] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1938) |
| French Open | W (1937) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1938,1939) |
| US Open | 2R (1937) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1938) |
| French Open | W (1937) |
| Wimbledon | F (1938) |
| US Open | W (1937) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | F (1938) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | F (1935,1936,1937,1938) |
Heinrich Ernst Otto "Henner" Henkel (German pronunciation:[ˈhɛnɐˈhɛŋkl̩]; 9 October 1915 – 13 January 1943) was a Germantennis player during the 1930s. His biggest success was his singles title at the1937 French Championships.
Henner was born in 1915 the son of Ferdinand and Margarete Henkel. AfterWorld War I, his family moved toErfurt in 1919. He joined the Sportclub Erfurt (today TC Erfurt 93) together with his elder brother Ferdinand and learned to play tennis. His father moved toBerlin for job-related reasons, and his entire family followed in 1927.
In 1929, Henkel won the club championships of theTHC 99 Berlin. In 1932 and 1933, he won the German junior championships.[4] At age 15, he changed toLawn-Tennis-Turnier-Club Rot-Weiß.[5] In singles he was defeated byLadislav Hecht in the final of the 1934Hungarian International Tennis Championships.[6][7]
Henkel was the second German, afterGottfried von Cramm in 1936, to win the singles title at theFrench Championships in 1937. The same year, he and Gottfried von Cramm won the Roland Garros doubles title. Later that year they also won the US Championships doubles title defeating AmericansDon Budge andGene Mako in three straight sets.[8]
In March 1937, he became the singles champion at the Cairo International Championships defeatingGiorgio de Stefani in the final in straight sets and also won the doubles title partnering Von Cramm.[9] Later that year he won the singles title at theGerman Championships after a five-sets victory in the final overVivian McGrath. Two years later, in 1939, he again won the title after defeatingRoderich Menzel in the final in four sets.[citation needed]
Between 1934 and 1939 Henkel played 66 matches for the GermanDavis Cup team in 27 ties. He won 49 matches, lost 17 and was particularly successful in doubles, winning 16 of 20 matches partneringGottfried von Cramm,Georg von Metaxa andRoderich Menzel.[10]
Henkel played his last tournament atBad Pyrmont in the summer of 1942. He reached the final which he lost toRoderich Menzel. During the tournament, he had already received his draft notice. In theBattle of Stalingrad, Henkel was shot in the upper leg. He died of this injury on 13 January 1943 nearVoronezh.[11]
Since 1950, the German junior team championship has been called the "Große Henner Henkel-Spiele" and since 1963, a commemorative tournament named the "Henner-Henkel-Gedächtnisturnier" has been held inErfurt.[12]
| Result | Year | Championship | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1937 | French Championships |  Bunny Austin | 6–1, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1937 | French Championships | Gottfried von Cramm |  Vernon KirbyNorman Farquharson | 6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–1 |
| Win | 1937 | US Championships | Gottfried von Cramm |  Don BudgeGene Mako | 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1938 | Australian Championships | Gottfried von Cramm |  John BromwichAdrian Quist | 5–7, 4–6, 0–6 |
| Loss | 1938 | Wimbledon | Georg von Metaxa | Don Budge Gene Mako | 4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–8 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1938 | Wimbledon | Sarah Palfrey | Alice MarbleDon Budge | 1–6, 4–6 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |