(TargetDailyNews.com) – An American tennis legend has died at the ripe old age of 100. Vic Seixas was the winner of 15 Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the oldest living champion when he passed away on June 30. His death was confirmed by the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The organization billed Seixas as “the face of American tennis” from the years between 1940 and 1968. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971. The man was 6’1” and 180 pounds during his prime performance years, and his last name is correctly pronounced as “SAY-shuss.” Seixas was known for his incredible stamina during matches and was often listed in the top 10 American players. He was complemented by Australian pro player Harry Hopman who called him the world’s number one amateur in 1954.
Seixas won an incredible number of tournaments and championships during his prime including two Grand Slam championships, and numerous doubles. Seixas never turned professional, preferring to play as an amateur throughout his career. He beat famous players Rex Hartwig from Australia and Kurt Nielsen from Denmark in the 1950s, earning him a lot of attention at the time from fans of the sport.
At age 42, Seixas played 94 games in four hours against 22-year-old Bill Bowrey during the Philadelphia Grass Championship. He went on later that year to defeat 19-year-old Stan Smith during the U.S. Nationals. He retired from major games in 1970 but continued to play smaller bouts for older players.
Seixas talked about winning Wimbledon in 1953 and his prize being $75. He joked that he had to spend it in a particular store affiliated with the tennis organization. He quipped that in 1954 he didn’t even get that much.
Seixas was born to Irish immigrants in August 1923 and grew up in Philadelphia. Despite a Jewish heritage, he told the corporate press that his family wasn’t particularly religious. He added that he was married in a Presbyterian church to his wife. Seixas’s parents were blue-collar and encouraged the young man to play tennis after he showed some promise during his time at the William Penn Charter School.
Seixas also served in the military as a pilot during World War II.
Copyright 2024, TargetDailyNews.com
