Vincent Richards was active in the early decades of the 20th century, particularly known as being a superlative volleyer.
17 Facts About Vincent Richards
2.
Vincent Richards was ranked World No 2 as an amateur in 1924 by A Wallis Myers, and was ranked joint World No 1 pro by Ray Bowers in 1927 and World No 1 pro by Bowers in 1930.
3.
Vincent Richards became a protege of Bill Tilden after being defeated by the latter in a match, and he then teamed up with him to win the United States doubles championship in 1918 at the age of 15.
4.
Vincent Richards remains the youngest male to have ever won a major championship.
5.
Vincent Richards retained his amateur status for 10 years because his ambition was to compete in the 1924 Olympics held in Paris, France.
6.
Vincent Richards realized this ambition by winning the gold medal for the United States in both singles and doubles, additionally collecting the silver medal in mixed doubles.
7.
Vincent Richards is one of two American male tennis players to win the gold medal in both singles and doubles, and he ranks second all-time with his three medals won in 1924.
8.
Between both men and women, Vincent Richards is third behind Venus Williams in first, and Serena Williams in second, with three overall medals, with Williams collecting four gold medals over multiple Olympics.
9.
Vincent Richards was a semifinalist at the French championships in 1926, where he beat Colin Gregory and Bela Von Kehrling, then lost to Henri Cochet.
10.
Vincent Richards was a semifinalist at the US championships in 1922,1924,1925 and 1926.
11.
Vincent Richards was one of the best singles players of the 1920s and played on several United States Davis Cup teams.
12.
Vincent Richards won the United States Pro Championship in 1927,1928, and 1930, beating Kozeluh in the finals in both 1928 and 1930, and losing to him in the 1929 final.
13.
Vincent Richards lost the 1931 final to Tilden and won the US Pro Championships for the last time in 1933, this time beating Frank Hunter in the final.
14.
Vincent Richards continued to play in the US Pro championships in most years until 1946.
15.
Vincent Richards was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1959.
16.
On September 28,1959, Vincent Richards died of a heart attack at Doctors Hospital in New York.
17.
Vincent Richards was banned from competing in the amateur Grand Slams when he joined the professional tennis circuit in 1927.