Don Budge

Don Budge was a legendary American tennis player. He is most famous for his unmatched dominance on the court. He was the first player, male or female, to win the Grand Slam in a single year. This means he won all four major tournaments in one calendar year. Budge was also the second man to complete the career Grand Slam. This achievement requires winning all four major tournaments at different times during a career. He was known for having one of the best backhands in tennis history. Many observers even rated his backhand better than Ken Rosewall, a later champion.

Budge's physical attributes played a huge role in his success. He was tall, slim, and had bright red hair. His height helped him develop one of the most powerful serves ever seen. He grew up in Oakland, California, as the son of a Scottish immigrant. His father, John "Jack" Budge, was a former soccer player. Don did not start playing tennis until he was 13 years old. His older brother, Lloyd, encouraged him to take up the sport. Budge eventually studied at the University of California, Berkeley. He left his studies to play for the U.S. Davis Cup auxiliary team.

Budge was a master of different styles of play. In his early matches, he showed he could be calm and collected. In one 1932 match, he surprised onlookers by letting a hard-hitting opponent make errors. As he grew, he often used a baseline game. This means he stayed near the back of the court to hit shots. He only moved to the net, or the webbing, when forced by specific shots. He was also a versatile player on different surfaces. While he was used to hard courts in California, he learned to compete on grass courts in the east. He eventually won four Pro Slams on three different surfaces.

His amateur career reached a peak in 1937 and 1938. In 1937, he was the world Number 1 amateur. He won several major titles that year, including Wimbledon. At Wimbledon, he won the singles, the men's doubles, and the mixed doubles. This feat is called the Triple Crown. Budge was the only man to achieve the Triple Crown three separate times. He did this at Wimbledon in 1937 and 1938, and at the U.S. Championships in 1938. He was also the only man to win it twice in a single year. In 1938, he achieved the "Full Grand Slam" by holding all four major titles at once. He completed this on June 11, 1938, just two days before his 23rd birthday.

Budge's success was backed by impressive numbers. He won ten major titles in total. Six of these were Grand Slam events won consecutively, which was a men's record. After his amateur success, he turned professional in October 1938. As a professional, he held the world Number 1 ranking in 1939, 1940, and 1942. In 1939, he played many head-to-head matches against top players. He beat Ellsworth Vines 22 matches to 17. He also beat Fred Perry 28 matches to 8. These victories showed his ability to compete against the very best in the world.

In 1940, Budge participated in a significant moment for American sports. He played an exhibition match at the Cosmopolitan Club in Harlem. He played against Jimmie McDaniel, the top player for the American Tennis Association. This is believed to be the first interracial tennis match played before a large audience in the United States. This event was a notable moment in the history of the sport. Even during his professional years, Budge continued to win major tournaments. He won the French Pro Championship and the Wembley Pro tournament. He also won the United States Pro Championship in 1942.

World War II changed the course of Budge's career. In 1942, he joined the United States Army Air Forces. During military training in 1943, he tore a muscle in his shoulder. He noted in his book, "A Tennis Memoir," that this injury permanently hindered his playing abilities. While serving, he played exhibition matches to entertain the troops. In the summer of 1945, he played a series of matches on various islands. He played against Bobby Riggs on Guam, Peleliu, Ulithi, Saipan, and Tinian. These matches were played using the Davis Cup format. Although the war affected his physical strength, Budge remains a vital figure in tennis history.