Vic Seixas
Encyclopedia
Elias Victor Seixas, Jr. (born August 30, 1923) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 former tennis player.

Seixas was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

, of Portuguese
Portuguese American
Portuguese Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the offshore island groups of the Azores and Madeira....

 Sephardi Jewish ancestry. After serving in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...

 (UNC), where he was a member of Alpha Sigma of the Chi Psi
Chi Psi
Chi Psi Fraternity is a fraternity and secret society consisting of 29 active chapters at American colleges and universities. It was founded on Thursday May 20, 1841, by 10 students at Union College with the idea of emphasizing the fraternal and social principles of a brotherhood...

 fraternity. He graduated in 1949, the same year that UNC awarded him the Patterson Medal in athletics.

Thirteen times he was ranked in the Top Ten in the U.S. between 1942 and 1966. In 1951 Seixas was ranked # 4 in the world, two spots below Dick Savitt
Dick Savitt
Richard "Dick" Savitt is a 6’ 3" and 185-pound right-handed American male former tennis player.Savitt was ranked 2nd in the world in 1951. That year, at the age of 24, he won both the Wimbledon Singles Championship and the Australian Singles title...

, while he was # 1 in the U.S. ranking, one spot ahead of Savitt. In 1953, Seixas was ranked # 3 in the world, his high point.

Career

In a very long career, Seixas won scores of singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles. His career was interrupted for three years by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, during which he served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

. He also became an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...

n during his years at UNC.

His major singles wins include Wimbledon in 1953 over Kurt Nielsen
Kurt Nielsen
Kurt Nielsen was a Danish tennis player. He was born in Copenhagen, and is the only Danish tennis player ever to have played in a men's singles final in a Grand Slam tournament....

 and the U.S. National (U.S. Open)
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...

 in 1954 over Rex Hartwig
Rex Hartwig
Rex Noel Hartwig was an Australian tennis player.-Wimbledon:He won the doubles in Wimbledon twice: In 1954 with Mervyn Rose and in 1955 with Lew Hoad.-Australian Championships:...

.

He was also a great doubles and mixed doubles player, in which his major victories include: four consecutive mixed doubles crowns at Wimbledon from 1953–56, the first three with Doris Hart
Doris Hart
Doris Hart is a former World No. 1 American female tennis player.As a child, she suffered from osteomyelitis, which resulted in a permanently impaired right leg...

 and the fourth with Shirley Fry
Shirley Fry
Shirley June Fry Irvin was a World No. 1 American female tennis player who was born in Akron, Ohio, United States.Irvin is one of sixteen persons to have won each Grand Slam singles tournament at least once during the person's career...

; the U.S. National mixed doubles from 1953–55, all with Doris Hart; the U.S. National doubles in 1952 with Mervyn Rose
Mervyn Rose
Mervyn Rose was an Australian male tennis player. He was born in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and turned professional in 1959...

 and again in 1954 with Tony Trabert
Tony Trabert
Marion Anthony Trabert is a retired American tennis champion and long-time tennis author, TV commentator, instructor, and motivational speaker...

; the French National (French Open) doubles in 1954 and 1955, both with Trabert; the French National mixed doubles in 1953, with Doris Hart; and the Australian National (Australian Open)
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...

 doubles in 1955, with Trabert.

In 1966, Seixas was rated as the Senior Squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...

 Champion of America.

Davis Cup

Seixas and Trabert won the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...

 in 1954, against Australia. Seixas is rated fifth in the category of Most Davis Cup Singles matches (24), just behind Bill Tilden
Bill Tilden
William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of...

 (25) and Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...

 (27). He served three times as Captain of the US Davis Cup team. He was 38-17 lifetime in Davis Cup matches.

Style of play

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-handed Seixas was an attacker who won more on determination and conditioning than on outstanding form. His volleying was exceptional, and he had an excellent match temperament, but a thrashing topspin forehand and sliced backhand were utilitarian.

Halls of Fame

Seixas was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. The hall of fame and honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis facility.-History:The hall of fame and...

 in 1971.

He was inducted into the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic Hall of Fame.

Singles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 1951 U.S. Championships
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...

 
Grass   Frank Sedgman
Frank Sedgman
Frank Arthur Sedgman, born 29 October 1927, in Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was a tennis player who was arguably the world No.1 in 1952. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Sedgman in his list of the 21...

 
6–4, 6–1, 6–1
Runner-up 1953 French Championships  Clay   Ken Rosewall
Ken Rosewall
Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam...

 
6–3, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2
Winner 1953 Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...

 
Grass   Kurt Nielsen
Kurt Nielsen
Kurt Nielsen was a Danish tennis player. He was born in Copenhagen, and is the only Danish tennis player ever to have played in a men's singles final in a Grand Slam tournament....

 
9–7, 6–3, 6–4
Runner-up 1953 U.S. Championships Grass   Tony Trabert
Tony Trabert
Marion Anthony Trabert is a retired American tennis champion and long-time tennis author, TV commentator, instructor, and motivational speaker...

 
6–3, 6–2, 6–3
Winner 1954 U.S. Championships Grass   Rex Hartwig
Rex Hartwig
Rex Noel Hartwig was an Australian tennis player.-Wimbledon:He won the doubles in Wimbledon twice: In 1954 with Mervyn Rose and in 1955 with Lew Hoad.-Australian Championships:...

 
3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–4

Men's doubles: 8 (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 1952 Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...

 
Grass   Mervyn Rose
Mervyn Rose
Mervyn Rose was an Australian male tennis player. He was born in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and turned professional in 1959...

 
  Ken McGregor
Ken McGregor
Kenneth Bruce McGregor was a former tennis player from Australia who won the Men's Singles title at the Australian Championships in 1952. He and his longtime doubles partner, Frank Sedgman, are generally considered to be one of the greatest men's doubles teams of all time...


  Frank Sedgman
Frank Sedgman
Frank Arthur Sedgman, born 29 October 1927, in Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was a tennis player who was arguably the world No.1 in 1952. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Sedgman in his list of the 21...

6–3, 7–5, 6–4
Winner 1952 U.S. Championships
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...

 
Grass   Mervyn Rose   Ken McGregor
  Frank Sedgman
3–6, 10–8, 10–8, 6–8, 8–6
Winner 1954 French Championships Clay   Tony Trabert
Tony Trabert
Marion Anthony Trabert is a retired American tennis champion and long-time tennis author, TV commentator, instructor, and motivational speaker...

 
  Lew Hoad
Lew Hoad
Lewis Alan Hoad was a champion tennis player....


  Ken Rosewall
Ken Rosewall
Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam...

6–4, 6–2, 6–1
Runner-up 1954
1954 Wimbledon Championships
-Men's Singles: Jaroslav Drobný defeated Ken Rosewall 13-11 4-6 6-2 9-7-Women's Singles: Maureen Connolly Brinker defeated Louise Brough Clapp 6-2, 7-5...

 
Wimbledon Grass   Tony Trabert   Rex Hartwig
Rex Hartwig
Rex Noel Hartwig was an Australian tennis player.-Wimbledon:He won the doubles in Wimbledon twice: In 1954 with Mervyn Rose and in 1955 with Lew Hoad.-Australian Championships:...

 
  Mervyn Rose
Mervyn Rose
Mervyn Rose was an Australian male tennis player. He was born in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and turned professional in 1959...

 
6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Winner 1954 U.S. Championships Grass   Tony Trabert   Lew Hoad
  Ken Rosewall
3–6, 6–4, 8–6, 6–3
Winner 1955 Australian Championships
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...

 
Grass   Tony Trabert   Lew Hoad
  Ken Rosewall
6–3, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6, 6–1
Winner 1955 French Championships Clay   Tony Trabert   Nicola Pietrangeli
Nicola Pietrangeli
Nicola "Nicky" Pietrangeli is a former tennis player from Italy. He is considered by many to be Italy's greatest-ever tennis champion....


  Orlando Sirola
Orlando Sirola
Orlando Sirola was a tennis player from Italy.Sirola was born in Fiume, today the Croatian city of Rijeka. He only began playing tennis at the age of 22. Despite his late start, he achieved some notable successes....

 
6–1, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4
Runner-up 1956 U.S. Championships Grass   Hamilton Richardson
Hamilton Richardson
Hamilton "Ham" Farrar Richardson was a American tennis player in the 1950s and 1960s.Born August 24, 1933 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Richardson was ranked No. 1 in the United States in 1956 and 1958, and was ranked in the top ten in nine other years...

 
  Lew Hoad
  Ken Rosewall
6–2, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4

External links

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