Vic Seixas
Encyclopedia
Elias Victor Seixas, Jr. (born August 30, 1923) is an American
former tennis player.
Seixas was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, of Portuguese
Sephardi Jewish ancestry. After serving in World War II
, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
(UNC), where he was a member of Alpha Sigma of the Chi Psi
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
, 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.
, during which he served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces
. He also became an All-America
n during his years at UNC.
His major singles wins include Wimbledon in 1953 over Kurt Nielsen
and the U.S. National (U.S. Open)
in 1954 over Rex Hartwig
.
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
and the fourth with Shirley Fry
; the U.S. National mixed doubles from 1953–55, all with Doris Hart; the U.S. National doubles in 1952 with Mervyn Rose
and again in 1954 with Tony Trabert
; 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)
doubles in 1955, with Trabert.
In 1966, Seixas was rated as the Senior Squash
Champion of America.
in 1954, against Australia. Seixas is rated fifth in the category of Most Davis Cup Singles matches (24), just behind Bill Tilden
(25) and Arthur Ashe
(27). He served three times as Captain of the US Davis Cup team. He was 38-17 lifetime in Davis Cup matches.
in 1971.
He was inducted into the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic Hall of Fame.
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 IIWorld 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 CupDavis 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 FameInternational 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 SedgmanFrank 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 NielsenKurt 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 TrabertTony 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 SedgmanFrank 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 RosewallKen 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 RoseMervyn 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 PietrangeliNicola 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 SirolaOrlando 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 |