Don Budge, an American tennis champion, is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Holding the World No. 1 rank for five years, he was the first player to achieve the Grand Slam of tennis in a single year. Born in California, Budge was introduced to the world of sports at a young age and eventually focused his talents on tennis. Known for his power and backhand, he dominated both amateur and professional tennis, winning a total of ten majors, including six Grand Slams. After retiring, he dedicated his time to coaching and mentoring young tennis players.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: John Donald Budge
- Died At Age: 84
- Family: Spouse/Ex-: Loriel Budge (m. ?–2000)
- Tennis Players
- American Men
- Height: 6’1″ (185 cm), 6’1″ Males
- Died on: January 26, 2000
- Place of death: Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States
- U.S. State: California
- City: Oakland, California
- More Facts
- Education: University Of California, Berkeley
- Awards: 1937 – James E. Sullivan Award, 1938; 1937 – Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year
Childhood & Early Life
John Donald “Don” Budge was born in Oakland, California, on June 13, 1915. His father, John “Jack” Budge, was a Scottish immigrant and former soccer player. Don inherited his love for sports from his father. As a young boy, he played a variety of sports including soccer, basketball, and tennis. It was only during his teens that he decided to focus on tennis. He studied for a while at the University of California, Berkeley in late 1933 but left to play tennis with the U.S. Davis Cup auxiliary team. Tall and slim, he was an agile and powerful player.
Career
Between 1935 and 1938, he represented the United States four times in international team competition for the Davis Cup, winning 25 of 29 matches, leading the U.S. team to a victory in 1937. His win in the Davis Cup interzone final against Gottfried von Cramm of Germany is counted amongst his finest performances. He won the Wimbledon singles twice, in quick succession in 1937 and again in 1938. He also won the men’s doubles (with Gene Mako) and the mixed doubles (with Alice Marble) at the tournament in 1938. Throughout 1938, he dominated amateur tennis, winning the Australian Open, French Open, and U.S. Open, in addition to Wimbledon, making him the first person ever to win the Grand Slam in tennis. He also is the youngest man in history to complete the career Grand Slam. Following his grand slam win, he turned professional and played against some of the most formidable players of the era in 1939, defeating Ellsworth Vines and Fred Perry.
The year 1939 was a very productive one for him; he won two great pro tournaments, the French Pro Championship over Vines and the Wembley Pro tournament over Hans Nüsslein. In 1940, he won the United States Pro Championship. He continued his brilliant performances in 1941 and 1942 as well. However, he had to take a break from his playing career to serve in World War II in 1942 and joined the United States Army Air Force. He tore a muscle during an obstacle course in 1943, but the injury did not heal completely and permanently affected his playing ability. He played some exhibition matches for the troops during his wartime duties, including a U.S Army (Budge-Frank Parker) – U.S. Navy (Riggs-Wayne Sabin) competition under the Davis Cup format in 1945. He played against Riggs several times after the war. Don Budge lost to Riggs in 1946 in their U.S. Tour. The next year, Riggs once again defeated Budge in the U.S. Pro final in five sets, establishing himself as the World No. 1 for those two years. Budge again lost in the U.S. Pro finals in 1949 against Riggs.
Retirement and Legacy
Following his retirement in the 1950s, he coached and conducted tennis clinics for children. He also took up speaking engagements and endorsed various lines of sporting goods. At the age of 58, he teamed up with former champion Frank Sedgman to win the Veteran’s doubles championship at Wimbledon in 1973.
Awards & Achievements
In 1937 and 1938, he was named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. In 1937, he won the James E. Sullivan Award, becoming the first tennis player to be named America’s top amateur athlete. In 1938, he became the first player ever to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same calendar year. Don Budge was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame at Newport, Rhode Island in 1964.
Personal Life
Don Budge married twice. He first married Diedre Conselman in 1941; the marriage produced two sons, David Bruce and Jeffrey Donald, and ended in divorce. He tied the knot for the second time with Loriel McPherson in 1967. He was severely injured in an accident in December 1999 and never fully recovered. He passed away on January 26, 2000, at the age of 84.