| When Gonzales was twelve years old, his mother gave him a fifty-cent tennis racket for Christmas to discourage him from playing rougher sports. At fourteen, he was playing and frequently winning junior tournaments.
Gonzales quit school in the tenth grade and joined the Navy as soon as he was old enough, in 1945. He was discharged in 1947 and less than a year later became the second youngest player ever to win the national singles title.
Some thought his championship was tainted because defending champion Ted Schroeder didn't play in the 1948 tournament, but Gonzales beat him in the 1949 final. After losing the first two sets, 16-18 and 2-6, Gonzales won the last three, 6-1, 6-2, and 6-4. He also won the 1949 Wimbledon singles championship.
Gonzales then turned professional, joining Jack Kramer on a nationwide tour. He played badly, losing 96 matches while winning only 27, and was dropped in favor of Pancho Segura. After Kramer's retirement, Gonzales rejoined the pro tour in 1954 and during the next eight years he consistently beat the best professionals around, including Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgman, Segura, and Tony Trabert. The 6-foot-3 Gonzales was especially noted for his great serve, which was once clocked at 112 mph.
After retiring from competition, Gonzales became a top instructor and non-playing captain of the Davis Cup team. He had one last moment in the spotlight, though. In the 1969 Wimbledon tournament, which had been opened to professionals, the 41-year-old Gonzales beat 25-year-old Charles Pasarell in a 112-game match that lasted 5 hours and 12 minutes, the longest in Wimbledon history. The scores were 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, and 11-9. |
USA