On This Day

Jack Kramer

Athlete

Born: Died: American

John Albert Kramer (August 1, 1921 – September 12, 2009) was an American tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, and a pioneer promoter who helped drive the sport towards professionalism at the elite level. Kramer also ushered in the serve-and-volley era in tennis, a playing style with which he won three Grand Slam tournaments (the U.S. Championships in 1946 and 1947, Wimbledon in 1947). He also led the U.S. Davis Cup tennis team to victory in the 1946 and 1947 Davis Cup finals.

Kramer won the U.S. Pro Championship at Forest Hills in 1948 and the Wembley Pro Championships in 1949. He won world professional championship 2-man tours in 1948 (against Bobby Riggs), 1949 51 (against Pancho Segura), and 1953 (against Frank Sedgman).

Kramer was ranked world no. 1 amateur player for 1946 by Pierre Gillou, Harry Hopman and Ned Potter. He was ranked world no. 1 amateur player for 1947 by John Olliff, Pierre Gillou and Ned Potter. In 1948 he was ranked the U.S. no. 1 professional in the USPLTA contemporary rankings for U.S. pro tennis play. Some recent tennis writers have considered Kramer to be the world no.

Notable For

American tennis player

Jack Kramer's Historical Timeline

  1. Jack Kramer is born

    Jack Kramer, American athlete, known for american tennis player, was born on 1921-08-01.

Associated Historical Events

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Jack Kramer born?
Jack Kramer was born on 1921-08-01 (American).
What is Jack Kramer known for?
American tennis player
What historical events involved Jack Kramer?
Jack Kramer was involved in 1 recorded historical event, including Jack Kramer is born.
When did Jack Kramer die?
Jack Kramer died on 2009-01-01.

Related Years