Gardnar Putnam "Gar" Mulloy (November 22, 1913 – November 14, 2016) was a U.S. No. 1 tennis player primarily known for playing in doubles matches with partner Billy Talbert. He was born in Washington, D.C., and turned 100 in November 2013. During his career he won five Grand Slam doubles tournaments and was a member of the winning Davis Cup team on three occasions.

Mulloy played collegiate tennis for the Miami Hurricanes at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

Tennis career While he was the tennis coach at the University of Miami, Mulloy recruited Pancho Segura for the tennis team. Segura won three straight NCAA singles titles in 1943, 1944, and 1945. Segura went on to enjoy a successful professional tennis career, competing against the top touring professional players from 1947 until his retirement in 1962.

Mulloy was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1967 as part of its inaugural class of inductees.

Mulloy won the Newport Casino Championships in 1946 defeating Ted Schroeder in the final in four sets.

Mulloy reached the U.S. Championships men's singles final in 1952, losing to second-seeded Frank Sedgman in three straight sets. He reached the U.S. No. 1 ranking the same year and was ranked world No. 6 by Harry Hopman in 1947 and world No. 7 by American Lawn Tennis Magazine in 1949."Richard Gonzalez World's No. 1: Amateur Lawn Tennis Rankings", The Sunday Indian Express, November 18, 1949.

The pair of Mulloy and Talbert won the U.S. men's doubles title in 1942, 1945, 1946, and 1948. He also won the Wimbledon doubles with Budge Patty in 1957, at age 43.

Mulloy was a Davis Cup team member in 1946, 1948–1950, 1952–53 and 1957, winning the Cup on three occasions against Australia. His Davis Cup record stands at 11 wins and 3 losses. Mulloy, who served as the commanding officer of USS LST-32 during World War II in the Mediterranean Theater, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1972.

In 2015 Mulloy was awarded a French Legion of Honor knighthood for his service in the US Navy in relation to operations in Italy and Provence. As such he became the oldest first time recipient of the order ever since it was created by Napoleon.

Mulloy was a 1936 graduate of the University of Miami, and tennis coach at the school. He also was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He recruited to Miami and played doubles with George Toley, who went on to win 10 NCAA team titles at the University of Southern California. Probably Mulloy's greatest contribution to tennis was advancing the popularity of senior tennis. He played the senior circuit around the world into his nineties, and established the Mulloy Cup for international competition between men tennis players 80 years of age and over. He won over 127 national championships and 25 international titles in 75 years of playing competitive tennis.

As of 2006, Mulloy was still participating in and winning senior matches.

Among his other career highlights he won the Miami Invitational Tennis Championships in 1954 against Art Larsen.

Personal life In 1938, Mulloy married Madeleine L. Cheney (1917–1993), with whom he had two daughters, Diane Mulloy Mazzone and Janice Mulloy Poindexter. He married his second wife, Jacqueline Mayer, in 2008, when he was 95 years old. Mulloy was a vegetarian and avoided alcohol, coffee, sugary drinks and tea."Gardnar Mulloy, US tennis champion – obituary". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2023."Tennis legend Gardnar Mulloy of Miami dies at 102". umsportshalloffame.com. Retrieved 21 February 2023.

Mulloy died in Miami on November 14, 2016, from stroke complications, aged 102, survived by his second wife, his daughters, four grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1952 U.S. National Championships Grass Frank Sedgman 1–6, 2–6, 3–6

Doubles (5 titles, 9 runners-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1940 U.S. National Championships Grass Wayne Sabin Jack Kramer Ted Schroeder 7–6, 4–6, 2–6Loss 1941 U.S. National Championships Grass Henry Prusoff Jack Kramer Ted Schroeder 4–6, 6–8, 7–9Win 1942 U.S. National Championships Grass Bill Talbert Ted Schroeder Sidney Wood 9–7, 7–5, 6–1Win 1945 U.S. National Championships Grass Bill Talbert Bob Falkenburg Jack Tuero 12–10, 8–10, 12–10, 6–2Win 1946 U.S. National Championships Grass Bill Talbert Don McNeill Frank Guernsey 3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–3, 20–18Loss 1948 Wimbledon Grass Tom Brown John Bromwich Frank Sedgman 7–5, 5–7, 5–7, 7–9Win 1948 U.S. National Championships Grass Bill Talbert Frank Parker Ted Schroeder 1–6, 9–7, 6–3, 3–6, 9–7Loss 1949 Wimbledon Grass Ted Schroeder Pancho Gonzales Frank Parker 4–6, 4–6, 2–6Loss 1950 French Championships Clay Dick Savitt Ken McGregor Frank Sedgman 2–6, 6–2, 7–9, 5–7Loss 1950 U.S. National Championships Grass Bill Talbert John Bromwich Frank Sedgman 5–7, 6–8, 6–3, 1–6Loss 1951 French Championships Clay Dick Savitt Ken McGregor Frank Sedgman 3–6, 4–6, 4–6Loss 1953 U.S. National Championships Grass Bill Talbert Rex Hartwig Mervyn Rose 4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 2–6Win 1957 Wimbledon Grass Budge Patty Neale Fraser Lew Hoad 8–10, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4Loss 1957 U.S. National Championships Grass Budge Patty Ashley Cooper Neale Fraser 6–4, 3–6, 7–9, 3–6

Mixed doubles (2 runner-ups)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1955 U.S. National Championships Grass Shirley Fry Doris Hart Vic Seixas 5–7, 7–5, 2–6Loss 1956 Wimbledon Grass Althea Gibson Shirley Fry Vic Seixas 6–2, 2–6, 5–7

Book Mulloy wrote an autobiography, The Will To Win, that was published in 1960. In 2009, he released an update to his autobiography, titled As It Was, with an introduction by Billie Jean King. According to the book, Mulloy is enshrined in a record nine Halls of Fame.Mulloy 2009

References Notes

Bibliography

Mulloy, Gardnar. The Will To Win. An insider view of the world of tennis. New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, Inc., 1960. Mulloy, Gardnar. Advantage Striker. London: Allan Wingate, 1959. Mulloy, Gardnar P. As It Was. Flexigroup, 2009. . A print-on-demand paperback book. Toley, George "The Golden Age of College Tennis" 2009

External links