Full name Stanley Roger Smith Name Stan Smith Spouse Marjory Gengler (m. 1974) Retired 1985 Weight 84 kg | Turned pro 1969 Height 1.93 m Role Tennis player | |
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Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Books Inside Tennis, Stan Smith's Guide to Better Tennis, Modern Tennis Doubles Similar People | ||
Stan Smith on His 1972 Wimbledon Win
Stanley Roger Smith (born December 14, 1946 in Pasadena, California) is a former world No. 1 American tennis player and two-time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world. In 1970, Smith won the first year end championship Masters Grand Prix title. Smith's two major singles titles were the 1971 US Open (over Jan Kodeš in the final), and 1972 Wimbledon (over Ilie Năstase in the final). In 1972, he was the year-ending world No. 1 singles player. In 1973, he won his second and last year end championship title at the Dallas WCT Finals. In addition, he won four Grand Prix Championship Series titles. His name is also used in a popular brand of tennis shoes. In his early years he improved his tennis game through lessons from Pancho Segura and the Pasadena Tennis Patrons.
Contents
- Stan Smith on His 1972 Wimbledon Win
- Stan smith tennis fashion icon
- Career
- Tennis shoes
- Grand Slam Singles performance timeline
- References
Stan smith tennis fashion icon
Career
Smith grew up in Pasadena. California and was coached mainly by Pancho Segura. He played collegiate tennis at the University of Southern California, under Coach George Toley, where he was a three-time All-American and won the 1968 NCAA Singles Championship as well as the 1967 and 1968 Doubles Titles. At USC, Smith was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
As a kid, he went to get a job as a ball boy for the Davis Cup, but was turned down because the organizers thought he was too clumsy.
In his 1979 autobiography, Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, ranked Smith as one of the 21 best players of all time.
In 2005, TENNIS magazine ranked Smith as 35th in its "40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS Era".
Smith was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.
Following his playing career, Smith became active as a Coach for the United States Tennis Association. He now has his own Tennis Academy with Billy Stearns called Smith Stearns Tennis Academy, which is on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
In 1974 Smith married Princeton University tennis player Marjory Gengler. They later mentored South African tennis player Mark Mathabane, helping increase pressure on the South African government to end Apartheid. Today, Smith lives in Hilton Head with his wife and four children, all of whom competed in collegiate tennis. In Hilton Head he also is a co-owner of the tennis academy Smith Stearns. He is currently the President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Tennis shoes
To non-tennis players, Stan Smith is probably best known for his line of Adidas tennis shoes. Although the Adidas Stan Smith shoe is not recommended for modern tennis playing, it continues to be a widely available iconic fashion brand.
Grand Slam Singles performance timeline
A=did not participate in the tournament