Country (sports) United States Name Todd Witsken Prize money 1.421 million USD Career titles 0 Retired 1993 | Career record 115–135 Weight 79 kg Turned pro 1985 Role Tennis Player Handed Right-handed | |
Born November 4, 1963
Indianapolis, Indiana ( 1963-11-04 ) Plays Right-handed (1-handed backhand) College University of Southern California Died May 25, 1998, Zionsville, Indiana, United States Education University of Southern California | ||
Todd Witsken (November 4, 1963 – May 25, 1998) was an American tennis player. He specialized in playing doubles and began his professional career in 1985. He was a three-time all-American at the University of Southern California. His career-high rankings were World No. 43 in singles and No. 4 in doubles. Witsken retired just before the 1993 US Open and died from brain cancer on May 25, 1998, at the age of 34.
Witsken's biggest singles win was at the 1986 US Open, where he beat 5-time US Open champion, Jimmy Connors, 6–2, 6–4, 7–5, in their third round match. It was the first time since 1973 that Connors had failed to reach the US Open semi finals.
In 1989 he lost to Greg Holmes 5–7, 6–4, 7–6(5), 4–6, 14–12 in the second round at Wimbledon, a match that was the longest Men's singles match at Wimbledon, timed at 5 hours 28 minutes, until the epic Isner-Mahut match in 2010.
He was one of eight children born to Marilyn and Henry Witsken. His hometown was Carmel, Indiana, where he left behind four children.