Robert Falkenburg was born on January 29, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York. His success in tennis would not have been possible were it not for his family. Robert grew up in a family full of tennis players. He and his brother, Tom, both won the US Interscholastic title for their high school, Los Angeles Fairfax High, in the year 1942. In the same year, Robert also won the singles. Both Robert and his brother, including his sister, also played in the US Championships. However, from the three, it was Robert who stood out the most especially when he won at the Wimbledon in the year 1948.
Robert also proved that he was quite the player in the doubles circuit. He played with Jack Kramer in 1944 at the age of 18 and won. He also played together with Don McNeill and won the US Doubles.
| Born | 29 Jan 1926 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Nickname | Bob |
Robert attended college at the University of Southern California. There, he won the US Intercollegiate title in 1946. As an amateur, he also won the US Junior title in the years 1942 and 1943. He entered the US Top Ten and became one of the youngest players to do so. He stayed in the US Top Ten for quite a number of years and even reached the number 7 ranking in the World Top Ten.
Robert was known for his serves. His serves were slamming and were always net-charging. However, Robert’s career was short. In 1946 and 1947, Robert played in the US Championships and lost both times to Kramer. He also lost to Bromwich when he played at the Wimbledon in 1949 to defend his title.
When Robert married, he moved to Brazil, became a resident and even played the Davis Cup for Brazil. Robert was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the year 1974.
