William Larned

William Larned was an American tennis player who was active at the beginning of the 20th century. He won a record seven singles titles at the U.S. National Championships, a feat shared only by Richard Sears and Bill Tilden.

He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1956.

Player Profile and Personal Life

William Augustus Larned was born and raised in Summit, New Jersey, United States of America.

He came from a family that could trace its roots to America shortly after the arrival of the Mayflower. He was a student at Cornell University.

He was a multi-talented athlete who also captained a hockey team and was a golfer and horseman. Larned served as a Rough Rider with Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War.

He retired from tennis due to health issues and sadly took his own life on December 16, 1926.

Professional Career

Larned won seven singles titles at the U.S. National Championships.

He was a member of the U.S. Davis Cup Team on multiple occasions and won the Cup with his team in 1902. He achieved a career-high U.S. ranking of No. 1. He also twice participated in the Wimbledon Championships, reaching the quarterfinals on both occasions.

Larned invented the steel-framed tennis racquet in 1922 and founded a company to manufacture it.

Career Record

Singles

• Career record: 291–71 (80.3%)
• Career titles: 48
• Highest ranking: No. 1 (1901)

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Wimbledon: QF (1896, 1905)
• US Open: W (1901, 1902, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911)

Doubles

Best Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• Wimbledon: SF (1905)
• US Open: QF (1900, 1901, 1903, 1904)

Mixed Doubles

Best Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Performances

• US Open: F (1912)

Team competitions

• Davis Cup: W (1902)