Art Larsen

Art Larsen
Larsen in 1951
Full nameArthur David Larsen
Country (sports) United States
Born(1925-04-17)April 17, 1925
Hayward, California, United States
DiedDecember 7, 2012(2012-12-07) (aged 87)
San Leandro, California, United States
Turned pro1948 (amateur tour)
Retired1956
PlaysLeft-handed (1-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF1969 (member page)
Singles
Career record497-156
Career titles47
Highest rankingNo. 3 (1950, John Olliff)[1]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenSF (1951)
French OpenF (1954)
WimbledonQF (1950, 1951, 1953)
US OpenW (1950)
Medal record
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1955 Mexico City Men's Singles

Arthur David "Art" or "Tappy" Larsen (April 17, 1925 – December 7, 2012) was a U.S. tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s.

He was the world No. 3 tennis player in the rankings by John Olliff and Pierre Gillou for 1950 and the U.S. No. 1 male tennis player in the USLTA rankings for 1950. He won the "Times" national sports award for the outstanding tennis player of 1950.

Larsen was ranked among the world top ten male tennis players in expert rankings for 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1954.

Larsen was the first player to win all of the USLTA (USTA) national tennis titles, the U.S. Open (grass), the U.S. Clay Court (clay), the U.S. Hardcourt (cement), and the U.S. National Indoor (indoor). Larsen was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969.

He is most remembered for his victory at the U.S. Championships in 1950 and for his personal eccentricities.

  1. ^ United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 426.