Grant Golden (tennis)

Grant Golden (August 21, 1929 – December 15, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois) was an American amateur tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s. Golden was ranked in the U.S. top 10 in singles in 1953, 1956, and 1957, and was ranked # 2 in the U.S. in doubles in 1953.[2]

For the college basketball player, see Grant Golden (basketball).

Grant Golden
Full nameGrant Golden
Country (sports) United States
Born(1929-08-21)August 21, 1929
Chicago, Illinois
Died(2018-12-15)December 15, 2018
(aged 89)
Glenview, Illinois
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Career record209-103
Career titles17
Grand Slam singles results
French Open2R (1952)
Wimbledon4R (1952)
US Open4R (1956, 1958)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon2R (1952, 1953)[1]
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon2R (1952)[1]
Team competitions
Davis CupF (1957Ch)
Grant Golden
Medal record
Representing  United States
Maccabiah Games
Men's tennis
Gold medal – first place1953 IsraelMen's Singles
Gold medal – first place1953 IsraelMen's Doubles
Gold medal – first place1953 IsraelMixed Doubles

Early and personal life

Golden, the son of Sophie and Abe Golden, was Jewish.[3][4] His wife was Karyl (nee Gesmer) Golden.[4]

He was awarded the Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant for Meritorious Service, Far East Command, U.S. Army.[4]

Tennis career

Golden played collegiate tennis from 1948 to 1951 at Northwestern University, where he was Big Ten Conference singles and doubles champion in 1950, and named an All American.[5] He earned his doubles title with Bill Landin. He won the Illinois State Singles Championship 13 times, and the Western Indoor Singles Championship 10 consecutive times.[5]

Golden won the United States National Indoor Doubles championship in 1957 and 1958, and the United States National Clay Court Doubles championship in 1952, 1953, and 1959.[6]

At the Cincinnati Masters, Golden won three consecutive doubles titles: in 1956 (with Bernard Bartzen), in 1957 (with Bill Quillian), and in 1958 (with Bartzen). He also reached the doubles final in 1951 (with Hugh Stewart) and in 1959 (with Whitney Reed).

In singles in Cincinnati, he was a finalist in 1957 (losing to Bartzen); a semifinalist in 1951 (losing to Tony Trabert), 1952, and 1956; and a quarterfinalist in 1949. He also reached the round of 16 in 1950 (losing 8–10 in the final set to Ham Richardson), and in 1958.

Davis Cup

Golden was 2–1 in Davis Cup play in 1957.[5]

Maccabiah Games

Golden, who was Jewish,[2][7] competed in the 1953 Maccabiah Games in Israel, winning gold medals in men's singles (over South African Davis Cup player Syd Levy), men's doubles with partner Pablo Eisenberg, and mixed doubles with partner Anita Kanter.[8][5][9]

Halls of Fame

Golden was inducted into the Northwestern University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.[10]

Grant was also inducted into the USTA Midwest Section Hall of Fame.[11]

He was inducted in 2014 into the Chicago Tennis Hall of Fame.[5]

See also

References
  1. Wimbledon Results Archive
  2. Greenberg, Martin Harry (September 21, 1979). The Jewish Lists: Physicists and Generals, Actors and Writers, and Hundreds of Other Lists of Accomplished Jews. Schocken Books. ISBN 9780805237115 – via Google Books.
  3. "Jewish Post 28 June 1957 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov.
  4. "Grant Golden (1929 - 2018) - Obituary". legacy.com.
  5. "Grant Golden".
  6. "Golden, Grant". Jews in Sports. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  7. Wechsler, Bob (September 21, 2008). Day by Day in Jewish Sports History. KTAV Publishing House, Inc. ISBN 9780881259698 – via Google Books.
  8. "28 June 1957". Jewish Post.
  9. "GOLDEN AND LEVY IN TEL AVIV FINAL; American Beats Dr. Geller in Maccabiah Tennis as South African Tops Eisenberg". The New York Times.
  10. "Northwestern University Official Athletic Site - Athletics". Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  11. "USTA Midwest Section - USTA/Midwest Section Hall of Fame Members". May 29, 2007. Archived from the original on May 29, 2007.
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