Larned, William

William Augustus Larned “Bill”
Born: December 30, 1872
Died: December 16, 1926
Hometown: Summit, New Jersey, United States
Citizenship: United States
Handed: Right
Inducted: 1956

Grand Slam Record
U.S. Singles 1901-02, 1907-11
Singles finalist 1900, 03

Tournament Record
Intercollegiate Singles 1892

Davis Cup Team Member 1902-03, 1905, 1908-09, 1911

One of the Big Three of the U.S. men’s championship, William Augustus Larned won seven times, as did Dick Sears before him and Bill Tilden after. Like Tilden, he was a late achiever, 28 years old when, after failing in the final before Malcolm Whitman the previous year, he won the title in 1901 for a first time, over Beals Wright. His last, ending a five-year run, in 1911, made him the oldest male singles champ, 38.

He began playing the Championships in 1891 and in 19 years, through 1911, fell short of the semis only twice, making a 61-12 match record. He was ranked in the U.S. Top Ten 19 times, starting with No. 6 in 1892, and probably would have been there 20 straight years if he hadn’t missed the 1898 season serving with the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War. Nineteen years was a record for eight decades until topped by Jimmy Connors.

Bill, a strong-armed 5-foot-ll, 170-pounder was No. 1 eight times, tied by Connors, topped by Tilden’s 10. Three of those years his brother, Edward Larned, was also in the Top Ten, No. 6 in 1903. He was a member of five Davis Cup teams, in 1902 a Cup winner. He was a powerful groundstroker with an oppressive topspinning right-handed forehand.

Bill was born Dec. 30, 1872, in Summit, NJ and attended Cornell, for whom he won the Intercollegiate title in 1892. He committed suicide on December 16, 1926, in New York. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956.

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