Larsen, Arthur

Arthur David Larsen “Tappy”
Born: April 17, 1925
Hometown: Hayward, California, United States
Citizenship: United States
Handed: Left
Inducted: 1969

Grand Slam Record
U.S. Singles 1950
Singles finalist 1954

Tournament Record
Italian Doubles 1955

Davis Cup Team Member 1951, 52

A sleek left-hander with splendid touch, Arthur David “Tappy” Larsen in 1950 was the first southpaw champion of the U.S. in the World War II era, the first since Johnny Doeg decades before. He battled fellow Californian Herbie Flam, in a long-shot final–they were seeded fifth and second, respectively–to win Forest Hills, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

A European-combat veteran of the U.S. Army in World War II, the 5-foot-10, 150-pound Larsen was delayed in his start in big-time tennis, making the U.S. Top Ten the first of eight successive times at No. 6 in 1949, at age 24. He was No. 1 in 1950, and ranked in the World Top Ten thrice, 1950, 1951, 1954, No. 3 the first year.

By adding the U.S. Clay and Hard Court (1952) and Indoor (1953) titles to this Forest Hills prize he became the first man to take the championships on the four surfaces. Only he and Tony Trabert have done so. Losing the French to Trabert in 1954, he was only the ninth of 15 American men to attain that final. Larsen was born April 17, 1925, in Hayward, CA and entered the Hall of Fame in 1969.

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