Charles Robert McKinley, Jr. “Chuck”
Born: January 05, 1941
Died: August 10, 1986
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Citizenship: United States
Handed: Right
Inducted: 1986
Grand Slam Record
Wimbledon Singles 1963
Singles finalist 1961
U.S. Doubles 1961, 63-64
Doubles finalist 1962
Tournament Record
Davis Cup Team Member 1960-65
Charles McKinley was a tough little guy who hustled every minute and died tragically of a brain tumor shortly after learning, in 1986, that he had been named to the Hall of Fame. But he had achieved his utmost tennis goals, both in 1963–winning Wimbledon, and leading the U.S. to the Davis Cup with a 3-2 victory over the holder, Australia, at Adelaide.
A stubby, chesty, 5-foot-9 Missourian, he learned to play at a St. Louis YMCA, where he was already proficient at table tennis. He was a crowd-wowing player, hurling himself about the court, leaping for smashes at which he was expert since so many opponents tried to lob him. Although favored to win the U.S. Intercollegiate title in 1963 for Trinity in San Antonio, Chuck obtained permission from the college president to go for the larger prize, Wimbledon, and, seeded fourth, came through without losing a set or–luck of the draw–without facing a seeded opponent. He beat Fred Stolle in the final, 9-7, 6-1, 6-4, showing that despite limited stature he could serve and volley with anyone.
Curiously, seeded eighth, he had opposed no other seeds in making his first Wimbledon splash in 1961, until losing the final to second-seeded Rod Laver in straight sets. As the defender in 1964, he was paid back by Stolle in a four-set semi, 4-6, 10-8, 9-7, 6-4. As the left-court player, he blended splendidly with Dennis Ralston in three U.S. doubles championships, 1961, 1963 and 1964. They beat Mexico’s Rafe Osuna and Tonio Palafox the first two times, McKinley serving out of two match points in the exciting 11-9 fifth set in 1963.
During the long Cup campaign of 1963 he won six of eight singles, all four doubles matches with Ralston. The Cup round was McKinley’s tour de force although he lost to Roy Emerson the first day. He and Ralston got the go-ahead point over Emerson and Neale Fraser, but after Ralston lost to Emerson on the third day it “was up to me. That’s the way I wanted it, the Cup riding on one match.”
It was a rare position for an American. None had (or has since) come through in the Cup deciding fifth match. McKinley did, despite being down a service break in the fourth to the thunder-serving Aussie rookie John Newcombe, 10-12, 6-2, 9-7, 6-2, as the Memorial Drive stadium rocked with patriotic fervor for Newc. The following year, however, in Cleveland, McKinley couldn’t repeat, losing the decisive fifth to Emerson, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, as Australia regained the Cup, 3-2.
More intent on getting a college degree and establishing himself in business, McKinley resisted professional offers, and his career was relatively brief without a great deal of international play. He was ranked seven successive years in the U.S. Top Ten from 1960, No. 1 in 1962 and 1963, and four times in the World Top Ten from 1961, No. 2 in 1963. The U.S. title eluded him, although he was a semifinalist three straight years, 1962-64, losing to champs Osuna in 1963, 6-4, 6-4, 10-8, and Emerson in 1962, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, and in 1964, 6-4, 11-9, 6-4. He was born January 5, 1941, in St. Louis, and died August 10, 1986, in Dallas.
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