Wrenn, Robert

Robert Duffield Wrenn “Bob”
Born: September 20, 1873
Died: November 12, 1925
Hometown: Highland Park, Illinois, United States
Citizenship: United States
Handed: Left
Inducted: 1955

Grand Slam Record
U.S.     Singles     1893-94, 1896-97
Singles finalist     1895
Doubles     1895
Doubles finalist     1896

Tournament Record
Intercollegiate     Doubles     1891, 92

Davis Cup     Team Member     1903

Contributions
U.S.T.A.     President     1912-1915

A four-time U.S. singles champ, Robert Duffield Wrenn won the last of those titles in 1897 before serving in Cuba with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War. One of Bob’s comrades in arms was future champion Bill Larned. Unfortunately Wrenn contracted yellow fever during that campaign and never regained pre-war form.

He came from a prominent Chicago family of several fine athletes, and became a topflight football, baseball and tennis player at Harvard. Noted for swiftness and court coverage, a defensive star featuring devilish lobs, he was the first left-hander to win the U.S. singles. He beat Fred Hovey for the 1893 title, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, and kept it by repelling Manliffe Goodbody in the 1894 challenge round.

Hovey took it from him easily in 1895. But Bob wrested it back, 7-5, 3-6, 6-0, 1-6, 6-1, in the 1896 challenge round, and fended off the first Aussie to chase a U.S. title, Wilberforce Eaves, 4-6, 8-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, in the 1897 challenge round. War service prevented him from defending in 1898. He did team with his right-handed younger brother, George Wrenn, as the U.S. Davis Cup doubles pair in 1903 when they lost to the British Dohertys, Laurie and Reggie, 7-5, 9-7, 2-6, 6-3, the only instance of brothers clashing for the Cup.

They were the only brothers to play together for the U.S., and to rank concurrently in the U.S. Top Ten: Bob was No. 1 in 1893, 1894, 1896 and 1897, No. 8 in 1892 and 1900; George four times No. 6 during his five years up there between 1896 and 1900. Another brother, Everts, ranked No. 18 in 1896. In Bob’s last thrust for the U.S. singles title he was beaten by George in a 1900 quarterfinal, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4, the only such brotherly battle in the Championships. George then lost the all-comers, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, to Larned.

After leaving Harvard, Bob became a stockbroker in New York, and was president of the USTA from 1912 through 1915. Born September 20, 1873, in Highland Park, IL, he died November 12, 1925, and was named to the Hall of Fame in 1955.

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