Vic Seixas, one of the greatest players the sport of tennis has ever seen, passed away on July 5 at 100 years old, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Seixas was the 1953 Wimbledon men’s tennis champion, 1954 U.S. Open men’s champion, as well as a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.

In addition to his tennis career, he was also a World War II Army Air Corps test pilot.

Seixas began his tennis career as a weekend ball boy for his father in West Philadelphia.

It quickly became apparent that he was a natural at both baseball and tennis, later becoming a star athlete at William Penn Charter School during the 1930s.

By the time he retired from tennis in 1970, Seixas had amassed 15 major tournament championships, 56 amateur singles titles, and came very close to winning dozens of other rounds.

He also won two major singles titles, five major doubles championships, and eight major mixed-doubles titles.

“It could be argued, and with factual documentation, that, from 1940 to 1968, Vic Seixas was the face of American tennis,” the International Hall of Fame website reads.

Seixas is survived by his daughter and former wives.

Read more about Vic Seixas’ legacy on and off the tennis field in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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