Dick Stockton

Dick started playing tennis on the public courts in Garden City, Long Island when he was six years old.  Within five years, he had won his first two national titles and was the top-ranked player in the country in his age group.  By the time he exited junior tennis, he had won a total of twenty national titles, a record at the time.  He was a four-time All-American at Trinity University in Texas.  During his collegiate career, he reached the finals of the NCAA Doubles Championship, won the NCAA Singles Championship and was a member of an NCAA Division I Championship Team.  

After graduating from college, he played on the pro tour for thirteen years.  During that time frame, he won eight singles and sixteen doubles titles.  His singles results in the major championships were highlighted by semi-final showings at Wimbledon in 1974 and the French Open in 1978 as well as quarter-final appearances at the US Open in both 1976 and 1977.  He also reached the doubles semi-finals on one occasion at each of these three championships.  His two major titles were in mixed doubles, one at the US Open in 1975 and one at the French Open in 1984.  He represented the United States in Davis Cup competition five different times in the seventies and was on the team that won the Cup in 1979.  He was ranked as high as number eight in the world in 1977.  During his pro career, Dick had victories over the likes of Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, Bjorn Borg, Guillermo Vilas, Stan Smith, Ilie Nastase and Vital Gerulaitis, among others.

Dick also had a very successful senior career.  He was ranked #1 in the world in the 35-and-Over division in 1986 and #4 in 1987.  He and Tom Gullikson won the US Open 35-and-Over Doubles Championship in 1987, 1989 and 1990 and then, together, won the US Open 45-and-Over Doubles Championship in 1996, 1999 and 2000.  Dick teamed with Chilean great, Jaime Fillol, to win the 45-and-Over Doubles title at Wimbledon in 1997.

Dick was inducted into the Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990, the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996, the Trinity University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and the USTA-Eastern Section Hall of Fame in 2001.