Veteran's Day: Players who served

A number of players served in the military while also achieving outstanding tennis careers.

The tennis pioneer joined the Army in 1966 after graduating from UCLA (where he was part of ROTC). He completed basic training in Washington before serving as second lieutenant in the Adjutant General Corps. He then worked as a data processor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and led the tennis program there. Ashe was discharged in 1969 as a 1st lieutenant. He won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 1970.

The former No. 1 was drafted into the Army and served a two-year tour of duty from 1970-1972. He still played tennis and even helped recruit for the Army. He won his first slam at the US Open during his service in 1971 and finished 1972 at No. 1.

The first woman to serve and volley won five major titles throughout a career that saw her reach No. 1 in 1939. After her retirement, she spied on Swizz banker Hans Steinmetz, a former lover of hers who was a Nazi sympathizer, because the US Government wanted pictures of stolen artwork. The mission ended when Marble was shot in the back (she survived). Marble also served as co-chair of the Physical Fitness Program for the Office of Civilian Defense.

The creator of the Davis Cup, Dwight F. Davis won the intercollegiate singles championship of 1899 playing for Harvard. He also won three doubles titles at the US Championships (now the US Open) in 1899-1901. He served in the Army during WWI and as a lieutenant colonel he earned a Distinguished Service Cross in 1918. He continued to serve as an Assistant Secretary of War from 1923-1925, and then as the Secretary of War from 1925-1929.

After winning five major titles between 1947 and 1949, Jack Kramer served a huge role in creating modern “Open-era” tennis and he helped found the ATP, serving as the first executive director. But before all that he was in the coast guard during WWII while playing enough tennis to earn a Top 10 ranking in doubles.

Before serving as a commander in the Navy intelligence, Helen Hull Jacobs won 10 Grand Slams. She joined the WAVEs (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) division after her tennis career in 1942 (The WAVEs was an all-female division serving within the US.) After the war, she was a member of the naval reserves and returned to active duty in 1950 during the Korean War before retiring in 1968 as a commander.

Though most famous for the Battle of the Sexes in 1973 and his rigorous betting habits, Bobby Riggs had already earned the No. 1 ranking back in 1939. He won five major titles throughout his career and his second US Championships in 1940 came just before joining the military for WWII. Riggs was also a member of the 1945 league champion 14th Naval District Navy Yard Tennis Team.

Tony Trabert won seven major titles throughout his career starting in 1953. Before settling in his tennis career, he spent some time on an aircraft serving for the Navy. Even without being able to practice, Trabert won his first slam at the US Championships in 1953—the same year his service ended.