Hall of Fame player and tennis hero Vic Seixas needs our help

*American tennis great Vic Seixas, a pillar of the sport and Hall of Fame legend, is in need of financial assistance for mounting healthcare expenses that come with age. The former Wimbledon and US Open Champion and World War II veteran is now 95 years old and living in Northern California. Vic is faced with escalating medical costs and his many friends and fans in the tennis community are banding together to raise funds to underwrite home health care and other costly medical needs.

Vic is tennis’ oldest living Grand Slam champion. When he was asked about this unique distinction on his 95th birthday last year, he good-naturedly quipped, “Well, I’d rather be the youngest!”

Of course, longevity has always been a hallmark of Vic’s persona. He played competitively until he was nearly 50 years old and he competed in the U.S. Championships at Forest Hills a record 28 times between 1940 and 1969, winning titles in singles, doubles, and mixed. Vic’s success was buoyed by unstoppable determination more than anything else—although his stellar net game did always give him an edge. After retiring with 15 major titles to his name, Vic continued to teach tennis and stay active on court until age 75.

The players of Vic's era played for the love of the game and were instrumental in building the foundation of what we know today as professional tennis. When asked about his legacy in the sport just last year, Vic humbly remarked, “Oh, I know what I did, I know I enjoyed it and I'm very thankful that I was able to give so much of my life to tennis.”

Currently, Vic is in significant need of financial support to ensure that he is adequately cared for. A gift of any amount will be greatly appreciated and utilized; please visit* gofundme.com/vic-seixas

Thank you for helping this Hall of Famer.

Like so many tennis champions before 1968, Vic Seixas has a tendency to be forgotten. The Open era raised the sport’s profile to a level that made its past feel primitive, largely due to the proliferation of television. To many fans today, Seixas’ 1953 Wimbledon championship is simply an entry in the record books, devoid of context.

But 50 years after tennis went Open, Seixas’ accomplishments warrant a closer look. He played from 1940 to 1969, missing two years for service in World War II. His devotion to tennis never waned, especially when it came to Davis Cup, where he had another opportunity to represent his country.

“Tony Trabert and I had played [Davis Cup] for two or three years,” says Seixas, “and we lost in  1953 to Ken Rosewall and Lew Hoad. We swore up and down that were going to win the next year. We spent a whole year preparing.”

When Seixas beat Rosewall to give the U.S. a 2–0 lead they would not relent, he leapt over the net to shake hands with Rosewall. It was exactly how he celebrated his Wimbledon victory a year earlier.

“I remember the tournament like it was yesterday,” says Seixas of his 1953 Wimbledon win.

At 95, Seixas is the oldest living men’s Grand Slam champion. He won the U.S. Nationals in 1954, reached No. 3 in the world and in 1971 was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. His Hall of Fame biography begins, “It could be argued, and with factual documentation, that from 1940 to 1968 Vic Seixas was the face of American tennis.”

Even if you never saw Seixas hit a ball, his story—along with the stories of other pre-Open era champions—is worth remembering.—Ed McGrogan