Arthur David "Art" or "Tappy" Larsen (April 17, 1925 – December 7, 2012) was an American No. 1 male tennis player best remembered for his victory at the U.S. Championships in 1950 and for his eccentricities.[2] He won the "Times" national sports award for the outstanding tennis player of 1950.[3] Larsen was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969.[4]

Art Larsen

Larsen in 1951
Full name	Arthur David Larsen
Country (sports)	United States
Born	(1925-04-17)April 17, 1925 Hayward, California, United States
Died	December 7, 2012(2012-12-07) (aged 87) San Leandro, California, United States
Turned pro	1948 (amateur tour)
Retired	1956
Plays	Left-handed (1-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	1969 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 3 (1950, John Olliff)[1]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (1951)
French Open	F (1954)
Wimbledon	QF (1950, 1951, 1953)
US Open	W (1950)
Medal record Pan American Games 1955 Mexico City Men's Singles

Biography

Jack Kramer, tennis player and long-time promoter, stated in his 1979 autobiography that "Larsen was fascinating to watch. He had concentrated on tennis as mental therapy after serving long stretches in the front lines during (World War II). He was called Tappy because he went around touching everything for good luck,[5] and sometimes he would chat with an imaginary bird that sat on his shoulder. This was good theatre, but it could never have made Larsen a candidate for a professional tour."[6]

John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph ranked Larsen as World No. 3 in 1950.[1]

A member of the Olympic Club in San Francisco, he previously attended the University of San Francisco, where he was a member of the 1949 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship team. He was 5 feet 10 inches and 150 pounds and was known for his partying before and during his tournament appearances. It frequently was written that Larsen would arrive for an important match directly from an all-night party with no benefit of sleep.[7]

He was the first man to win the American amateur championships on the four court surfaces that existed at the time, grass, clay, hardcourt, and indoor. Since then, only Tony Trabert has equaled his feat.

Larsen's tennis career ended abruptly in November 1956 after a motor scooter accident in Castro Valley, California. He partially was paralyzed and lost sight in one eye. He was the no. 8 ranked American amateur at the time.

Larsen died on December 7, 2012 at the age of 87.[8]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1950	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Herbie Flam	6–3, 4–6, 5–7, 6–4, 6–3
Loss	1954	French Championships	Clay	Tony Trabert	4–6, 5–7, 1–6

Grand Slam tournament performance timeline

Singles

References

Sources

• The Game, My 40 Years in Tennis (1979), Jack Kramer with Frank Deford (ISBN 0-399-12336-9)

External links

• Art Larsen at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Art Larsen at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Art Larsen at the International Tennis Federation
• Art Larsen at the Davis Cup

На других языках

[es] Arthur Larsen