General Arthur David (Art)
Larsen
Male
United States of America
1925-04-17
Hayward , California, United States of America
2012-12-07
San Leandro , California, United States of America


About

Arthur was an American No. 1 male tennis player best remembered for his victory at the U.S. Championships in 1950 and for his eccentricities. He won the "Times" national sports award for the outstanding tennis player of 1950.
A singularly whimsical American champion, the left-handed Art “Tappy” Larsen endured some frightening army experiences during World War II. Not very serious about tennis before the war, he became a formidable and versatile player when he returned home, winning not only the U.S. National Championships but also recording triumphs at the U.S. Indoor, U.S. Hard Court and U.S. Clay Court Championships. Admired for his finesse and his tenacity, Larsen was an American original.

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, 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."

A member of the Olympic Club in San Francisco, he had 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 also known for his partying before, and during, his tournament appearances. It was frequently written that Larsen would arrive for an important match directly from an all-night party with no benefit of sleep.
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 equalled his feat.
Larsen's tennis career ended abruptly in November 1956, after a motor scooter accident in Castro Valley, California. He was partially paralyzed and lost sight in one eye. He was the Number 8 ranked American amateur at the time.
Larsen died on December 7, 2012 at the age of 87.

Larsen was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969



Media


Archive statistics 1946 - 1956
50
654
499


Tournament wins 1956 - Colorado Championship (Amateur)
1956 - Perth Amboy Invitation (Amateur)
1955 - Colorado Championship (Amateur)
1955 - Pan American Championships (Amateur)
1955 - Gstaad (ATP)
1955 - German International Championships ()
1955 - Thunderbird Invitation (Amateur)
1955 - Masters Invitation (Amateur)
1955 - Kingston International Invitation (Amateur)
1955 - Pan American Games (Amateur)
1955 - Wengen (Amateur)
1955 - Conde de Godo (ATP)
1954 - Colombia International (Amateur)
1954 - Thunderbird Invitation (Amateur)
1954 - Kingston International Invitation (Amateur)
1954 - Caribbean Championships (Amateur)
1954 - Masters Invitation (Amateur)
1954 - Caribe Hilton Championships (Amateur)
1954 - Palm Springs (Amateur)
1953 - Central California Championships (Open)
1953 - Uruguay International Championships (Amateur)
1953 - Pebble Beach Invitation (Amateur)
1953 - California State Championship (Open)
1953 - Caribe Hilton International Championships (Amateur)
1953 - Cuban Championships (Amateur)
1953 - Masters Invitation (Amateur)
1953 - US International Indoor Championships (Amateur)
1953 - Sao Paulo International (Amateur)
1953 - Parana International (Amateur)
1953 - Colombia International (Amateur)
1953 - Lima International (Open)
1952 - Utah State Championships (Amateur)
1952 - Palm Springs (Amateur)
1952 - Western States Championships (Open)
1952 - Southern California Championship (Open)
1952 - California State Championship (Open)
1952 - US Hard Courts (Open)
1952 - Nassau Bowl (Amateur)
1952 - US Clay Courts (Open)
1951 - Southern California Championship (Open)
1951 - River Oaks Tournament (WCT Circuit)
1951 - Sayonara (Amateur)
1951 - Pebble Beach Invitation (Amateur)
1950 - US Open (Grandslam)
1950 - US Hard Courts (Open)
1950 - Pacific Coast Championship (Amateur)
1950 - New South Wales Championships (Amateur)
1949 - Dallas Country Club Invitation (Amateur)
1947 - San Francisco City (Amateur)
1946 - San Francisco City (Amateur)


Tournaments Wimbledon - 1956 Monte Carlo - 1956 Roland Garros - 1956 US Open - 1956 Swiss International Championships - 1956 Paris International Championships - 1956 Colorado Championship - 1956 Pacific Coast Championship - 1956 US Clay Courts - 1956 Italian International Championships - 1956 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1956 US International Indoor Championships - 1956 Conde de Godo - 1956 Wiesbaden Championships - 1956 Palm Beach Invitation - 1956 Perth Amboy Invitation - 1956 Napoli - 1956 Lebanon International Championship - 1956 Good Neighbor Tournament - 1956 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1956 Colombia International - 1956 Bastad - 1956 Masters Invitation - 1956 Florence International - 1956 U.S. vs. Czechoslovakia - 1956 Wimbledon - 1955 Monte Carlo - 1955 Roland Garros - 1955 US Open - 1955 Colorado Championship - 1955 Pacific Coast Championship - 1955 Italian International Championships - 1955 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1955 US International Indoor Championships - 1955 Uruguay International Championships - 1955 German International Championships - 1955 Argentina International Championships - 1955 Midland Counties Championships - 1955 Conde de Godo - 1955 Wiesbaden Championships - 1955 Chilean National Championships - 1955 Pan American Championships - 1955 Napoli - 1955 Bavarian International Championships - 1955 Genoa - 1955 Wengen - 1955 Good Neighbor Tournament - 1955 Kingston International Invitation - 1955 Colombia International - 1955 Thunderbird Invitation - 1955 Masters Invitation - 1955 Gstaad - 1955 Ortisei - 1955 Brazilian International - 1955 Shadow Mountain - 1955 Pan American Games - 1955 Colombia Exhibitions - 1955 Wimbledon - 1954 Roland Garros - 1954 US Open - 1954 Miami - 1954 Newport Casino - 1954 Pacific Coast Championship - 1954 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1954 US Clay Courts - 1954 Western States Championships - 1954 Queens Club Tournament - 1954 Copenhagen - 1954 Italian International Championships - 1954 US International Indoor Championships - 1954 Uruguay International Championships - 1954 River Oaks Tournament - 1954 Lugano - 1954 Argentina International Championships - 1954 Kent Championships - 1954 Palm Beach Invitation - 1954 Palm Springs - 1954 Pan American Championships - 1954 Caribbean Championships - 1954 Caribe Hilton Championships - 1954 Good Neighbor Tournament - 1954 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1954 Kingston International Invitation - 1954 Colombia International - 1954 Thunderbird Invitation - 1954 Sao Paulo International - 1954 Masters Invitation - 1954 Lima International - 1954 Dallas Invitation - 1954 TV National Round Robin - 1954 Wimbledon - 1953 US Open - 1953 California State Championship - 1953 Pacific Coast Championship - 1953 Southern California Championship - 1953 US Clay Courts - 1953 Western States Championships - 1953 French International Covered Court Championships - 1953 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1953 US International Indoor Championships - 1953 Uruguay International Championships - 1953 Cuban Championships - 1953 Central California Championships - 1953 Palm Beach Invitation - 1953 Scandinavian Championships - 1953 Pan American Championships - 1953 Good Neighbor Tournament - 1953 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1953 Colombia International - 1953 Caribe Hilton International Championships - 1953 South American Championship - 1953 Sao Paulo International - 1953 Masters Invitation - 1953 Parana International - 1953 Lima International - 1953 Pebble Beach Invitation - 1953 San Antonio Invitation - 1953 Brazilian International - 1953 Wimbledon - 1952 US Open - 1952 Canadian International Championships - 1952 California State Championship - 1952 Nassau Bowl - 1952 Pacific Coast Championship - 1952 Southern California Championship - 1952 US Clay Courts - 1952 Utah State Championships - 1952 Western States Championships - 1952 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1952 River Oaks Tournament - 1952 Cuban Championships - 1952 Swedish International Covered Courts Championships - 1952 Palm Beach Invitation - 1952 Palm Springs - 1952 Pan American Championships - 1952 Miami Invitational - 1952 Good Neighbor Tournament - 1952 South American Championship - 1952 US Hard Courts - 1952 Sao Paulo International - 1952 San Antonio Invitation - 1952 Australian Open - 1951 Wimbledon - 1951 South Australian Championships - 1951 US Open - 1951 California State Championship - 1951 Pacific Coast Championship - 1951 Southern California Championship - 1951 US Clay Courts - 1951 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1951 River Oaks Tournament - 1951 La Jolla Tournament - 1951 Japan International Championships - 1951 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1951 US vs. Australia exhibitions - 1951 Palm Springs - 1951 USA vs. Japan Exhibition - 1951 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1951 Pebble Beach Invitation - 1951 Sayonara - 1951 Wimbledon - 1950 Roland Garros - 1950 US Open - 1950 Victorian Championships - 1950 New South Wales Championships - 1950 Newport Casino - 1950 Pacific Coast Championship - 1950 Spring Lake Invitation Tournament - 1950 US Clay Courts - 1950 Queens Club Tournament - 1950 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1950 South African Championships - 1950 Queensland Championships - 1950 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1950 West of England Championships - 1950 Palm Springs - 1950 Scandinavian Championships - 1950 Pan American Championships - 1950 US vs. Belgium Exhbition - 1950 US Hard Courts - 1950 US Open - 1949 California State Championship - 1949 Newport Casino - 1949 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1949 Southern California Championship - 1949 Sugar Bowl - 1949 US Clay Courts - 1949 Utah State Championships - 1949 La Jolla Tournament - 1949 Pan American Championships - 1949 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1949 Intercollegiate Championships - 1949 US Hard Courts - 1949 Dallas Country Club Invitation - 1949 US Open - 1948 California State Championship - 1948 Newport Casino - 1948 Pacific Coast Championship - 1948 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1948 Seabright Invitational - 1948 Sugar Bowl - 1948 US Clay Courts - 1948 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1948 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1948 Pacific Coast Championship - 1947 San Francisco City - 1947 Intercollegiate Championships - 1947 California State Championship - 1946 Pacific Coast Championship - 1946 San Francisco City - 1946

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