| Born on February 10, 1883, American William | | | | was the greatest player that ever lived. There |
| Tilden II or "Big Bill" Tilden, as he was more | | | | has never been a single player who dominated an |
| popularly known, was the first great tennis | | | | entire era of tennis as Tilden had during his prime. |
| superstar. He was the number one player in the | | | | For seven straight years in the 1920s, he never |
| world for seven years and reigned the courts until | | | | lost a single important match, especially when the |
| the age of 38. | | | | Davis Cup was at stake. He claimed the United |
| Tilden was the most dominant tennis player in the | | | | States amateur championship six times in |
| world in the 1920s and 1930s and is now | | | | succession and seven times overall. He also led |
| considered by many as the single most influential | | | | the United States to seven consecutive Davis |
| person in the history of the sport. His raw physical | | | | Cup victories from 1920 to 1926, a record that is |
| power and unbelievable skill and quickness on the | | | | still unmatched today. |
| tennis court did much to change the image of | | | | A stunning revelation surfaced later on that added |
| tennis from that of a "sissy" country-club sport | | | | even more mystique to the Tilden legend. It was |
| played by rich white people in long white pants to | | | | revealed that during the mid-1920s, Tilden's middle |
| that of a major sport played by world-class | | | | finger on his playing hand had become infected |
| athletes. | | | | and was subsequently amputated. But he still kept |
| In 1920s America, sports was a huge thing for | | | | on playing and still kept on winning after that. |
| the public and Tilden was one of five sports | | | | Today, Tilden is not that widely remembered |
| figures who loomed as larger-than-life superstars | | | | despite his almost iconic renown. But in his prime, |
| at the time. The others were baseball's Babe | | | | he was a flamboyant character who was always |
| Ruth, football's Red Grange, golf's Bobby Jones | | | | in the public eye, even acting in some movies and |
| and boxing's Jack Dempsey | | | | stage plays. In 1950, an Associated Press poll |
| From 1920 to 1955, except for an extended | | | | named Bill Tilden as the greatest tennis player of |
| period in the 1950s, Tilden thoroughly dominated | | | | the half-century by a wide margin. |
| tennis in a manner that left little doubt that he | | | | |