Ronald "Ronnie" E. Holmberg (born January 27, 1938) is a former American

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

player who competed during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He was ranked World No. 7 in 1960 and was ranked in the U.S. Top 10 for nine years. He is currently one of the USPTA's selec
"Master Professionals"
and devotes most of his time coaching, participating and directing charity events and clinics and other tennis related projects.

Summary

* Won his first tournament at age 12 and won three out of the four possible U.S. National Boys' titles in 1953. * Won the Junior Wimbledon title in 1956. * Graduated from

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

where he was a three time All-American. Won the SEC singles twice and doubles championship three times and the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

doubles championship twice. * Was a U.S. National Championships (the US Open) Men's Singles semifinalist in 1959, a Quarter-Finalist in 1961 and a French (the

French Open The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and ven ...

) quarterfinalist in 1961. * Was ranked No. 7 in the world in 1960 and ranked in the top 10 of U.S. Men's singles for nine years. * Was selected to be a playing member of the U.S.

Davis Cup The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the organis ...

Team four times. * Played in several Blue Gray events when it was an individual competition. Won the singles championship in 1959. Captured back-to-back Blue Gray doubles titles in 1957 and 1958. * Won numerous international doubles titles with many prominent players such as Barry MacKay (in

Pancho Gonzalez Ricardo Alonso "Pancho" González (May 9, 1928 – July 3, 1995), known sometimes as Richard Gonzales, was an American tennis player. He won 15 major singles titles, including two U.S. National Singles Championships in 1948 and 1949, and 13 P ...

John Newcombe John David Newcombe AO OBE (born 23 May 1944) is an Australian former professional tennis player. He is one of the few men to have attained a world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles. At the majors, he won seven singles titles, a fo ...

Tony Roche Anthony Dalton Roche Order of Australia, AO Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 17 May 1945) is an Australian former professional tennis player. A native of Tarcutta, Roche played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagg ...

Bob Mark Robert 'Bob' Mark (28 November 1937 – 21 July 2006) was a professional tennis player from Australia. Mark won the Australian Men's Doubles title in 1959, 1960 and 1961 partnering Rod Laver. With Sandra Reynolds Sandra Reynolds Price (n ...

and

Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam singles titles. He started to play tennis at six years old. He was the first black player selected to the Unite ...

. Holmberg and Ashe were ranked No. 3 in the U.S. * After retiring from professional competition in 1971, became Head Coach of Tennis and Squash at the

U.S. Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

, West Point. * Continues to be involved in teaching tennis to this day and is widely recognized as one of the game's outstanding coaches. Member of Tennis Magazine’s “Instruction Advisory Board” which consisted of the top playing and teaching pros in the game for its duration of 19 years. * Was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall-of-Fame, the

USTA The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national governing body for tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, ...

Eastern Tennis Hall-of-Fame, Louisiana Tennis Hall-of-Fame and the

Southern Tennis Hall-of-Fame his eighth Hall of Fame * Recipient of the USPTA “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1997 for his all-around accomplishment in both playing and teaching * Received the

George Seewagen Award in 1999 for excellence in playing and service to the game

Biography

''The following biography is based on the USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame and USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductions. The original text was submitted to the

by tennis historian

Steve Flink Steve Flink is an American sports journalist and historian. Flink, who has been a columnist and editor with such magazines as ''World Tennis Magazine'', '' Tennis Week'' and ''Tennis Channel'' and published two monographs on the history of tennis, ...

and presented by him during the induction ceremony. '' In the late 1950s and ‘60s World Tennis magazine frequently paid tribute to Ron Holmberg’s tennis ability: “Holmberg can do more with a tennis ball than any other player of his era. There is no shot that is beyond his aptitude ... His touch, power and stroke making are beautiful to watch.” Indeed, the U.S. Tennis Association Official Encyclopedia of Tennis sites Holmberg as one of “the leading tennis players of his day.” He ranked among the top 10 in U.S. Men’s Singles nine times during the 1950s and 1960s, he was a semifinalist at the U.S. National Championships (the US Open), a quarter-finalist at the French (the

), won the singles title once and doubles title twice at the Canadian Open in Toronto and he won the U.S. National Indoor Doubles Championship among other titles. Steve Flink, a past editor of World Tennis said, “His record was impressive, but more importantly, Holmberg was a spectator’s delight. Ron was his own kind of player, a consummate stylist, which made him stand out. He reminded me of

Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall (born 2 November 1934) is an Australian former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player. He won a record 23 Majors in singles, including eight Grand Slam singles titles and, before the Open Era, a record ...

in that he was so effortless. He could hit winners from everywhere.” In fact, Flink remembers watching him play Rosewall in the

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

warm-up at the Queen’s Club, London, in the late ‘60s. Holmberg was down a set and 2-0, but after a rain delay, he found his timing and completely took over the match. “He was brilliant!” said Flink. Holmberg learned the game in his native Brooklyn at

Fort Greene Park Fort Greene Park is a city-owned and -operated park in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City. The park was originally named after the fort formerly located there, Fort Putnam, which itself was named for Rufus Putnam, George Washington's Chief ...

and progressed through the N.Y.C. Parks system. Tennis was merely another game to complement baseball and basketball, but his potential carried him beyond his roots into the national arena when he was 14. He met teaching pro John Nogrady, who was a tremendous help, especially with match-play strategy. During these formative years Holmberg worked closely with some of the all-time greats:

Pancho Segura Francisco Olegario Segura (June 20, 1921 – November 18, 2017), better known as Pancho "Segoo" Segura, was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. He was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, but m ...

Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore Riggs (February 25, 1918 – October 25, 1995) was an American tennis champion who was the World No. 1 amateur in 1939 and World No. 1 professional in 1946 and 1947. He played his first professional tennis match on December ...

Jack Kramer John Albert Kramer (August 1, 1921 – September 12, 2009) was an American tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s. He won three Grand Slam tournaments (the U.S. Championships in 1946 and 1947, Wimbledon in 1947). He led the U.S. Davis Cup tennis ...

and

Emmett Paré J. Emmett Paré (January 24, 1907 – October 1973), was an American tennis player in the early part of the 20th century and the tennis coach at Tulane University who played his college tennis at Georgetown University, and was one of the early s ...

’, all top playing professionals who took him under their wing and remained good friends throughout his career to the present. In 1953, at age 15, Ron won three out of the four U.S. National Boys’ titles and in 1954, played in his first U.S. National Men’s Championships at Forest Hills ( US Open). Attaining a top junior ranking in the United States, Holmberg was highly recruited and wound up taking his powerful serve and volley game to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

and Coach

’ at

. Winner of Junior Wimbledon Singles in 1956, he was named All-American three successive years and twice won the

Doubles Championship, prior to graduation from Tulane University. While at Tulane, he was the SEC Singles Champion in 1958 and 1959 and the SEC Doubles Champion in ’57, ’58 and ’59 with Crawford Henry and Lester Sack. In 1956 Holmberg began a string of appearances at the Men’s Sugar Bowl Tennis Classic in New Orleans that lasted nearly two decades. During that time he won twelve singles and doubles titles. A former playing member of the U.S.

Team, Holmberg was ranked No. 7 in the world in 1960 and in the “Top Ten” in U.S. Men’s Singles for nine years. Ron also won numerous international doubles titles with many prominent partners such as Barry MacKay (in

, and

(Holmberg and Ashe were ranked # 3 in the U.S.). Ron spent nineteen years on the “International Circuit” and in 1971 retired from professional competition to become Head Coach of Tennis and Squash at the

, West Point and served as President of the Eastern Collegiate Tennis Coaches Association. Holmberg owned and operated The Ron Holmberg Tennis Camps, which were among the premiere tennis camps in the United States from 1971 to 1989. Today Holmberg has an international reputation as one of the game’s outstanding coaches and is currently one of the USPTA's selec
"Master Professionals"
. “Teaching is terrific, as is coaching”, says Holmberg. “It’s fun to work with a group when everybody enjoys being there ... I do not choose to teach people strictly on ability, but on their desire to learn. For this reason all my lessons are enjoyable.” Holmberg’s teaching reflects his approach to life. “Ron is a direct person and uncompromising in his principles”, says one former student, “but he’s also carefree.” Holmberg’s personality comes across on the tennis court. He talks about the game in very precise terms, yet he believes players should spend time just fooling around on the court (other than practice). He feels that players who do that love the game and learn to be creative. The Holmberg philosophy: “Hit the ball as hard as you can and as close to the lines as you can, but don’t miss!” Holmberg is a member of the ATP, USPTA and

. Year-round he directs Junior Development programs and pro/celebrity tournaments ... conducts corporate outings ... teaches and coaches regional, national and international tournament players ... and conducts clinics and workshops for professional coaches and teachers. Ron also participates in, helps and directs numerous charity events. Ron, a member of the prestigious “Instruction Advisory Board of Tennis Magazine” for its nineteen-year duration, was also director of the Bob Griese / Jerry Lewis Pro-Celebrity Tennis Tournament for Muscular Dystrophy. Holmberg, a member of the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame, the Tulane Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame and the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame, was elected in 2011 into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, his eighth Hall of Fame. He is one of the USPTA's selec
"Master Professionals"
In 1997 Ron was recipient of the USPTA “Lifetime Achievement Award” which signifies all-around accomplishment in both playing and teaching. In 1999 Holmberg received the

“George Seewagen Award” which signifies excellence in playing and service to the game. In 2010 he became Chairman of The Louisiana Tennis Patrons Foundation. In 2015 Ron participated in his 65 consecutive year at the U.S. Open Tennis Championships ... having played in the event from 1953 to 1972 ... a remarkable twenty years. Holmberg has resided in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

since his playing days at Tulane, with stints in both

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

and

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. He also maintains a home – “Match Point Acres” in

Cornwall-on-Hudson Cornwall-on-Hudson is a riverfront village in the town of Cornwall, Orange County, New York, United States. It lies on the west bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of New York City. The population as of the 2010 census was 3,018. It ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, with his wife, Sylvia. Holmberg worked as an

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

broadcaster over a three-year period beginning in 1981.

Career highlights

* Junior Wimbledon Singles champion in 1956 * Intercollegiate highlights while at Tulane University: :* All-American (first team) (1957, 1958, 1959) :*

Doubles champion with Crawford Henry (1957, 1959) :* SEC Singles champion (1958, 1959), :* SEC Doubles champion with Crawford Henry (1957, 1959), with Lester Sack (1958) * U.S. National Championships (the US Open) Men's Singles semifinalist (1959) * U.S. National Championships (the US Open) Men's Singles quarterfinalist (1961) * French Championships (the

) Men's Singles quarterfinalist (1961) * U.S. National Indoor Doubles Championships, Champion 1961 with Chris Crawford, finalist 1962 with

Whitney Reed Whitney Reed (August 20, 1932 – January 9, 2015) was a former U.S. No. 1 tennis player from the United States who was active in the 1950s and 1960s. Reed was ranked No. 1 amateur in the United States in 1961 and was ranked in the U.S. amateur ...

* Played in several Blue Gray events when it was an individual competition. In 1959, won the singles championship. In 1957 and 1958, captured back-to-back Blue Gray doubles titles. * Selected as a playing member to the U.S.

Team four times *

Rogers Cup The Canadian Open (french: Tournoi de tennis du Canada), also known as the Canada Masters, and currently branded as the National Bank Open presented by Rogers for sponsorship reasons, is an annual tennis tournament held in Ontario and Quebec. T ...

: 1965 Canadian Championships Singles champion *

: 1965 Canadian Championships Doubles champion with Lester Sack *

: 1969 Canadian Open Doubles champion with

Los Angeles Open The Genesis Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in southern California, first played in 1926 as the Los Angeles Open. Other previous names include Genesis Open, Northern Trust Open and Nissan Open. Played annually i ...

: 1969 Doubles champion with

* Ranked in the U.S. "Top Ten" nine times ( 1957 : No 6, 1959 : No 4, 1960 : No 7, 1961 : No 7, 1964 : No 6, 1965 : No 9, 1966 : No 6, 1967 : No 6, 1968 : No 6 )

Junior Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1

Awards and honors

* Inducted into the USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990 * Inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993 * Recipient of the USPTA “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1997 for his all-around accomplishment in both playing and teaching * Received the

George Seewagen Award in 1999 for excellence in playing and service to the game * Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006 * Chairman of the

Tennis Patrons Foundation * Member of the USPTA select "Master Professionals" * Inducted into the 2007 Blue Gray National Tennis Classic Hall of Fame * Inducted into the

Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011 * Inducted into the Brooklyn Hall of Fame in 2012 * Inducted into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980 * Inducted into Who’s Who at Tulane University in 1960 * Inducted into the

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School is a private, Roman Catholic, co-educational, college-preparatory high school located at 357 Clermont Avenue in the Ft. Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The school serves students in grades 9 throu ...

Hall of Fame in 1991 * Inducted into

Catholic High School Athletic Association The Catholic High School Athletic Association or CHSAA is a high school athletic association made up of Catholic high schools based in New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Buffalo. It is the largest Catholic high school athletic league in ...

(CHSAA) Sports Hall of Fame

Books and magazines

* As a member of the “Instruction Advisory Board" of Tennis Magazine for nineteen years he was featured in the "Classic Instruction Series from Tennis Magazine" which included the following three books: "Tennis Strokes & Strategies", "Tennis: How to Play, How to Win", and "Teach Yourself Tennis!"

Articles

* Life Magazine "A Tennis Future in Kids" * New York Magazine "How to Play Tennis with Rod Laver and Other Hot-Shots" * Sports Illustrated "Scorecard" * Sports Illustrated "An Absence Of Homebreds" * Sports Illustrated "...these Faces In The Crowd..." * Sports Illustrated "Great Scott! Gene Won Another One" * Sports Illustrated "Tennis without Trabert" * nola.com "Ron Holmberg selected to Southern Tennis Association Hall of Fame" * City Park Tennis Club of New Orleans "2011 Interview with Ron Holmberg"

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holmberg, Ronald American male tennis players People from Fort Greene, Brooklyn Sportspeople from New Orleans People from Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York Tennis commentators Tennis people from New York (state) Wimbledon junior champions 1938 births Living people Tulane University alumni Tulane Green Wave men's tennis players Grand Slam (tennis) champions in boys' singles Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School alumni