William Augustus Larned (December 30, 1872 – December 16, 1926) was an 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 cov ...

player who was active at the beginning of the 20th century. He won seven singles titles at the U.S. National Championships.

Biography

Larned was born and raised in Summit, New Jersey on the estate of his father, William Zebedee Larned, a wealthy lawyer and a major landowner in Summit. Stoneover, the manor house in which he grew up, today houses the administrative and faculty offices of the Oak Knoll School. Larned Road in Summit honors both father and son; Brayton School in Summit was named in honor of his younger brother Brayton, who died at age 15. He came from a family that could trace its American roots to shortly after the arrival of the Mayflower. In 1890 he came to Cornell University to study mechanical engineering. He first gained fame in his junior year, when he became the first (and to this day, the only) Cornellian to win the intercollegiate tennis championship. An all-around athlete, Larned captained the

St. Nicholas Hockey Club The St. Nicholas Hockey Club is an ice hockey club from Manhattan, New York City. St. Nicholas Hockey Club played in the American Amateur Hockey League between 1896–1903 and 1905–1918 and won three championship titles, in 1907, 1914 and 1915. ...

in 1896–97 and was also a horseman, golfer, and rifle shot. He invented the steel-framed racquet in 1922 and founded a company to manufacture it. Larned won the title seven times, as did

Richard Sears Richard Sears may refer to: * Richard Warren Sears (1863–1914), founder of Sears, Roebuck and Co. * Richard Sears (pilgrim) (1595–1676), early settler of Yarmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts *Richard Sears (tennis) Richard Dudley Sears (Octobe ...

before him and

Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II (February 10, 1893 – June 5, 1953), nicknamed "Big Bill", was an American tennis player. Tilden was the world No. 1 amateur for six consecutive years, from 1920 to 1925, and was ranked as the world No. 1 professional ...

after. Larned was a member of the U.S. Davis Cup Team in 1902–03, 1905, 1908–09 and 1911–12. Larned achieved a career-high U.S. ranking of No. 1. He twice participated in the

Wimbledon Championships The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is pla ...

, in 1896 and 1905, but could not match his success at home, losing on both occasions in the quarterfinals. Larned also won other tournaments multiple times including the

Middle States Championships The Middle States Championships also known as the Middle States Sectional Championships or Championship of the Middle States was regional level tournament held at various locations from 1885 to 1968. History The spring Championship of the Middle ...

four times (1894–95, 1897, 1907), and the Longwood Challenge Bowl five times (1894, 1897, 1903–1907). He was inducted in the

International Tennis Hall of Fame The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indo ...

in 1956. Larned in 1898 had served in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

as one of Theodore Roosevelt's

Rough Riders The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and di ...

. While serving in the war, Larned caught rheumatism in Cuba;

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are inv ...

later deteriorated his health forcing him to retire from tennis after losing the Davis Cup challenge round in early 1912. Partially paralyzed by

spinal meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusi ...

, he was unable to do any of the activities he loved most, and became depressed. On the evening of December 15, 1926, inside the private chambers of the exclusive

Knickerbocker Club The Knickerbocker Club (known informally as The Knick) is a gentlemen's club in New York City that was founded in 1871. It is considered to be the most exclusive club in the United States and one of the most aristocratic gentlemen's clubs in th ...

in Manhattan, the 53-year-old Larned committed suicide by shooting himself.

Playing style

In their book ''R.F. and H.L. Doherty - On Lawn Tennis (1903)'' multiple Wimbledon champions Reginald and Laurence Doherty described Larned's playing style: ''On Lawn Tennis'' - 1903

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 9 (7 titles, 2 runners-up)

Performance timeline

Events with a challenge round: (W_C) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (F_A) all comers' finalist

References

External links

* * * *
Spanish–American War Military Service Record

Rough Rider - Cornell Magazine (Jul/Aug 1998) Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Larned, William 1872 births 1926 deaths 19th-century American people 19th-century male tennis players American male tennis players Cornell Big Red men's tennis players Sportspeople from Summit, New Jersey International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Tennis people from New Jersey United States Army soldiers United States National champions (tennis) Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's singles 1926 suicides