Fred Perry

Fred Perry (1909-1995), British tennis player, one of the most celebrated British athletes of the 20th century, who became famous for his powerful forehand shot, which he often hit while running forward. Born in Stockport, Perry was educated at Ealing County School. He first gained fame playing table tennis. At age 20 he became the world singles champion. He transferred his expertise to lawn tennis and modeled his techniques on those of French tennis player Henri Cochet.

In 1933 Perry defeated Cochet in a five-set match in the final round of Davis Cup competition, leading Britain to its first Davis Cup victory since 1912. He also played from 1934 to 1936 on Britain's successful Davis Cup teams, winning all of his final-round singles matches during those years. In 1934 he won the men's singles title at Wimbledon, becoming the first British man to do so since Arthur Gore in 1909. Perry repeated his victory at Wimbledon in 1935 and 1936. He also won the men's singles titles at the United States championships in 1933, 1934, and 1936; at the Australian championships in 1934; and at the French championships in 1935. He was the first men's player to win all four major championships.

In 1936 Perry turned professional, and in 1938 he became an American citizen. During World War II (1939-1945), he served in the U.S. Air Force. After the war he became a businessman, and he did radio broadcasts from the Wimbledon tournament for many years.