Jack Kramer

Jack Kramer (1918–2009) was an American tennis player and promoter who won three Grand Slam singles titles and helped establish professional tennis tours.

Pancho Gonzales: An American tennis player who dominated professional tennis in the 1950s and 1960s. Kramer recruited Gonzales to turn professional and faced him in high-profile tours.
Professional tennis: Tennis played by athletes permitted to earn money for competing. Kramer helped make professional competition a durable alternative to amateur tennis.
1947 Wimbledon Championships: The Wimbledon tournament held in 1947, won in men’s singles by Jack Kramer. Kramer’s title was his first Wimbledon singles championship.
Amateurism in tennis: The principle that tennis competitors should not receive payment for playing. Kramer’s professional tours challenged the rules that barred amateur champions from earning prize money.
Bobby Riggs: An American tennis player and promoter who won Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships. Riggs preceded Kramer as a leading professional star and later worked as a promoter.
World Championship Tennis: A professional tennis organization founded by Lamar Hunt in 1967. Kramer served as its executive director and helped shape its tour.
1948 Wimbledon Championships: The Wimbledon tournament held in 1948, won in men’s singles by Jack Kramer. Kramer defended his title before leaving amateur tennis.
Tennis Open Era: The period beginning in 1968 when professional and amateur players could compete together in major tournaments. Its unified competitions replaced the separate professional circuit Kramer had helped develop.
Don Budge: An American tennis player who completed the first recognized calendar-year Grand Slam in 1938. Budge was among the champions Kramer faced in professional tours.
National Tennis League: A professional tennis organization that managed players and staged tours before the Open Era. Kramer’s promotion and management helped sustain this pre-Open Era circuit.

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Harry HopmanCompared with: Kramer’s professional tour drew leading players away from the amateur Davis Cup teams Hopman captained.