Kramer, Jack

Jack Kramer, byname of John Albert Kramer, (born Aug. 1, 1921, Las Vegas, Nev., U.S.—died Sept. 12, 2009, Los Angeles, Calif.), American champion tennis player who became a successful promoter of professional tennis.

Kramer was selected to represent the United States in the 1939 Davis Cup doubles against Australia. However, in spite of an excellent record in the United States, he was not considered a major world-class player until 1947, when he won the Wimbledon singles; he was men’s doubles winner at Wimbledon in 1946 and 1947. He also won the U.S. singles (1946–47), men’s doubles (1940–41, 1943, 1947), and mixed doubles (1941) and was on the winning Davis Cup team in 1946.

After he turned professional in October 1947, Kramer beat then-champion Bobby Riggs in a series of matches across the United States. He won the 1948 U.S. pro championship. Bothered by an arthritic back from 1952, Kramer became a promoter known for the high quality of the matches he arranged and for inducing many amateur champions to turn professional. As open tennis began in 1968, due in large part to his efforts, Kramer played a major role in setting up the Grand Prix, a series of tournaments leading to a Masters championship, with prize money shared by top players, first played in 1970. He played a large role in the organization of the Association of Tennis Professionals, a union for men players, and became its first executive director in 1972. Kramer also worked as a television analyst and authored several books, including the autobiography The Game: My 40 Years in Tennis (1979; cowritten with Frank Deford). He was named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1968.