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Tempe, AZ – It is with great sadness that the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) shares the news of the passing of Vic Seixas, a 1984 ITA Collegiate Tennis Men’s Hall of Fame inductee and a 15-time Grand Slam Champion.
As a decorated player at the William Penn Charter School, Seixas decided to put college and his tennis career on hold and serve his country upon graduation. Seixas served three years as a pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was stationed in the Pacific.
After serving his country, Seixas decided to obtain an education and invest in his tennis career. He enrolled at the University of North Carolina. He had a decorated college tennis career, highlighted by a Southern Conference singles championship in 1948, a doubles championship in 1949, and selection as an All-American.
Finishing his time in Chapel Hill in 1949, Seixas achieved a career singles record of 63-3 at North Carolina. He was inducted into the ITA Hall of Fame in 1984 to honor his lasting legacy left on our sport.
Continuing his tennis career full-time after graduating from North Carolina, Seixas was proclaimed the “face of American tennis.” He had an incredible streak of U.S. National / Open tournament appearance from 1946 to 1969. Seixas achieved a U.S. record for most consecutive years played, a record that he still holds today.
Seixas appeared in an astounding 44 Grand Slams throughout his career, winning 15 Grand Slam titles, two in men’s singles, five in men’s doubles, and eight in mixed doubles. He held the U.S. No. 1 ranking for three years from 1954-57 while holding a top ten ranking in the U.S. for 13 years.
Seixas left an indelible mark by well competing for the U.S. at Davis Cup ties. Seixas had a 38-17 lifetime record in David Cup matches. He played a critical role in winning the 1954 Davis Cup final against Australia. Seixas also served as a team captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team on three separate occasions.
Upon retirement, Seixas spent time as a stockbroker before returning to his passion, tennis, as a tennis director. Seixas also served as the Head Referee at the 1982 and 1983 ITA Men’s National Intercollegiate Indoor Singles and Doubles Championships, where David Pate (TCU ’82) and Ted Farnsworth (Princeton, ’83) went on to win singles titles.
Sexias was a wonderful and humble man. He enjoyed the respect and affection of the tennis world and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971.
About the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame aspire to preserve and celebrate the history and further the development of intercollegiate tennis through the collection of historic memorabilia and with inductions of notable players, coaches, and contributors.
About the ITA – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches association of college tennis, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. Comprised of 1,260 colleges and universities, 20,000 student-athletes, 1,700 varsity programs, 3,000 coaches, and 1,350 college tennis officials, the ITA empowers college tennis coaches at all levels to deliver vibrant tennis programs that are vital to their college communities and transformational to their student-athletes. Follow the 2023-24 college tennis season on the ITA website and ITA social channels on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
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