Wilmer Allison
Wilmer Lawson Allison, Jr. (born December 8, 1904 in San Antonio, Texas–died April 20, 1977 in Austin, Texas) was an American amateur tennis champion of the 1930s particularly known for his devastating forehand volley. Allison's career was subsequently overshadowed by the arrival of the great Don Budge, but he was both a fine singles player and, along with his frequent partner, John Van Ryn, a great doubles player.
A right-handed player, Allison's greatest triumph was winning the 1935 U.S. Championship singles at Forest Hills, defeating the top-seeded Englishman Fred Perry in the semi-finals 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 and fellow-American Sidney Wood in the finals 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. He had lost an epic match to Perry the year before 8-6 in the fifth set of the 1934 finals. Allison was ranked No. 1 in the United States for both years and World No. 4 in 1932 and 1935. At Wimbledon, Allison lost the 1930 title to Bill Tilden. As a doubles player with partner John Van Ryn, Allison won the 1929 and 1930 Wimbledon and 1935 U.S. doubles championships. Allison's last major tournament was a 1936 quarter-final loss to Bunny Austin.
At 5'11, 155 lbs., Allison played a total of 44 matches, 29 in doubles with Van Ryn, in Davis Cup for the United States, the third most of any player behind John McEnroe and Vic Seixas. He won 32 of those matches but never the cup.
At the University of Texas at Austin, Allison was the Intercollegiate tennis champion in 1927.
In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, who had a fine volley himself, devotes a page to the best tennis strokes he had ever seen. He writes: "FOREHAND VOLLEY — Wilmer Allison of Texas, who won the 1935 Forest Hills, had the best I ever saw as a kid, and I've never seen anyone since hit one better. Budge Patty came closest, then Newcombe".
George Lott, who himself won 5 U.S. doubles titles as well as 2 at Wimbledon, wrote an article in the May, 1973, issue of Tennis Magazine in which he ranked the great doubles teams and the great players. He called the team of Allison and Van Ryn the 9th best of all time.
Allison was a colonel in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II.
Allison was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1963.
Grand Slam record
Wimbledon Championships
- Doubles champion: 1929, 1930
U.S. Championships
- Singles champion: 1935
- Doubles champion: 1931, 1935
- Mixed Doubles champion: 1929, 1930