General William Donald (Don)
McNeill
Male
United States of America
1918-04-30
Chickasha, Oklahoma, United States of America
1995-11-28
Vero Beach, Florida, United States of America


About

W. Donald McNeill, pictured above on the right, was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, in 1918. He was the No. 1-ranked American in 1940 and was an all-court player, as agile at the net as he was powerful from the backcourt, especially on the backhand side. He was ranked among the top 10 American players six times in the 1930's and 40's and was ranked number 4 in the world in 1940.

He scored a grand slam double at the 1939 French Championships becoming the first American after Don Budge to win the French, taking the men's singles title in straight sets over Bobby Riggs, and the doubles title with his partner, Charles Harris, over the legendary French pair of Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon. And on the grass at Forest Hills, he added the 1944 United States doubles crown, with Robert Falkenburg.

But 1940 was his banner year: he not only won the United States Open title by rallying from two sets down to unseat Bobby Riggs, the two-time defending champion, 4-6, 6-8, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, but he also won the National Intercollegiate Singles Championships for Kenyon College of Ohio, where he graduated in 1940.

His tennis career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as an assistant naval attaché in Buenos Aires.

He was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1965.

Following his military service, he began a three-decade career as an advertising executive in New York City. Don McNeill was arguably the best tennis player ever from Oklahoma.



Media


Archive statistics 1936 - 1968
39
409
315


Tournament wins 1953 - Coral Beach Club Invitation (Open)
1952 - Buffalo Indoor (Open)
1950 - Coral Beach Club Invitation (Open)
1950 - US International Indoor Championships (Amateur)
1947 - Coral Beach Club Invitation (Open)
1946 - New York State Clay Courts (Amateur)
1946 - Eastern Grass Court Championships (Amateur)
1946 - Buffalo Indoor (Open)
1943 - Argentina International Championships (Open)
1943 - River Plate Championships (Amateur)
1942 - Argentina International Championships (Open)
1941 - Argentina International Championships (Open)
1941 - Newport Casino (Amateur)
1940 - Southampton Invitation (Long Island) (Amateur)
1940 - Illinois State Championship (Open)
1940 - Intercollegiate Championships (Amateur)
1940 - Brazilian International (Amateur)
1940 - Argentina International Championships (Open)
1940 - US Open (Grandslam)
1940 - Coral Beach Club Invitation (Open)
1940 - US Clay Courts (Open)
1940 - New York State Championships (Open)
1940 - Maryland State Championships (Amateur)
1940 - Newport Casino (Amateur)
1939 - Northwest India (Amateur)
1939 - Roland Garros (Grandslam)
1939 - Lausanne Sports (Amateur)
1939 - Sugar Bowl (Open)
1939 - Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) (Open)
1939 - Baroda (Amateur)
1939 - Karachi (Open)
1939 - Ajmer (Amateur)
1939 - International Championships of Egypt - Cairo (Open)
1939 - United Provinces Tournament (Amateur)
1938 - East India (Amateur)
1938 - US International Indoor Championships (Amateur)
1938 - Seigniory Club Tournament (Amateur)
1937 - Queens County Clay Court Championships (Amateur)
1936 - Ohio Valley (Amateur)


Tournaments Bermuda Championships - 1968 Caribbean Championships - 1957 Caribe Hilton Championships - 1957 Caribbean Championships - 1955 Caribe Hilton Championships - 1955 Bermuda Championships - 1953 Coral Beach Club Invitation - 1953 US Open - 1952 Bermuda Championships - 1952 US International Indoor Championships - 1952 Coral Beach Club Invitation - 1952 Buffalo Indoor - 1952 Spring Lake Invitation Tournament - 1951 US International Indoor Championships - 1951 US Open - 1950 Bermuda Championships - 1950 Eastern Clay Court Championships - 1950 US International Indoor Championships - 1950 New York State Championships - 1950 Coral Beach Club Invitation - 1950 Buffalo Indoor - 1950 Bermuda Championships - 1949 Eastern Clay Court Championships - 1949 US International Indoor Championships - 1949 New York State Championships - 1949 New York Clay Courts - 1949 New Jersey State Championships - 1948 New York State Championships - 1948 Coral Beach Club Invitation - 1948 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1947 Coral Beach Club Invitation - 1947 Buffalo Indoor - 1947 US Open - 1946 Eastern Clay Court Championships - 1946 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1946 Spring Lake Invitation Tournament - 1946 US International Indoor Championships - 1946 New Jersey State Championships - 1946 New York State Clay Courts - 1946 Buffalo Indoor - 1946 US Open - 1944 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1944 River Plate Championships - 1943 Argentina International Championships - 1943 Argentina International Championships - 1942 US Open - 1941 Newport Casino - 1941 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1941 Seabright Invitational - 1941 Southern Championships - 1941 US Clay Courts - 1941 Western States Championships - 1941 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1941 US International Indoor Championships - 1941 Dixie Championships - 1941 Argentina International Championships - 1941 Florida State Championship - 1941 New York State Championships - 1941 Triple A - 1941 United States vs. Argentina Exhibition - 1941 US Open - 1940 Bermuda Championships - 1940 Illinois State Championship - 1940 Newport Casino - 1940 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1940 US Clay Courts - 1940 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1940 US International Indoor Championships - 1940 Uruguay International Championships - 1940 Dixie Championships - 1940 Maryland State Championships - 1940 Fox River Valley Championship - 1940 Argentina International Championships - 1940 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1940 New York State Championships - 1940 Coral Beach Club Invitation - 1940 Fluminese Club - 1940 United States vs. Argentina Exhibition - 1940 Intercollegiate Championships - 1940 Brazilian International - 1940 Wimbledon - 1939 Roland Garros - 1939 US Open - 1939 Newport Casino - 1939 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1939 Seabright Invitational - 1939 Sugar Bowl - 1939 International Championships of Egypt - Cairo - 1939 International Championships of Egypt-Alexandria - 1939 Wiesbaden Championships - 1939 Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) - 1939 Baroda - 1939 Karachi - 1939 Ajmer - 1939 Team Matches - Egypt - 1939 U.S. vs. Sweden Exhibition - 1939 U.S. vs Finland Exhibition - 1939 U.S. vs. Norway Exhibition - 1939 U.S. vs. Netherlands Exhibition - 1939 U.S. vs. Germany Exhibition - 1939 Northwest India - 1939 Eastern Mediterranean Championships - 1939 Lausanne Sports - 1939 United Provinces Tournament - 1939 US Open - 1938 Bermuda Championships - 1938 Missouri Valley Championships - 1938 Newport Casino - 1938 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1938 US Clay Courts - 1938 US International Indoor Championships - 1938 Seigniory Club Tournament - 1938 Pennsylvania Clay Courts - 1938 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1938 East India - 1938 New York State Championships - 1938 USA vs. Japan Exhibition - 1938 US Open - 1937 Delaware state Grass court championship - 1937 Eastern Clay Court Championships - 1937 Newport Casino - 1937 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1937 Seabright Invitational - 1937 Spring Lake Invitation Tournament - 1937 Sugar Bowl - 1937 Queens County Clay Court Championships - 1937 Pennsylvania Clay Courts - 1937 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1937 Eastern Clay Court Championships - 1936 Illinois State Championship - 1936 Kentucky State Tournament - 1936 Cincinnati - 1936 United North and South tournament - 1936 Ohio Valley - 1936

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