Gene Mako

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Gene Mako
Full name Constantine Gene Mako
Country  United States
Born (1916-01-24) 24 January 1916 (age 97)
Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Turned pro 1943 (amateur tour from 1931)
Retired 1954
Plays Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HOF 1973 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking No. 8 (1938, A. Wallis Myers)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open QF (1938)
French Open 3R (1938)
Wimbledon 4R (1935, 1937, 1938)
US Open F (1938)
Professional majors
US Pro QF (1943, 1954)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Wimbledon W (1937)
US Open W (1936, 1938)
Mixed Doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
US Open W (1936)

Last updated on: 12 June 2012.

Constantine ("Gene") Mako (Hungarian: Makó Jenő; born January 24, 1916) is a former American tennis player and is also an art gallery owner. He was born in Budapest, capital of Hungary. He won four Grand Slam doubles titles in the 1930s.[2] Mako was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1973.[2]

Contents

Early life [edit]

His father, Bartholomew Mako (Hungarian: Makó Bertalan) graduated from the Budapest Academy of Fine Arts in 1913.[3] After World War I, he left Hungary with his wife and only son traveling first to Italy and stopping for three years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before settling in Los Angeles, California.[3]

Tennis champion [edit]

In 1934 he won the NCAA singles and the doubles championships while playing for the University of Southern California where he lettered at USC for three years (1934-36-37).

Mako was especially successful as a doubles player with his partner and friend Don Budge. They competed in 7 Grand Slam finals, 4 of which they won. In 1936 Gene Mako and Alice Marble won the finals at the US Mixed Doubles Championships against Sarah Palfrey and Don Budge (6:3 and 6:2).

From 1935 to 1938 Mako was member of the United States Davis Cup team, which this team won in 1937 (against the United Kingdom) and in 1938 (against Australia).

Mako was in the U.S. Top Ten in 1937 and 1938 (reaching as high as No. 3), and was ranked World No. 8 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph in 1938.[1] That year he reached the U.S. final at Forest Hills versus his double partner, Don Budge, who was in pursuit of the first Grand Slam. Unseeded, Mako reached his only major singles final on victories over sixth-seed Frank Kovacs and the third and first foreign seeds, Franjo Punčec and John Bromwich.

During the Second World War Mako served on the United States Navy.[2] He continued to play tennis at that time. He also played professional basketball while stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.[2]

In 1973 Mako was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 1999 he was elected to the University of Southern California (USC) Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mako has a long-time interest in art as evidenced by his Gene Mako Galleries, Los Angeles, California.

Grand Slam singles finals [edit]

Runner-up (1) [edit]

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
1938 US National Singles Championships Flag of the United States.svg Don Budge 6–3, 6–8, 6–2, 6–1

Grand Slam doubles finals [edit]

Wins (4) [edit]

Year Championship Partner Opponents in Final Score in Final
1936 US National Doubles Championships United States Don Budge United States Wilmer Allison / John Van Ryn 6–4, 6–2, 6–4
1937 Wimbledon United States Don Budge United Kingdom Pat Hughes / Raymond Tuckey 6–0, 6–4, 6–8, 6–1
1938 Wimbledon United States Don Budge Nazi Germany Henner Henkel / Georg von Metaxa 6–4, 6–3, 3–6, 8–6
1938 US National Doubles Championships Flag of the United States.svg Don Budge Flag of Australia.svg John Bromwich / Adrian Quist 6–3, 6–2, 6–1

Runner-ups (3) [edit]

Year Championship Partner Opponents in Final Score in Final
1935 US National Doubles Championships Flag of the United States.svg Don Budge Flag of the United States.svg Wilmer Allison / John Van Ryn 6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 3–6, 6–1
1937 US National Doubles Championships Flag of the United States.svg Don Budge Flag of the NSDAP (1920–1945).svg Henner Henkel / Gottfried von Cramm 6–4, 7–5, 6–4
1938 French Championships Flag of the United States.svg Don Budge Flag of France.svg Bernard Destremau / Yvon Petra 6–3 3–6 7–9 1–6

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Bromwich Placed Third", The Sydney Morning Herald, 5th October 1938.
  2. ^ a b c d Jerry Crowe (2007-05-14). "Tennis player to the stars has still got game at 91". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-12-10. 
  3. ^ a b Susan Glasser (January 2005). "Exhibition Features Hungarian Artist, Hall of Fame Tennis Player" (pdf). River Gazette. St. Mary's College of Maryland. Retrieved 2008-12-10. [dead link]

External links [edit]