Dan Maskell facts for kids
| Full name | Daniel Maskell |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United Kingdom |
| Born | 11 April 1908 Fulham, England |
| Died | 10 December 1992 (aged 84) |
| Turned pro | 1926 |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1996 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 126–37 (77.3%) |
| Career titles | 20 |
| Professional majors | |
| US Pro | QF (1930) |
| Wembley Pro | QF (1935, 1937) |
Daniel Maskell (born April 11, 1908 – died December 10, 1992) was a famous English tennis player. He later became a well-known voice on radio and TV. Many people called him the "voice of tennis" or the "voice of Wimbledon" because of his commentary.
Growing Up
Dan Maskell was born in Fulham, London, England. He was one of eight children in his family. His family could not afford for him to go to a special school. So, he went to Everington Street School instead.
He was the captain of his school's football team. During school holidays, he worked as a ballboy at Queen's Club. This is a famous tennis club. Dan soon decided he wanted to focus on tennis. In 1923, he left school to become a full-time ballboy at Queen's Club.
Tennis Career
In 1924, when he was 16, Dan became a junior teaching professional at Queen's Club. By 1926, he had a five-year contract. He taught different racket sports like real tennis, rackets, and squash, along with lawn tennis.
At that time, major tennis championships were only for amateur players. But Dan helped organize the first World Professional Championships in 1927. He won this tournament by beating Charles Read. Dan became the British professional champion in 1928. He won this title 15 more times until 1951.
He was also the coach for the British Davis Cup team that won in 1933.
Wartime Service
During the Second World War, Dan Maskell joined the Royal Air Force. In 1940, he became a rehabilitation officer. His job was to help injured aircrew get back in shape. He worked in Torquay and then Loughborough. He was promoted to squadron leader. In 1945, he received an OBE award for his service during the war.
After the war, he kept playing in tournaments. He won the Slazenger Pro Championships in 1946 and 1947. He also won the Cheltenham Pro Championships in 1946.
After the War
After the war, Dan went back to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. He continued as a tennis professional there. He even coached members of the British Royal Family. This included Princess Alexandra, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew.
He was the chairman of the Professional Tennis Coaches Association. In 1953, he became the first professional player to be an honorary member of the All England Club. He stopped being a tennis professional in 1955. After that, he worked for the Lawn Tennis Association as their training manager until 1973. In 1982, he received a CBE award for his great work in tennis.
Commentating Career
Dan Maskell started commentating on the Wimbledon Championships in 1949. He was an expert summarizer for BBC Radio. In 1951, he moved to television. He became the main tennis commentator for the BBC until he retired in 1991.
When he saw an amazing shot or an exciting part of a match, he would often say, "Oh, I say!" This phrase became his famous catchphrase.
He also commentated when tennis returned as an Olympic sport. This happened first as a demonstration sport in Los Angeles in 1984. Then it became a full medal sport in Seoul in 1988.
His last Wimbledon match as a commentator was the 1991 Men's Singles final. In that match, Michael Stich beat Boris Becker. The very last tennis match he commentated on for BBC Television was the 1991 Grand Slam Cup final. This was between David Wheaton and Michael Chang.
At Wimbledon in 1992, the Duke of Kent gave Dan Maskell a special silver tray. Dan said he had attended every day of play at Wimbledon since 1929. He also said he first went to Wimbledon in 1924 to watch the women's singles final.
Personal Life
Dan Maskell married his first wife, Constance Cox, in 1936. They had a daughter named Robin and a son named Jay. Outside of tennis, he enjoyed skiing and golf. Sadly, his son died in a tragic accident in 1970. His wife also passed away in a tragic accident in 1979.
Dan married his second wife, Kathleen Latto, in 1980. In 1988, he wrote a book about his life called From Where I Sit.
He had some health issues later in his life. On December 10, 1992, he passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was survived by his second wife and his daughter.
In 1996, after his death, he was added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust was started in 1997. It is now an independent charity. This trust raises money to help people with disabilities play tennis. They support wheelchair tennis, deaf tennis, and tennis for people with learning disabilities.
