Harry Hopman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Harry Hopman
CBE

Full name	Henry Christian Hopman
Country (sports)	Australia
Born	(1906-08-12)12 August 1906 Glebe, New South Wales
Died	27 December 1985(1985-12-27) (aged 79) Seminole, Florida, USA
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	1978 (member page)
Singles
Career record	463-201 (69.7%)
Career titles	34
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (1930, 1931, 1932)
French Open	QF (1930)
Wimbledon	4R (1934, 1935)
US Open	QF (1938, 1939)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (1929, 1930)
French Open	F (1930, 1948)
US Open	F (1939)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	W (1930, 1936, 1937, 1939)
Wimbledon	F (1945)
US Open	W (1939)

Henry Christian "Harry" Hopman (born August 12, 1906 – died December 27, 1985) was a famous Australian tennis player and coach. He was known around the world for his amazing skills. He also received the CBE award.

Harry Hopman was born in Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales. His family later moved to Parramatta, which is now a part of Sydney. He went to Rosehill Public Primary school, where his dad was the headmaster. Later, he attended Parramatta High School, playing both tennis and cricket.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Harry Hopman was born on August 12, 1906. He was the third child of John Henry Hopman, a schoolteacher, and Jennie Siberteen. Harry started playing tennis when he was 13 years old. He even won a singles tournament playing barefoot on a court at his dad's school.

Davis Cup Success

Harry Hopman in Brisbane in 1931

Harry Hopman was an incredibly successful captain and coach for the Australian Davis Cup team. The Davis Cup is a major international team competition in men's tennis. From 1939 to 1967, he led 22 Australian teams.

Under his guidance, Australia won the Davis Cup an amazing 16 times. He coached many legendary players. These included Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Frank Sedgman, and John Newcombe. His leadership helped Australia become a powerhouse in world tennis.

In 1951, a top player named Frank Sedgman was thinking about becoming a professional. Harry Hopman, who strongly believed in amateur sports, helped raise money to keep Sedgman playing as an amateur. This showed how dedicated Hopman was to the amateur game.

Harry Hopman as a Journalist

Harry Hopman hitting an overhead in the 1930s

Besides tennis, Harry Hopman was also a journalist. He started working for the Melbourne Herald newspaper in 1933. He wrote about sports and shared his thoughts on games.

After World War II, journalism became his main focus for a while. However, he was eventually asked to return to tennis coaching. He sometimes used his newspaper column to share insights about his players.

Lasting Legacy

Harry Hopman's impact on tennis is still remembered today. The Hopman Cup is a mixed-team tennis tournament named in his honor. His wife, Lucy Hopman, often attends this tournament in Perth, Western Australia every January.

In 1978, Harry Hopman was recognized for his contributions to tennis. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. This is a special place that honors the greatest tennis players and contributors.

Tennis legend Jack Kramer once wrote about Hopman. He said that Hopman was completely dedicated to his players. Tennis was everything to him. Hopman was known for his strong views on amateur tennis.

Personal Life

Harry Hopman was married twice. His first wife was Nell Hall. They were a great team on the court, winning four mixed doubles titles together. They got married on March 19, 1934, in Sydney. Nell passed away in 1968.

In 1969, Harry Hopman moved to the United States. There, he became a very successful professional tennis coach. He coached future champions like Vitas Gerulaitis and John McEnroe at the Port Washington Tennis Academy.

He later opened his own tennis camp in Florida. He married his second wife, Lucy Pope Fox, on February 2, 1971. Harry Hopman passed away from a heart attack on December 27, 1985.

Tournament Achievements

Australia Davis Cup

As a Player

• 1928, 1930, 1932

As a Captain

• 1938–1939, 1950–1969
  • Winner: 1939, 1950–1953, 1955–1957, 1959–1962, 1964–1967
  • Runner-up: 1938, 1954, 1958, 1963, 1968

Italian Championship

• Mixed Doubles 1934

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 3 (3 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1930	Australian Championships	Grass	Edgar Moon	3–6, 1–6, 3–6
Runner-up	1931	Australian Championships	Grass	Jack Crawford	4–6, 2–6, 6–2, 1–6
Runner-up	1932	Australian Championships	Grass	Jack Crawford	4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–1

Doubles: 7 (2 titles, 5 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1929	Australian Championships	Grass	Jack Crawford	Jack Cummings Edgar Moon	6–1, 6–8, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3
Winner	1930	Australian Championships	Grass	Jack Crawford	Tim Fitchett John Hawkes	8–6, 6–1, 2–6, 6–3
Runner-up	1930	French Championships	Clay	Jim Willard	Henri Cochet Jacques Brugnon	3–6, 7–8, 3–6
Runner-up	1931	Australian Championships	Grass	Jack Crawford	James Anderson Norman Brookes	2–6, 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up	1932	Australian Championships	Grass	Gerald Patterson	Jack Crawford Edgar Moon	10–12, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6
Runner-up	1939	US Championships	Grass	Jack Crawford	Adrian Quist John Bromwich	6–8, 1–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1948	French Championships	Clay	Frank Sedgman	Lennart Bergelin Jaroslav Drobný	6–8, 1–6, 10–12

Mixed doubles: 8 (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1930	Australian Championships	Grass	Nell Hall Hopman	Marjorie Cox Crawford Jack Crawford	11–9, 3–6, 6–3
Runner-up	1932	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Josane Sigart	Elizabeth Ryan Enrique Maier	5–7, 2–6
Runner-up	1935	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Nell Hall Hopman	Dorothy Round Little Fred Perry	5–7, 6–4, 2–6
Winner	1936	Australian Championships	Grass	Nell Hall Hopman	May Blick Abe Kay	6–2, 6–0
Winner	1937	Australian Championships	Grass	Nell Hall Hopman	Dorothy Stevenson Don Turnbull	3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Winner	1939	Australian Championships	Grass	Nell Hall Hopman	Margaret Wilson John Bromwich	6–8, 6–2, 6–3
Winner	1939	US Championships	Grass	Alice Marble	Sarah Palfrey Cooke Elwood Cooke	9–7, 6–1
Runner-up	1940	Australian Championships	Grass	Nell Hall Hopman	Nancye Wynne Bolton Colin Long	5–7, 6–2, 4–6

See also

In Spanish: Harry Hopman para niños