20 new york | august 19–september 1, 2019
intelligencer
76minuteswith...Vic Seixas
Atourthroughtennishistory
withtheworld’soldest
livingGrandSlamchamp.
by reeves wiedemanLESLIE PRIEST/AP PHOTOI
n 1953, vic seixas had a year that most tennis players
not named Roger, Serena, Novak, or Rafael could only
dream of. He started the season by making the semifinals
at the Australian Championships, then took second at
Roland Garros, won Wimbledon, and was the runner-up
at the U.S. National Championships in Queens. This was before
tennis’s “Open Era,” when the sport got rid of the distinction
between professionals and amateurs, like Seixas, who could
play the most prestigious events but didn’t make any money
doing so. That’s why the tournament names look a little funny—
the U.S. National Championships became the U.S. Open inSeixas at Wimbledon
on June 27, 1953.