Robert Murray

Robert Murray was an American chemist and tennis player. He won the U.S. National Championship men's singles title two times in a row, in 1917 and 1918.

The tournaments were renamed National Patriotic Tournaments to support the war effort. Murray was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1958.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Robert Lindley Murray was born in San Francisco, California, USA, on November 2, 1892, to Augustus Taber Murray and Nellie Howland Gifford.

He graduated from Stanford University in 1913 with a degree in chemistry. He stood 1.88 m tall and played left-handed with a one-handed backhand.

Murray retired in 1961 as the chairman of the Hooker Chemical Company. He passed away on January 17, 1970.

Professional Career

Murray began his amateur career in 1913 and was the Pacific Coast intercollegiate champion that same year. In 1916, he won the singles title at the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships.

He won the U.S. National Championship singles in 1917 and 1918. The 1918 victory came after he was persuaded to play despite a lack of preparation, where he defeated Bill Tilden in an impressive performance.

Murray was ranked as the U.S. No. 1 player in 1918. He retired from playing tennis in 1926.

Career Record

Singles

• Career record: 131–24 (84.5%)
• Career titles: 16
• Highest ranking: No. 1 (1918)

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• US Open: W (1917, 1918)

Professional Majors

• US Pro: SF (1933)