Gerald Patterson

Gerald Leighton Paterson was born on December 17 1895 in Preston, Melbourne. He was educated at Scotch College where he excelled at tennis. He won the schoolboys singles championship in 1911 and 1913. He often played with his father in country and local tournaments and was coached by Sir Norman Brookes.

Patterson rose to fame in 1914 when he won the Australian doubles title and was runner up in singles. He was a force in both the Australian Championships and Wimbledon. He was the Australian singles champion in 1927, a singles finalist in 1914, 1922 and 1925, the Australian doubles champion in 1914, 1922, 1925 to 1927, and a doubles finalist in 1924 and 1932. In Wimbledon, he was singles champion in 1919 and 1922, a singles finalist in 1920, a doubles finalist in 1922 and 1926 and a mixed champion in 1920. He was a Davis Cup Team Member for the years 1919, 1920, 1922, 1924 to 1925 and 1928.

On the courts, Gerald was known as the “Human Catapult” because of his brutal serve and his exemplary smash. He followed after Norman Brookes and became Australia’s second international tennis star. He was among the World Top Ten six times between the years 1919 and 1925. He was ranked number one in the year 1919. He retired from tennis in 1928 but guided the Davis Cup Team in 1946 as its non-playing captain.

Patterson died on June 13, 1967 in his hometown and was voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989.