Bill Tilden

William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed Big Bill, was an American male tennis player. He is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Tilden was the World No.player for six years from 1920 through 1925. He wonMajor singles titles including ten Grand Slam events, one World Hard Court Championships and four Pro Slam tournaments. He was the first American to win Wimbledon in 1920. He also won a record seven US Championships titles .

Tilden was born into a wealthy Philadelphia family bereaved by the death of three older siblings. His father was William Tatem Tilden, a wool merchant and local politician, and his mother, Selina Hey, was a pianist. He lost his semiinvalid mother when he wasand, even though his father was still alive and maintained a large house staffed with servants, was sent a few houses away to live with a maiden aunt. The loss atof his father and older brother Herbert marked him deeply. After several months of deep depression, and with encouragement from his aunt, tennis, which he had taken up starting at age five, became his primary means of recovery. According to his biographer, Frank Deford, because of his early family losses Tilden spent all of his adult life attempting to create a fatherson relationship with a long succession of ball boys and youthful tennis protgs, of whom Vinnie Richards was the most noted. In spite of his worldwide travels, Tilden lived at his aunts house until 1941

Source: Wikipedia