PersonJewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Dick Savitt

American Jewish tennis player who won the 1951 Australian Championships and Wimbledon men’s singles titles.

United States

Dick Savitt at a tennis event in Noordwijk in 1952.

Joop van Bilsen / Anefo / Nationaal Archief / Wikimedia CommonsSourcePublic domain

Biography

Dick Savitt was an American Jewish tennis player who won the 1951 Australian Championships and Wimbledon men’s singles titles. His Australian victory came first, on 30 January 1951 in Melbourne, establishing the earliest verified Grand Slam singles title by a Jewish player. Jewish Telegraphic Agency reporting and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame document his Jewish identity and historical significance. Savitt was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, on 4 March 1927 and died in New York City on 6 January 2023.

Records held by Dick Savitt

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SportsFirst

First Jewish Grand Slam Singles Champion

Record holder

Dick Savitt

Record value

January 30, 1951

In 1951, American tennis player Dick Savitt became the first Jewish Grand Slam singles champion. The record was established with his victory in the men’s singles at the 1951 Australian Championships in Melbourne. The Australian Open's official honour roll documents Savitt as champion for that year.

Country represented: United States
Achievement location: Melbourne, Australia, United States
Achievement date: 30 January 1951

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