Watson Washburn


Watson McLean Washburn was an American tennis player who was in the top 10 in the US seven times between 1914 and 1922. He was also one of the founders of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 1965. He also competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics.

Biography

He was born in Manhattan, New York City on June 13, 1894.
He was primarily a doubles player and teamed with Richard Norris Williams to take the Davis Cup in 1921. Also with Williams, he reached two US Championship finals and one at Wimbledon. He won the US Intercollegiate Doubles Championship in 1913 and the Indoor Doubles Championship in 1915. In July 1915 Washburn and Williams won the doubles title at the Eastern Tennis Championship in Brookline defeating Irving C. Wright and Wallace F. Johnson in four sets.
In 1917 Washburn joined the American Expeditionary Forces and served during World War I in France as a Captain in the artillery.
In 1921 Washburn defeated Richard Norris Williams in the final of the Newport Casino Invitational in five sets.
After his tennis career he became an Assistant State Prosecutor.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (3 runners-up)

OutcomeYearChampionshipPartnerOpponents in finalScore in final
Runner-up1921U.S. National Championships Richard Norris Williams Vincent Richards
Bill Tilden
11–13, 10–12, 1–6
Runner-up1923U.S. National Championships Richard Norris Williams Brian Norton
Bill Tilden
6–3, 2–6, 3–6, 7–5, 2–6
Runner-up1924Wimbledon Richard Norris Williams Frank Hunter
Vincent Richards
3–6, 6–3, 10–8, 6–8, 3–6