To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend, we scoured the history books and dusted off 10 facts about George Lyttleton-Rogers, the only Irish player to ever win Rogers Cup presented by National Bank.
So, why not have a read while you’re wearing green, drinking Guinness and eating Irish strew?
1. George Lyttleton-Rogers was born on July 10, 1906 in Athy, Ireland – that’s 5,215 km away from Toronto and 4,723 km from Montreal.
2. At 6ft 7in tall, he played to his strengths in becoming one of the few baseliners of his time, taking advantage of his great reach on the court.
3. Lyttleton-Rogers had an impressive career record of 537-224 with a win percentage of 70.5%.
4. Winning the 1930 Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, he beat Canadian Gilbert Nunns 6-4, 8-6, 6-8, 9-7 in the final to claim the coveted trophy.
5. Also a three-time Irish Championship winner (1926, 1936, 1937), Lyttleton-Rogers finished his career with 39 titles in total.
6. His best run at a Grand Slam event saw him reach the quarter-finals of the French Open in both 1930 and 1932.
7. Lyttleton-Rogers turned pro in 1945 and in the same month he became the president of the World Pro Tennis Association. He would go on to publish the first ever official top 10 rankings later that year.
8. Whilst a terrific singles player, Lyttleton-Rogers was also one of the world’s best in doubles. In fact, he was the World No. 1 in 1947 having won the World Pro doubles that year alongside American Frank Kovacs.
9. Along with tennis, Lyttleton-Rogers was also a keen amateur boxer and was trained by South African Olympian Don McCorkindale.
10. His aunt, Alice Upton Harvey, was a famous Irish composer, while his cousin, George U. Harvey, served as the borough president of Queens, New York City for 12 years.
(Feature photo: Bundesarchive, Bild)
