stormholloway
Legend
Anyone know that in 1935-37, Fred Perry and Don Budge defeated Baron Gottfried Alexander Maximillian Walter Kurt von Cramm, a descendant of ancient German nobility and a closeted homosexual?
He was German nobility during the **** era and was a homosexual. It also also openly noted that he did not condone the **** regime. Think about the heat on this guy? He's Germany's top tennis player, a Baron, a homosexual, and on top of that publicly opposed to the **** regime. He eventually stood trial for homosexuality and found guilty, to serve a year in prison. Don Budge collected signatures of fellow international athletes to set him free and sent that with a letter to Hitler.
He won the Queen's Club tourney in 1939 by beating Bobby Riggs Love and 1, but was not allowed to play Wimbledon because he was a convicted criminal, though it probably had more to do with his German citizenship.
He never won Wimbledon but won two French Championships, beating Crawford and Perry.
Interesting little story. To this day he has the most Davis Cup wins in Germany.
He was German nobility during the **** era and was a homosexual. It also also openly noted that he did not condone the **** regime. Think about the heat on this guy? He's Germany's top tennis player, a Baron, a homosexual, and on top of that publicly opposed to the **** regime. He eventually stood trial for homosexuality and found guilty, to serve a year in prison. Don Budge collected signatures of fellow international athletes to set him free and sent that with a letter to Hitler.
He won the Queen's Club tourney in 1939 by beating Bobby Riggs Love and 1, but was not allowed to play Wimbledon because he was a convicted criminal, though it probably had more to do with his German citizenship.
He never won Wimbledon but won two French Championships, beating Crawford and Perry.
Interesting little story. To this day he has the most Davis Cup wins in Germany.
