Lew Hoad-greatest imperfect player ever

[Frank Silbermann]

I note that Lew Hoad suffered from back problems as a pro, and this might explain many of his losses during his best years as a professional.

What I find noteworthy is a quote from Pancho Gonzales who said (paraphrasing from memory), "Lew Hoad was the only player I encountered who could beat me when I was playing my very best."

 

[Dan Lobb]

I note that Lew Hoad suffered from back problems as a pro, and this might explain many of his losses during his best years as a professional.

What I find noteworthy is a quote from Pancho Gonzales who said (paraphrasing from memory), "Lew Hoad was the only player I encountered who could beat me when I was playing my very best."

Gonzales did indeed say that.

There is no doubt that Hoad lost many matches on the 1958 and 1959 pro tours due to his back problem. However, in spite of that, he was the leading money winner in both years, and the official No. 1 in 1959. After playing about 300 or more matches from July 1957 to January 2, 1960, he played much smaller numbers of matches thereafter to rest his back.

 

[Dan Lobb]

Here is the evaluation of the 1959 season from AI research.

"Lew Hoad was considered the official world No. 1 professional tennis player for 1959 according to the points-based ranking system used that year. He was also the leading money-winner on the pro tour for the year.
During this era, professional tennis did not have a single, universally-recognized official ranking body like the modern ATP. However, in 1959, the professional circuit run by Jack Kramer had an actual official points ranking system (referred to as the Ampol ranking system or World Championship Tennis series). Hoad finished at the top of this system.
While some contemporary commentators had differing opinions, with some making a strong case for Pancho Gonzales, the results of the official points system and Hoad's leading money winnings support his status as the official No. 1 pro for that specific year. Hoad won major pro tournaments that year, including the Forest Hills Tournament of Champions."

 

[urban]

Don't cite yourself. its better not to do. You know better, that Kramer, March and Sedgman, all pro managers and insiders, ranked Hoad down from 2-5, and Gonzalez Nr. 1. The leading money winner was not alwayas pro Nr. 1. Hoad had the advantage of the new pro contract, which provided him with good money. His biggest winning money purse, he got for the World Series, which he lost both in 1958 and 1959 (4 men series). I think, Hoad got more money than Gonzalez for a 37-51 loss in World Series 1958. Laver won in 1963 more money than Rosewall, who was clearly pro Nr. 1 for the year.

 

[Dan Lobb]

Don't cite yourself. its better not to do. You know better, that Kramer, March and Sedgman, all pro managers and insiders, ranked Hoad down from 2-5, and Gonzalez Nr. 1. The leading money winner was not alwayas pro Nr. 1. Hoad had the advantage of the new pro contract, which provided him with good money. His biggest winning money purse, he got for the World Series, which he lost both in 1958 and 1959 (4 men series). I think, Hoad got more money than Gonzalez for a 37-51 loss in World Series 1958. Laver won in 1963 more money than Rosewall, who was clearly pro Nr. 1 for the year.

This was AI, I do not control what it finds. That is a strange complaint.

You should know that Kramer, March and Roy were not using any system to rank, it was just personal feelings. The only rankings that are worth anything are based on actual play.
Kramer himself set up the Ampol points system to give an official ranking.

There was little difference in percentage of gate between Hoad and Gonzales for 1958, so that would not explain the difference.

There was no contract money for 1959, so Hoad's contract was not involved. Payment was strictly for wins/losses, both on the Ampol series and the world professional tour. Hoad was acclaimed as the leading money winner on the pro tours that year.

The official ranking was the Ampol series and the world professional championship tour did not produce any ranking that year. as in most years. The only official ranking by play was in the points series in 1946, 1959, 1960, 1964-1969. And the world tours in 1942, 1954, 1961, and 1963, in which all of the top pros were involved, or at least invited to play.

 

[Dan Lobb]

Here are the results of AI for the money earned issue. I suspect that some of Hoad's earnings for 1958 were payments from the play results in late 1957.

"In professional tennis, the leading money winner for both 1958 and 1959 was Lew Hoad.
During this era, prize money was primarily earned through professional tours and a circuit of professional major tournaments (distinct from the amateur Grand Slams). The "money title" was considered the ultimate measure of success for a professional player.

• In 1958, Hoad was the leading money winner, reportedly earning nearly $200,000, which was significantly more than his main rival, Pancho Gonzales, who earned about $91,000. Hoad's earnings were high because, as the newly turned professional challenging the established champion Gonzales, he received a larger share of the gate receipts as part of his contract.
• In 1959, Hoad again finished as the top money winner, securing the overall bonus money in the Ampol Open Trophy world series of tournaments. He was widely referred to in press reports as the "world champion" for that year. "

 

[Dan Lobb]

The difference on the 1958 tour in terms of the percentage of the gate between Hoad and Gonzales was not huge. Both players received 20% of the gate every night, but Hoad would get an extra 5% on those nights which he won, or 25% of the gate. The final score was 51-36 for Gonzales, so that did not amount to a huge difference. On those 51 Gonzales wins, there was no difference in the percentage of gate for the two players.

According to Kramer, Hoad earned over GBP £50,000 (US$140,000) in the first 11 months of his pro career (through May, 1958). That included the 4-man tour of Europe, Asia, and Australia in late 1957.
Hoad won the richest tournament of the 1958 season at Kooyong Tournament of Champions in which he received AUS£2,500 (US$5,600) for his win, US$6,160 including doubles returns.
Kramer stated that he paid Hoad US$140,000 through May, 1958 and US$225,000 through June 1959.

A newspaper report indicates that officially Hoad earned $47,575 in winnings through June, 1959 for the season beginning in Jan 1959. Another newspaper report indicates that Hoad made about $70,000 in winnings for the entire 1959 season, in which he played about 170 matches.

Hoad's biographers estimated that Hoad earned about $200,000 through December 1958 from July 1957.

So these numbers are all roughly on target to Hoad getting about $100,000 US per year from July 1957 to January 2, 1960, about $250,000 for 2 1/2 years.

After Jan 1960, Hoad played much less and signed a new 7-year contract with Kramer for presumably less money. Hoad played well over 300 matches in that first 2 1/2 year period, but only about 35 matches in 1960, about the same in 1961, perhaps about 50 matches in 1962 when the pros did not play in the U.S., few matches in 1963.