Gottfried von Cramm, The Man That Wimbledon Forgot

September 8, 2020 7:21 AM

Wimbledon had turned its back on Von Cramm, despite his victimisation at the hands of the Nazis. He had courageously opposed their ideology, but still he was rejected as an enemy and a felon. His application for a temporary visa ahead of the US Open was also thrown out, with the Americans citing his conviction on morals charges. Then came the war, and tennis rackets were laid down for rifles.

By Will Magee.

posted by smcg (3 comments total)

→ he was ostracised by the All England Club

Of course he was. The British elite, pre-war, were massively pro-Hitler. UK Tennis was pretty alarmingly racist until quite recently: see Buster Mottram.
posted by scruss at 1:26 PM on September 8, 2020

Tennis back then was a nasty racket.
posted by Flashman at 5:14 PM on September 8, 2020 [2 favorites]

What a brave gay man. Thanks for this.
posted by mediareport at 6:12 AM on September 9, 2020