Our Members
Founding
Members
The NMTA is indebted to this group of men who were willing to support us at the outset before they really knew what we would be able to accomplish. Their early support immediately put us on a sound financial footing, and enabled us to undertake projects from our inception that would have been otherwise impossible. Their vision has been invaluable in guiding our decision-making as we go forward. We owe them our gratitude for their trust that we could advance the cause of men’s senior tennis.
Brent Abel
Howie Ames
Phil Aurbach
Larry Back
Arthur Barry
Laurence A Becker
Charles Beckner
Stuart Brown
Les Buck
Robb Bunnen
Maxime Buyckx
Richard Chace, Jr
Rick Chiricosta
Dean Corley
Rick Crootof
Ed Cunningham
Joseph Daley
Roger Dowdeswell
Bill Drake
Fred Drilling
Steve Duffel
Craig Edgecumbe
Larry Eichenbaum
Richard Eyre
James Farrell
Pete Fennell
William Gatlin
Allen Geraci
Bill Glaves
Laurence Hammel
Andy Harrison
Jonathan Hart
Steve Hayden
James Hendrix
Clem Hopp
Hank Irvine
Skip Johnson
Mike Jones
Robert Jones
Buddy Jordan
Don Keenan
William Kellogg
Jim Kiesby
Mas Kimball
Richard Klein
Bill Knestrick
Thomas Lackey
Tom Lightvoet
Robert Litwin
Cal Lockert
Philip Ludwig
Steve Lunsford
Terry Mcnabb
Miguel Mejia
David Moore
Jerry Morse-Karzen
John Nicholson
Joann Nicodemus
Jim Parker
Walt Peckinpaugh
Richard Perry
Steve Price
Leland Putterman
Joe Rasgado
Steven Reed
Eugene Rhodes
Roy Riley
Stuart Robinson
Steve Rubin
Howard Rugaber
Hugh Sawyer
David Schermerhorn
Scott Shepherd
Ashley Sherman
Robert Siefert
Dave Sivertson
Steve Solomon
John Spiegel
Michael Stewart
Chris Sullivan
Doug Teetor
Jerry Thomas
Bob Thompson
Ronald Tirapelli
Ed Trost
Larry Turville
Patrick Tzanis
Mark Van Kirk
Andrew Weiss
David Wendt
Bob Zlotnik
Legend
Members
This group of members is distinguished by their obvious greatness on the tennis court and their willingness to support senior tennis as a Sport for a Lifetime. As we look back at their on-court accomplishments at the highest levels of the game, we appreciate these extraordinary players as they continue their support of the game they played so well!
*Information from ATP Tour, International Tennis Hall of Fame, and Tennis Australia
ROD LAVER
Laver is in the running for the greatest player of all time. Not only is he just one of two men who have won a calendar-year Grand Slam, but he is also the only tennis player in history to have done it twice.
Australian former tennis player ranked world No. 1 in nine different years, which is an all-time record in tennis
Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981 and Australia Hall of Fame in 1986
In 2000 Centre Court at Melbourne Park (home of the Australian Open) was renamed Rod Laver Arena, and in 2017 the Laver Cup debuted.
TERRY ADDISON
Australian former international tennis player
Competed in the Australian Open three times from 1967 to 1969
ROSS CASE
Former Australian tennis player with career-high singles ranking world No. 14
With Geoff Masters, he won two Grand Slam doubles titles: 1974 at the Australian Open and 1977 at Wimbledon
He played in the Australian Davis Cup team in 1971, 1972, 1976, 1978, and 1979
Singles titles: 1976--(1) New South Wales Open 1978--(1) Kyoto
PHIL DENT
Former Australian tennis player with career-high singles ranking world No. 12 in 1977
Made it to the Australian Open final in 1974
Reached six more men's doubles finals in Grand Slam Tournaments, finishing runner-up at the Australian Open in 1970, 1973, and 1977, the French Open in 1975 and 1979 and Wimbledon in 1977
Men's doubles champion at the Australian Open in 1975 (with teammate John Alexander), and the mixed-doubles champion at the US Open in 1976 (with teammate Billie Jean King)
ROY EMERSON
Australian former tennis player with career-high ranking of No. 1 in 1964, 1965, and 1967
Won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, for a total of 28 Grand Slam titles which is the all-time record for a male player
First male player to win 12 singles majors and held the record for 30 years until 2000
inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1986
(July 27, 1942 – December 6, 2020)
DENNIS RALSTON
American professional tennis player whose active career spanned the 1960s and 1970s
Seeded sixth and reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships in 1966 and turned professional at the end of that year
Won 27 national doubles and singles titles, including five grand-slam doubles crowns
Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016
Honorary
Members
The Honorary Members category of membership amounts to a lifetime achievement award. It was created to honor people who have furthered the game of tennis in general and men's senior tennis in particular over many years. They have done so in a variety of ways, but we are forever grateful for their unique talents, energy, and devotion they have brought to our game!
TOBY CRABEL
Played the ATP Tour for three years
Has been ranked as high as #11 in the ITF World Rankings as a senior player
Was the Founder and Fund Manager of Crabel Capital Management with over 3 billion in assets under management
Inaugurated the end-of-year $20,000 Master’s format for seniors, and has contributed thousands of dollars in support of senior tennis.
RON HOLMBERG
Recognized as one of the game’s outstanding coaches – he is a Lifetime Master Professional
Won the Wimbledon Junior Championships, defeating Rod Laver in the finals
Ranked in US Top Ten 9 times, member of 4 Davis Cup Teams, #7 in World Singles Rankings in 1960
Was Head Coach of squash and tennis at West Point for 8 years
Chairman of the USTA National Clay Court 60 & 65 Championships for many years
He says “Enjoy the game half as much as I did, and still do, and you’ll have a ball!”
CLEM HOPP
3-time ITF World Singles Champion
5-time ITF World #1
Naples Bath and Tennis Wall of Fame
Florida Male Player of the Year in 2003
5-time European Men’s Singles Champion
Winner of 17 USTA National Championship gold balls, and member of 6 USTA World Cup teams
ALAN MESSER
A player, umpire, (was a chair umpire at the US Open), a MIPTC certified referee, and a national level bridge player
Tournament Director for the USTA National Grass Court 75 & 80’s
As a senior player, Alan ranked in the US Top Twenty in the 70’s & 75’s, and Top Ten in the 80’s
Founder and Webmaster for the senior tennis website supersenior.info, the most complete men’s senior tennis website since 2004
(August 24, 1932 – May 20, 2021)
JOHN POWLESS
Named Senior Player of the Millenium!
NCAA All-American at Murray State (also played basketball)
Assistant Coach of 2 NCAA basketball champions
Coach of the Junior Davis Cup team that included Arthur Ashe, Dennis Ralston, Charlie Pasarell, Clark Graebner, (and Jimmy Parker)
Winner of 36 world tennis titles
For more than 4 decades, was the guiding force of senior tennis, heading Super Senior Tennis (SST)
Read the appreciation piece on our In Memoriam page from NMTA Board Member, Jimmy Parker
STEVE SOLOMON
Inductee of the USTA Southern Cal Hall of Fame
Recipient of the USTA Service Award, and has served on such committees as the USTA Adult Competition Committee
Founder and TD of what is now the largest Cat II tournament in the US – what is now the Wilson in Palm Springs
Originator of the 90 & over age group nationals and also the national Husband & Wife events
Developed a Tournament Director’s Handbook, and was the first to employ a round-robin format in national tournaments
Currently, the TD for the famous Crabel Masters in Palm Springs
(June 3, 1943 – May 20, 2021)
GEORGE WACHTEL
Spent his working life in Connecticut where he ran his own direct marketing firm
Split his time between Naples and Lake Sunapee, NH
Having taken up tennis in his late 20’s, he made up for lost time by playing 6 days /week (on a new hip!)
A writer by trade, George authored the book, Senior Tennis, full of wisdom for senior competitors
Wrote a blog on senior tennis, which had many avid followers, and frequently appeared on the NMTA website
Legacy
Members
The Legacy Membership is for anyone who wants to join the NMTA, is 90 years old or over and is designed to recognize those who have played and contributed to our game for many years.
Jim Evans
Don Holt
Ray Karcher
Allan Boyar
Tio Campanile
Richard Eitel
Tudor ApMadoc
Joe Beeson
John Bennett
Dom Marino
Bob McNally
Joseph Russell
Bob Seymour
If you are not a current NMTA Member and qualify for the Legacy Membership, please contact Keiko Kimball Gouty to sign up.