Benny Berthet

Benny Berthet
Full nameBenjamin Berthet
Country (sports) France
Born(1910-09-18)18 September 1910
New York, United States
Died20 January 1981(1981-01-20) (aged 70)
Paris, France
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Grand Slam singles results
French OpenQF (1931)
Wimbledon1R (1931, 1950)

Benjamin Berthet (18 September 1910 – 20 January 1981) was a French tennis player and coach.[1]

Berthet was born to Polish-Jewish emigrants in New York and moved to France as a nine-year old.[2]

In 1931 he made the singles quarter-finals of the French Championships, losing to the top seed Jean Borotra.[3]

Berthet's title wins included the Polish International Championships.[4]

A jeweller by profession, Berthet fought with the French Army in World War II and became a prisoner of war in 1941. During his captivity at Oflag IV-D he and other prisoners build tennis courts to play on.[5]

Berthet continued to compete after the war until his appointment as non playing captain of the France Davis Cup team in 1954. He held this role for a then record 11-years, before being replaced by Gérard Pilet after the 1955 campaign.[2]

References

  1. ^ "The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time Archives". World Tennis Magazine. 30 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Benny Berthet, sauvé de la guerre par le tennis". L'Équipe (in French). 24 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Lott Has Last Yank in Net Play". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 29 May 1931.
  4. ^ "Polish International Championships 1931". www.tennisarchives.com.
  5. ^ "Benny ce héros et la magie du tirage au sort". Graine de Sportive (in French). 23 May 2009.