Judge Robert J. Kelleher Passes Away – The Father of Open Tennis

Written by: Staff on 20th June 2012

Judge Robert J. Kelleher Passes Away - The Father of Open Tennis |

By: Lou Fuller

The pilots call it going West…. That works for us…. The Judge started life in Forest Hills, New York. As a boy he grew up in the neighborhood of the Westside Tennis Club. His first official job during the U.S. Open was renting seat cushions till his mother found him hawking them…. He must of been all of 12.

Bob did move west after college. He became an Angeleno. (Los Angeles tennis club, Los Angeles country club) … And now Bob just keeps traveling west….

He was blessed to be on this earth 99 years. He would have celebrated his 100th Birthday on March 5, 2013 had he lived.

The tennis world has lost a great friend. It’s lost a man who said what he thought and always did what was best for the sport. If U.S.T.A . presidents were acting like” ding dongs” he would refer to them as “shoe clerks ” … It was his way of shaking and waking and getting them to do right for the sport that he loved with all his heart.

He was president of the U.S.L.T.A. You don’t know that organization ? Neither do I? It’s the old name when “L” stood for Lawn or LOGIC or Love ….? Currently the mess of an organization is called the USTA…….

Bob captained victorious Davis cups teams…. Loved Richard “Pancho ” Gonzalez as well as Charlie Pasarell and Arthur Ashe. Bob loved Davis Cup, U.S.Open, Wimbledon, The French Open … He loved the Mestre Cup, an annual event he Captained against a Mexican team.

Bob was a great guy. He loved our sport. I could go on for days about how he was the father of Open Tennis … allowing the pros play to play with the sort of amateurs . (They got $ under the table)

Bob saw every great player ever. He loved tennis more than anything on earth.

The Hall of Famer was just one of the greatest guys ever!!! The last balls he hit were with me…. God bless you dear friend…. In my mind your bags were packed and you are out on tour…. Condolences to the family and to Dear Sigrid and Cordelia.

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