A LONE WOLF NOT IN SHEEPS CLOTHING – By Sigrid Draper

Written by: Staff on 31st July 2013

A LONE WOLF NOT IN SHEEPS CLOTHING - By Sigrid Draper |

Fairy tales, a part of many childhoods. I personally loved them! Most of them had a scary big bad Wolf in them. The Wolf was menacing and mean, bent on terrorizing and destroying innocent victims. The unsuspecting victims were usually someone like the “three little pigs”, whose houses were targets of destruction or little Red Riding Hood on her way to Grandmother’s House in the dense and dark woods. Both targets would end in a “delicious” meal for the Wolf. But, alas, the tables would turn and they all lived happily ever after!

In reality, we have a Lone Wolf not prowling in the woods, not in sheep’s clothing but in Tennis clothes!

Once upon a time, on May 9, 1928 in South Central Los Angeles, California Carmen Alire and Manuel Antonio Gonzalez welcomed a son they named Ricardo Alonso Gonzalez. At first glance, it was hard to predict that this little guy would one day grow up to win four Grand Slam Titles, Marry 6 six times, have six kids and become one of the most influential and controversial Mexican American Tennis players of all time.

One Christmas, he asked his Mother for a bicycle for his Christmas present, he received a 50 cent tennis racquet! That was the start of a brilliant career. He taught himself to play and practiced on public tennis courts every chance he could. The rest is history, which is well documented so I need not add to it.

Everybody has a story about Richard “Pancho” Gonzales. Everyone who ever met him, everyone whoever played him and every Family member has a story, including me.

I met him through Judge Robert J Kelleher, who knew him well. In fact he hired him to be a Coach when he was Captain of the Davis Cup Team. He also was a personal friend and confidant, as well as Best Man at his marriage to Madelyn Darrow. I wasn’t there but I did accompany him to his wedding to Rita Agassi. In the 30 years I was with Judge Kelleher I never heard him say one disrespectful word about his “friend”. Yes, he was difficult, yes he had a temper and yes he was complicated but he was a true friend, unlike so many fair weather friends he had met throughout the years. The Judge told me that “Friends” were: there for a reason, a season or forever” Richard Gonzales was a “friend forever”!

I have read many stories of the “real” Pancho Gonzales and none of them resemble the “Richard” Gonzales I got to know. They called him a “Lone Wolf”, insensitive, cruel and dying without a friend in the world. Not true!

I never played tennis. Never wanted to. I did try to play because of Judge Kelleher’s involvement in Tennis, but failed miserably! Having told Gonzales that he promised me that he could teach me. I have the distinction of being the FIRST failure of his teaching career. He declared me to be totally devoid of any athletic ability! I appreciated his honesty and his bravery.

He loved the Judge! This man who supposedly was void of emotion and warm feelings, would call me with instructions of how to “care and preserve” his friend “the Judge”. He had a whole regime worked out as to what I should feed him, how much exercise he should have and how to eliminate any and all who might cause him stress. That put me at the top of the list!

One day he called the Judge, who was trying a very important federal case and asked him to come to Bakersfield and be his “doubles” partner. It was a corporate promotion and Whitney Reed couldn’t make it. The Judge called a recess and we went. That was the first time I met Rita Agassi. She and I hit it off immediately! Neither one of us could believe we were in BAKERSFIELD. We had a lovely dinner and looked forward to the morning match. In the morning, Rita and I were treated royally. We were escorted down the aisle to our front row seats in the VIP Section. About 400 eyes were staring at us and we were so proud! They were barely in the first set when I noticed the Judge had an agitated look on his face. I then saw him go over and speak to the corporate player on the other side of the net. It was obvious that a heated exchange was about to ensue, Rita and I looked at each other and started slipping lower into our seats. The Judge yelled in a loud voice “One more word about my partner” AND YOU WILL LAND ON YOUR ASS! Rita turned to me and said “Did I hear the Judge say that?” I replied yes and as we both slid under the chair, I said “I am afraid it is not over” She cringed just as Kelleher Yelled even louder, “And if there is any question as to who puts you on your ass, it is me!” Apparently the Corporate player complained to the Judge that his partner was foot faulting! This is proof that Tennis players aren’t the only ones with loud outbursts and that even Gonzales could find an occasion to control himself. They were “Friends”!

When Christmas came around each year, the Judge and I would come home to find a message on our recorder. “Judge and Sigrid, I am sitting here alone thinking about people who I love and who love me and I want to wish you both a Merry Christmas”!

This was a World Champion! A man who was supposedly too selfish to care about anyone but himself. The Lone Wolf, only trying to find himself! His thoughtfulness in these yearly calls was the greatest compliment I have ever received. One exception, he told me that I made better Tacos than his Mother! Considering I am a Latvian, born in Riga, this was as good as it gets!

The time that he was given the news that his cancer was going to win the battle, his last Christmas, he called us. He wanted to come spend New Year’s with us. We had tickets for Europe and we canceled our plans. We invited Alex Olmedo and Pancho Segura to join us. The four of them sat in the living room and relived the past. He said it was the best Christmas gift he received that year.

The Judge and I were on an airplane when we heard he had passed away. This Fairy Tale did not have a happy ending. The Lone Wolf, who no one really knew, didn’t really know himself. We all have our Memories he gave us. Maybe that is what makes him smile. The Wolf out-Foxed us all!

Sigrid Draper

Topics: Alex Olmedo, Davis Cup, Judge Robert J Kelleher, Pancho Gonzalez, Pancho Segura, Ricardo Alonso Gonzalez, Richard Gonzalez, Rita Agassi, Sigrid Draper, Sports, tennis legends, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

July 31, 2013 at 5:02 pm

A LONE WOLF NOT IN SHEEPS CLOTHING – By Sigrid Draper – http://t.co/iljjDCF78t #tennis #RichardGonzalez #tennislegend