Jean Borotra). While there was no official ATP Tour in the 1920s, Richards was one of the pioneers in creating a version of a "world tennis tour", playing in the equivalent of all four grand slams during his career, additional major tournaments, and exhibition matches in front of emperors, presidents, and other heads of states. While Tilden may have overshadowed Richards, even in the Davis Cup, Richards held a perfect 5–0 record when he played for his country. Richards was one of the best singles players of the 1920s and played on several United States Davis Cup teams. In 1927 he was the first prominent male player to turn professional. In 1928, he was still generally considered to be one of the top 5 or 6 players in the world and played a brief tour at the end of the year against Czech player Karel Koželuh, another new professional. Richards only beat Koželuh five times in 20 matches. Richards won the United States Pro Championship in 1927, 1928, and 1930, beating Koželuh in the finals in both 1928 and 1930, and losing to him in the 1929 final. He lost the 1931 final to Tilden and won the U.S. Pro Championships for the last time in 1933, this time beating Frank Hunter in the final. He continued to play in the U.S. Pro championships in most years until 1946. Richards and Tilden won the doubles at the 1945 U.S. Pro championships. Richards was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1959. Business career After retiring from tennis, Richards joined the Dunlop Tire and Rubber Company as general manager of the sporting goods division and became vice president. Personal life In February 1924, he married Claremont Gushee in Greenwich, Connecticut, and they had three children. She died in 1950. On September 28, 1959, Richards died of a heart attack at Doctors Hospital in New York. Major finals Grand Slam tournaments Doubles: 9 (7 titles, 2 runners-up) Mixed doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up) Pro Slam tournaments Singles: 6 (4/2) Singles performance timeline Richards was banned from competing in the amateur Grand Slams when he joined the professional tennis circuit in 1927. References External links History of the Pro Tennis Wars Chapter II: The eminence of Karel Koželuh and Vincent Richards 1927–1928 1903 births 1959 deaths American male tennis players Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism