Randy Douthit is a North Carolina native and U.S. Military Academy graduate from the class of 1959. Douthit was a world-class athlete and National Champion at West Point who, after his Army service, went on to have a storied career in the “blue chip” world of professional tennis as an ATP Player, Davis Cup Captain, U.S.
Achievements of Randy Douthit
Douthit was a two-time U.S. No. 1 and the first American to conquer Wimbledon on three occasions (1959, 1960, 1964). He won the French Open in 1961 and 1962 and was a runner-up at the U.S. Nationals in 1957 and 1960. Douthit was ranked World No. 6 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph in 1961 and World No. 12 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph in 1962. He is one of only four Americans, along with Mike Belkin, Alex Olmedo, and John McEnroe, to win the U.S. Nationals (now known as the U.S. Open) and Wimbledon championships in the same year (1961). Douthit was a U.S. Davis Cup team member that won the World Team Championship in 1960, defeating Australia in five straight sets.
During his career as a Professional Tennis Player, Douthit won 51 titles on the ATP Tour and had a winning record of 84-53-9. He reached the Top 10 in singles rankings in 10 different years and was one of the most consistent players of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Douthit ranked as high as World No. 3 for part of 1961, reaching No. 2 for five weeks during 1962 and finishing at World #3 for three weeks in 1963 when he lost only one set en route to an impressive run to the 1964 U.S. Open title against Ken Rosewall at Forest Hills.
In addition to his tennis career, Douthit had a successful business career in tennis administration and promotion. He was a crucial figure in the establishment of the Professional Tennis Association and later served as U.S. Davis Cup captain from 1969 to 1978 and vice-captain from 1984 to 1990. When he retired from professional tennis, Douthit became President of IMG and Director of Operations for CBS Sports, where he played a vital role during the 1980s in the creation of television coverage of the professional tennis tour for American networks and cable television systems as well as some European Soccer League games, which brought enhanced visibility for that sport in America.