A Message From Our Leadership:
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of tennis legend and longtime ITEC Board Member, Richard Savitt, at age 95.
Dick’s love for tennis grew from the young age of 13, leading him to become a self-taught player, spectator, and inspiring coach. In 1951, he became the first Jewish player to collect championships at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He later won gold medals in singles and doubles at the 1961 Maccabiah Games. A heroic athlete with a love for tennis, he dedicated his life to helping athletes and was inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1976.
In addition to playing with fellow tennis stars and coaching young athletes at Columbia, Dick would spend his time teaching the sport to his son, Bob Savitt. The two ended up competing in father/son tournaments together and won the father/son nationals in 1981, an achievement that Dick held close to his heart.
Dick was a champion in tennis and of the Israel Tennis & Education Centers and often travelled to Israel to work with our high-performance tennis players. He was a role model and an inspiration for many of our players and made a profound impact on their careers. He was instrumental in putting the Israel Tennis & Education Centers on the tennis world map, and his memory will forever remain a blessing.
To read more about Dick’s illustrious tennis career and life, please see the links below:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/06/sports/tennis/dick-savitt-dead.html
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/article270870457.html
May the Savitt family be comforted by their beautiful memories of Dick and his significant legacy.