Hans Redl

Hans Redl (January 19, 1914 – May 26, 1976) was an Austrian tennis player and administrator who played at the highest level despite the loss of his left arm in World War II.

Biography Born in Vienna on January 19, 1914, he rose to become one of Austria's best tennis players in the late 1930s. He made his debut in the Austrian Davis Cup team in 1937, scoring his country's only point in their 3–1 defeat by Germany.

After the annexation of Austria by the German Reich in 1938, Redl was conscripted into the German army and was sent to the Eastern Front. During the Siege of Stalingrad he was badly wounded and had his left arm amputated at the shoulder. After rehabilitation from his injury, he developed an adjusted serving technique to allow him to continue playing; instead of throwing the ball up with his free hand, he would rest the ball on the racquet face, flipping it in the air before serving as normal. Although this was against the rules, he was given special dispensation because of his handicap.