About John Van Ryn
Lived 1906 – 1999 (aged 93). John Van Ryn was an American tennis player.
John Van Ryn (June 30, 1905 – August 7, 1999) was an American tennis champion of the 1930s. He was primarily known as the doubles partner of Wilmer Allison.
Van Ryn won the Seabright Invitational in New Jersey in 1928, defeating Wilmer Allison in the final, Allison retiring at 10-10 in the fifth set. That same year he won the Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championships at the Merion Cricket club defeating Frank Shields in the final in three straight sets.
In 1929 he defeated Bill Tilden in the final of the Brooklyn Heights Casino Indoor Invitation in three straight sets.
In 1930 Van Ryn won the Mason & Dixon Tournament at The Greenbrier resort defeating Gregory Mangin in the quarterfinal in three straight sets, Frank Hunter in the semifinal in five sets, and Allison in the final in four sets.
He won the United North and South tournament at the Pinehurst Resort in 1931 defeating Clifford Sutter in the final in three straight sets. That same season he won the Brooklyn Heights Casino Indoor Invitation defeating Frank Shields in the final in three straight sets.
Van Ryn won the Men's Doubles at Wimbledon three straight years (1929–31). He took two of the titles with Wilmer Allison and won the third with George Lott. In 1931, he was also successful with Lott at the French Championships. He became the first male player to win the French, British and American doubles titles when he won the 1931 U.S. National Championships with Allison. Van Ryn had an excellent record when he competed for the United States in Davis Cup, winning 22 of 24 encounters in a period of eight years. He was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1963.
On 22 October 1930 he married tennis player Midge Gladman.
Grand Slam finals
Doubles (6 titles, 5 runners-up)
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Important facts
People in John Van Ryn's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Van Ryn's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Van Ryn?
US tennis player (1906–1999)
When was John Van Ryn born?
John Van Ryn was born on 30 June 1906 in Newport News.
When did John Van Ryn die?
John Van Ryn died on 7 August 1999 in Palm Beach.
What was John Van Ryn's occupation?
John Van Ryn was a tennis player.
What nationality was John Van Ryn?
John Van Ryn was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Van Ryn. https://biography.guide/john-van-ryn/
MLA: "John Van Ryn." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-van-ryn/.
Chicago: "John Van Ryn." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-van-ryn/.
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