Lithuanian Lion

A great friend, a person with a big heart who loved life – this is how friends and tennis experts still speak of Vitas Gerulaitis, who became famous in the tennis world for his impressive game and charisma.

Vitas Gerulaitis was born in 1954 in New York to a Lithuanian émigré family.

The Lithuanian-American tennis player etched his name into the global tennis map with his hard work, leaving a permanent legacy. In 1977, Vitas Gerulaitis won the:

• Australian Open tournament;
• Played in the finals of the French Open (1980) and the US Open (1979), and reached the Wimbledon semifinals twice (1977, 1978).

His collection includes 26 ATP singles titles, 9 doubles titles, and a 3rd place in the ATP world rankings.

Unfortunately, the life of this tennis talent was cut short by a tragic accident – fatal poisoning from odorless gas while sleeping, at the age of just 41. However, Vitas Gerulaitis’ name, written into the pages of tennis history, will live on forever.

The archival photography retrospective is dedicated to introducing the exceptional personality of Vitas Gerulaitis, in whose honor the historic ATP “Challenger” series tournament, “Vitas Gerulaitis Cup,” will take place at the SEB Arena.

The photography retrospective is gifted to tennis lovers by Darnu Group.

Lithuanian Roots

In 1939, fleeing from the Russian occupation, Vitas Gerulaitis’ parents – Vytautas and Aldona – met near Regensburg (Germany), where both families were temporarily staying on neighboring farms.

At the end of the war, they moved to a displaced persons camp in Augsburg and married while waiting for their American visas. Soon after, the Gerulaitis family settled in Brooklyn, New York, where other relatives joined them.

Vitas, along with his younger sister Rūta, spoke their native Lithuanian language. Rūta, recalling her childhood, shared that on their first day in kindergarten, she and her brother did not know any English. Both attended a Saturday Lithuanian school in Brooklyn for eight years.

Vitas and Rūta nurtured their Lithuanian roots in the Lithuanian-American community, participating in traditional Lithuanian folk dances.

Career and its Heights

Vitas and Rūta began learning the secrets of tennis from their father Vytautas, who had already become a three-time Lithuanian tennis champion. In their early years, they would spend every weekend with their father, hitting balls at the public tennis courts in Forest Park, Queens.

43 years ago (1980), after a victory in the ATP Masters tournament semifinals against Jimmy Connors, the legendary Vitas Gerulaitis delivered one of the most iconic quotes in tennis history: “Let this be a lesson to all of you – no one beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row!”

According to tennis players and experts of that time, Vitas achieved his greatest career victories not through extraordinary talent, but through relentless determination and hard work.

“He could spend up to 10 hours a day on the court. No matter how long it took, he would practice until he did it correctly.”

Antonio Palafox, one of the coaches at the Port Washington Tennis Academy.

Greatest Career Achievements:

• In 1975, he won the men’s doubles title at Wimbledon.
• In 1977 and 1978, he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon. In 1977, he lost in the Wimbledon semifinals to his close friend and training partner Björn Borg with a score of 6:4, 3:6, 6:3, 3:6, 8:6. This match later became known as one of the best tennis encounters of the past decade.
• In 1977, Vitas Gerulaitis achieved the most significant title of his career by winning the Australian Open men’s singles title, defeating John Lloyd in the final after five sets.
• In 1978, Gerulaitis won the year-end WCT Finals in the World Championship Tennis Tour, defeating Eddie Dibbs 6:3, 6:2, 6:1. By the end of 1978, he was ranked third in the world for men’s singles.
• In 1979, Gerulaitis lost to fellow New Yorker John McEnroe in the US Open men’s singles final. He was part of the U.S. Davis Cup team, which won the 1979 Davis Cup, where he secured two singles victories in the 5:0 win over Italy.
• Gerulaitis reached his third Grand Slam singles final in 1980, when he lost to Björn Borg in the French Open final.
• In February 1981, Gerulaitis won the star-studded Toronto Indoor Invitational tournament, defeating John McEnroe in the final after having beaten Jimmy Connors in the semifinals.
• Over his career, Gerulaitis won 25 ATP singles titles and eight doubles titles. His highest singles ranking was world No. 3, which he achieved on February 27, 1978.
• Gerulaitis coached Pete Sampras during the 1994 Italian Open in Rome when Sampras’ coach, Tim Gullikson, was on a family vacation. Sampras went on to win the title, defeating Boris Becker in the final.

“At a time when the locker room was often divided – with the ever-competitive John and Jimmy, the quiet and shy Björn, and Vitas’ friend Vilas, who wrote gloomy poems – somehow, Vitas was friends with all of them. You just wanted to be in his orbit because no one else was as lively as he was. He brought energy and playfulness to everything he touched.”

“He was incredibly fast on the court and had a great instinct at the net. He was agile and charismatic on the court, and he possessed the same qualities off of it.”

Mary Carillo, former tennis player and sports commentator.

Personality

Vitas Gerulaitis was known not only for his charisma and dedication on the tennis court but also for his presence off the court. He was always the center of attention, whether it was sharing a stage with Aerosmith’s lead singer Steven Tyler at a concert or partying at the legendary “Studio 54” nightclub, where he knew everyone, and everyone knew him.

Vitas celebrated his 21st birthday by inviting all the tennis match spectators to join him at a pajama party he was hosting. When he expressed his disappointment over the low turnout, his friend Mary Carillo took him to the window. Outside, hundreds of fans, dressed in pajamas, stood in the parking lot.

Vitas Gerulaitis also left his mark through his social and charitable activities. Through his charity foundation, he promoted tennis in New York’s orphanages and underprivileged neighborhoods. He distributed tennis rackets to children in parks and even organized six tennis charity events in the city, offering tennis training and sending the most talented athletes to tennis camps.

“Vitas was a great person with a big heart, my training partner – we spent a lot of time together. He did a lot of good for tennis, but not just by playing – he had several support funds and helped children get started with tennis. I miss him, and I think the whole tennis world misses him.”

Björn Borg, legendary tennis player.

“Of course, Vitas liked to have fun, but he never forgot to work hard and maintain his physical condition. His nightlife, with luxury cars and club visits, was the complete opposite of his dedication on the tennis court. He was a fighter, not just a player who liked to show off.”

“He worked tirelessly to become a top-class player. He didn’t have the talent that my brother had. Vitas was a real workhorse, and that’s why he became a top-5 player in the world.”

Patrick McEnroe, brother of legendary tennis player John McEnroe.

Fifth-ranked player in the world (ATP) Vitas Gerulaitis, along with his father Vytautas Gerulaitis and sister Rūta, organized a Vitas Gerulaitis Foundation event in Central Park to encourage youth participation in sports.

During the event at the Central Park tennis courts, tennis stars such as John McEnroe, Björn Borg, Tony Graham, and Rick Fagel also made appearances.

Thousands of New York youth flocked to this open tennis event organized by the Vitas Gerulaitis Foundation. The event also gave young participants the opportunity to receive free tennis rackets and try tennis with some of the best in the tennis world.

August 23, 1982 | Central Park, New York

“When I think of Vitas, I always remember that he was the first person to give away rackets to kids for free. We continued this tradition for several years—every racket we gave to children had Vitas’s name on it. It was our humble way of honoring a great player, tennis lover, and a very good friend.”

Billie Jean King, legendary tennis player.

The photo retrospective is presented to tennis lovers by