Article
12 Jan 2022
Obituary: Bob Falkenberg
12 Jan 2022
Bob Falkenburg, one of only three men in the last 100 years to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title after rallying back from championship point down, died on 6 January 2022. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1974, Falkenburg was 95 years old.
Falkenburg’s run at Wimbledon came in 1948. Seeded seventh, he upset third-seeded Gardnar Mulloy in the semis and in the finals faced second-seeded John Bromwich, a popular Australian with a crowd-pleasing game based on touch and accuracy. Falkenburg’s chief weapons were a big serve, sharp volleys, and a keen ability to pace himself over the course of a long match.
After he and Bromwich split the first four sets, Falkenburg’s serve began to lose power. Bromwich served at 5-3, 40-15, at which point Falkenburg struck two backhand return winners. Bromwich subsequently earned an ad, his third championship point. Once again, he served to Falkenburg’s backhand, charged the net – and let the ball go, thinking it would sail long. But it didn’t. Having rallied three times from the brink, a rejuvenated Falkenburg sprinted to the finish line, closing out the match with two aces, 7-5 0-6 6-2 3-6 7-5. “I was lucky to win,” he said after the match.
Prior to Falkenburg, the last man to successfully rally from championship point down was Henri Cochet in 1927. Since Falkenburg, the feat has only been accomplished by Novak Djokovic when, in 2019, the Serb fought off two championship points versus Roger Federer.
In addition to the Wimbledon singles victory, Falkenburg earned a pair of major doubles titles, winning the U.S. National doubles in 1944 with Don McNeil and Wimbledon in 1947 alongside Jack Kramer. Falkenburg also played Davis Cup, but not for his native United States. Instead, well after his playing prime had ended, Falkenburg competed for Brazil, in 1954 and ‘55 compiling a record of 3-7 (2-4 singles, 1-3 doubles). That was just one of many experiences that gave Falkenburg’s life a distinctly global, colourful flair.
Robert Falkenburg was born on January 29, 1926 in New York City. Much of his early childhood was spent in Brazil and Chile, where Falkenburg’s father, Eugene, worked as an engineer. His mother, Marguerite, was an accomplished tennis player. The Falkenburgs relocated to Los Angeles in 1935 and soon became members of the prestigious Los Angeles Tennis Club (LATC). Bob’s brother Tom and sister Jinx were also accomplished tennis players, each competing in the U.S. National Championships. Jinx’s career took another direction when she was discovered by Hollywood executive Sam Goldwyn and she became very successful in the world of fashion and acting.
Falkenburg won the U.S. National junior singles and doubles titles in 1943 and ’44, the latter while in the U.S. Army Air Force (he also won the doubles in ’42). Following the war, while enrolled at the University of Southern California, he led the Trojans to the 1946 NCAA championship, taking both the singles and doubles, the latter paired with his brother Tom.
In 1947, Falkenburg married Brazilian Lourdes Mayrink Veiga Machado. The two settled in Rio de Janeiro. Frustrated at being unable to find a satisfying hamburger or milkshake, in 1952, Falkenburg launched ten “Bob’s” snack bar outlets throughout Brazil. Hundreds followed, not just in Brazil, but also in Chile, Portugal and Angola. Over time, more than 1,000 Bob’s came to be in the region. The fast-food restaurant continues to thrive today. In 1970, the Falkenburgs returned to Southern California, Bob eventually selling the business and retiring just north of Los Angeles to Santa Barbara.
Falkenburg is survived by his wife, Lourdes, daughter Claudia, son Robert II, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
This article was originally published on the International Tennis Hall of Fame website here.
This article was originally published on the International Tennis Hall of Fame website here.