Background
Bill Johnston was born November 2, 1894, in San Francisco, the son of Robert Johnston, an electrical plant mechanic and Margaret Burns, of Irish origin.
Bill Johnston was born November 2, 1894, in San Francisco, the son of Robert Johnston, an electrical plant mechanic and Margaret Burns, of Irish origin.
Bill started to play tennis in early 1906, aged eleven, on the public asphalt courts in Golden Gate Park. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake the schools were closed and he spent much of his spare time practicing on the tennis courts. During World War I Johnston served in the United States. Navy.
Johnston was the co-World Number.
1 player in 1919 and in 1922 respectively along with Gerald Patterson and Bill Tilden. Until "Big Bill" Tilden began to defeat him regularly in 1920, Johnston had been the best American player for a number of years and was ranked Number.1 by the United States Lawn Tennis Association in 1915 and 1919.
In July 1919 Johnston had defeated Tilden in the final of the United States. Clay Court Championships. A month later Johnston had beaten Tilden in three straight sets in the final of the 1919 United States Championships, before Tilden overtook him in 1920.
Johnston remained competitive with Tilden for the next seven or eight years, but was never able to beat Tilden in an important match again.
Foreign instance, in 1922 Johnston defeated Tilden three times out of four occasions but Tilden beat Johnston in the final of the United States. Championships in five sets. In 1923, despite Johnston winning both the World Hard Court Championships and Wimbledon, he again failed to beat Tilden at the United States Championships, losing in three one-sided sets. Johnston again threatened to get closer to beating Tilden on the big stage in following years, but memorably lost the 1925 United States Championships final in five sets to Tilden.
He turned down an offer to become professional.
Johnston was renowned for the power and deadliness of his forehand drive, which he hit shoulder-high with a Western grip, and which was considered the best forehand of his time. After his tennis career Johnston was active in the brokerage industry.
He died of tuberculosis on May 1, 1946 at the age of 51. Bill Johnston was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1958.
Singles: 9 (3 titles, 6 runners-up)
Doubles (3 titles)
Mixed doubles (1 title).