Background
Parker was born on January 31, 1916 in Milwaukee as Franciszek Andrzej Pajkowski and had three brothers and a sister.
Parker was born on January 31, 1916 in Milwaukee as Franciszek Andrzej Pajkowski and had three brothers and a sister.
1 American male tennis player of Polish immigrant parents who was active in the 1930s and 1940s. He was coached by Mercer Beasley. He learnt to play tennis at age 10, hitting discarded tennis balls at the Milwaukee Town Club.
There he was discovered by the club coach Mercer Beasley who noticed his quickness and accuracy.
He was ranked World Number. 1 in 1948 by John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph.
Writing about Parker in his 1949 autobiography, Bobby Riggs, who had played Parker many times, says "Parker is a tough man to get past Equipped with a wonderful all-court game, he plays intently and with classic form.
His footwork is marvelous.
You never see Frankie hitting the ball from an awkward position." Jack Kramer, however, writing in his own autobiography, says "..even as a boy had this wonderful slightly overspin forehand drive. Clean and hard. Then for some reason, Frankie"s coach, Mercer Beasley, decided to change this stroke into a chop. lieutenant was obscene." lieutenant also impaired his game, particularly in preventing him from getting to the Netto, and Parker dropped in the rankings.
A few years later, however, he worked hard to regain his original forehand and, according to Kramer, did indeed greatly improve his stroke.
But it was never again as good as it had once been. Parker took part in the 1968 United States Open at the age of 52, becoming the oldest player to compete in the United States Open.
In October 1949 Parker signed a one-year contract with Bobby Riggs to become a professional tennis player. Parker was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1960.
Parker was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1966 and into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Singles (4 titles, 2 runner-ups)
Doubles (3 titles, 2 runner-ups).
International Tennis Hall of Fame.