Jan Koželuh

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Jan Koželuh (1904-1973) was a Czech tennis player of the 1920s, not to be confused with his older brother Karel Koželuh (1895 - 1950), a player of the same era. Although Karel was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 2006, Jan is almost totally forgotten today outside his native Czechoslovakia.

[edit] Biography

Jan Koželuh was the son of Josef and Maria Koželuh, one of 7 brothers and two sisters. All six brothers and one sister were active in sports, a new phenomenon of that era. Karel, the most notable of the Koželuh family, achieved his fame as one of the first professional players in tennis, soccer, and field and ice hockey.

Jan, said by some to be the most talented of them all, remained an amateur throughout his career. He was the Czech national singles and doubles champion 1925-1928 as well as a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 1926 and 1927. He played many matches for the Czech Davis Cup team 1924-1930. His highest world ranking was number 10 in 1927. Although Karel continued to play at a top level on the professional tennis circuit until he was in his forties, Jan ended his amateur career at 26, which many considered a mistake. Afterwards, he lived in Florida, where he gave tennis lessons until his death.