| Landislav Hecht | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 31, 1909 Zsolna, Upper Hungary |
| Died | May 27, 2004 (aged 94) Kew Gardens, Queens, New York City |
| Nationality | Czechoslovakia |
Ladislav Hecht (August 31, 1909 – May 27, 2004) was a Jewish professional tennis player, well known for representing Czechoslovakia in the Davis Cup during the 1930s.
He was born in Zsolna, Upper Hungary (now Žilina, Slovakia) in 1909, and developed a successful tennis career, some considering him to be the best tennis player in Europe immediately before the Second World War.[1] He then fled to the United States before Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939, working in a munitions factory [2] during World War II.
After the war he continued his tennis career, becoming a #1 ranked player in the eastern United States. He continued on starting toy and paintbrush businesses, and later in life was honored by the city of Bratislava, having a new multisport stadium named after him in 1966.