Induction Year: 1985

Chuck McKinley (1941-1986) started playing tennis in St. Louis, Missouri. In the winter months he worked with Bill Price in a drafty and dirty tennis center known as the Armory Building. This unlikely environment produced four Wimbledon champions including McKinley—Earl “Butch” Buckholz (Junior Wimbledon), Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors.

McKinley was a finalist at Wimbledon in 1961 and went on to win it in 1963. An energetic and athletic player, McKinley’s Wimbledon victory was an exhibition of the diving and scrambling technique that had become his trademark.

His other singles championships include the U.S. Indoors in 1962 and 1964 and the U.S. Clay Court in 1962 and 1963. His doubles championships include the U.S. Open in 1961, 1963 and 1964 with Dennis Ralston, the U.S. Indoors in 1962 with Rod Laver and in 1963 and 1965 with Ralston and the U.S. Clay Court in 1961 and 1964 with Ralston.

McKinley was a member of the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1960 to 1965. In 1963 he won the fifth and deciding singles match over John Newcombe 10-12, 6-2, 9-7, 6-2 to win the victory over Australia in the finals.