Celebrating the deep roots of tennis in St. Louis and the players, coaches and champions who changed the world.

Photo: The Handsome 8

The birthplace of the pro game. Here?

You could sure make the case, and credit Butch Buchholz—who had a lot of help from the Holton and Capps families.

A local start

Butch sponsored some of the first pro tournaments, and they happened in St. Louis. With total prize money of up to $19,000, those events proved the concept: tennis could attract quality players, draw an audience and turn a profit.

Going global

The next step was an international tour. Butch and seven other top players—styled The Handsome 8—took pro tennis to the world, paving the way for the Open era.

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