Both friends and foes pay Stan Smith the ultimate compliment by referring to him as "the tennis player's tennis player," which is in recognition of the display and dedication that have helped him attain a level of greatness that many aspire to achieve.
Smith has played or coached tennis at the professional level for more than 40 years, winning the most prestigious tournaments in both singles and doubles.
Over his storied career, Smith has garnered many accomplishments:
He served as a director of coaching for the USTA Player Development Program.
He was the head coach of the men's U.S. Olympic team at the Sydney Olympics.
He ranked No. 1 in 1969, 1971 - 1973 in the United States, and was the world's No. 1 in 1971 and 1972.
He played 11 Grand Slam finals, was a member of seven winning Davis Cup teams and won a remarkable 39 pro singles and 61 doubles titles.
He won the US Open in 1971 and Wimbledon in 1972.
He has a 12 & 1 Davis Cup doubles record and is a four-time U.S. Open doubles winner.
He and his frequent doubles partner, Bob Lutz, are the only team ever to have won the national championship on all four surfaces: grass, clay, hard court and indoors.
Smith has been a contributing editor of TENNIS Magazine since 1986, has had a syndicated tennis column with King Features since 1985, is the author of Inside Tennis, co-authored Modern Doubles and wrote Winning Doubles.
Smith has been inducted into the University of Southern California Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame, the Southern Tennis Halls of Fame, the Intercollegiate Hall of Fame and the International Hall of Fame.