The International Tennis Federation released a tribute last Tuesday, announcing the death of its former President Brian Tobin, who died on 22 April at the age of 93.
ITF expressed its condolences to Tobin’s wife Carmen, sons Geoff and Alan, and his family and friends around the world. Tobin served two terms as president of the international tennis governing body, from 1991 to 1999.
Born on 5 December 1930 in Perth, Australia, Tobin was a top 10 player in the country from 1956 to 1962; ranking at number 8 at his career highest. He was a doubles winner in the 1954 Australian hard courts and a mixed doubles winner at both the Swiss championships and the Netherlands championships in 1964.
He left his tennis career behind to spend more than 20 years working in banking and finance, but would later return as honorary president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia (now Tennis Australia), eventually becoming its first full-time president.
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Tobin made a lasting impact in the world of tennis, including overseeing the move of the Australian Open from the grass courts of Kooyong to its current home at Melbourne Park, and the construction of Rod Laver Arena with its revolutionary retractable roof.
At ITF, he guided the sport into a new era that followed the establishment of the ATP and WTA tours and the reintroduction of tennis into the Olympics in 1988. He greatly enhanced and developed the ITF’s core activities and major events including Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup (then Fed Cup).
In 1986 Tobin was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), and in 1999 received the Olympic Order from the IOC. In 2003 Tobin was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.