Jack Tuero had the great fortune to be a teammate of two Southern Tennis Hall of Fame members, all of whom played under another famed inductee.
That was the story of New Orleans tennis in the 1940s and 1950s.
Tuero was a member of the Tulane University Green Wave that dominated men’s tennis for decades. He played with Southern Hall of Famers Wade L. Herren and Leslie Clarke Longshore Jr. Other Tulane players who have been inducted in the hall include Crawford Henry, Hamilton F. “Ham” Richardson, Lester M. Sack, Jr., Ernest M. Sutter and Ron Holmberg.
The guiding force of the university’s success was coach and Hall of Famer Emmett Paré, who led the men’s team from 1933 to 1973. Tulane won the program’s sole NCAA championship in 1959 and captured 18 SEC championships.
According to tennis historian Billy Crawford, while at Tulane, Tuero won 59 of 60 SEC Conference matches and lost only two more in his college career.
In 1949 he won the National Intercollegiate (NCAA) Championship in a dramatic 1-6, 0-6, 6-4, 9-7, 6-0 comeback against Sam Match of San Francisco State. Additionally, he was SEC singles champion in 1947, 1949 and 1950 and was the doubles champion in 1947 with Gleann Gardner, and in 1948-50 with Dick Mouledous.
In 1949, Tuero also won the Blue-Gray singles tournament. He captured the title again in 1951, gaining a win over Tony Trabert, who would go on to win five Grand Slam titles.
Tuero sandwiched his brilliant collegiate career between numerous successes as a junior and adult.
Tuero was born in 1926 in Waco, Tex. His father, Oscar, was a baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching in 58 games. Jack lived in Memphis from 1936 to 1940 when his father was playing baseball there. The family moved to New Orleans, where Jack started playing tennis.
In 1940, he was the boys’ 15s Southern champion and national 15s runner-up. The next year he was a national finalist again in the 18s and under division. In 1943 he was Southern singles titlist in the Open division and was selected for the Junior Davis Cup team. He would win the Southern singles title again in 1948. At 17, he advanced to the U.S. National Championships, losing in the quarterfinals to the great Jack Kramer. He was the national clay court doubles champion with Ted Schroeder. He was ranked No. 1 in the section in 1943 and 1951.
The ATP shows Tuero had a 7-9 career record and reached the US Open second round in 1954.
He participated in numerous tournaments around the country with extensive success. Later he focused on serving as a teaching pro at Clubs in Beverly Hills, Calif.
His niece, 1995 Southern Hall of Fame inductee Linda Tuero, said, “I imagine that the members of the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame are familiar with the impressive tennis record of my late uncle, Jack Tuero. … He was so incredibly talented, a natural athlete. I remember watching him effortlessly glide around the court, never seeming to struggle.”
Richardson recounted, “Jack had a superb backhand, slightly weaker forehand (in spite of Emmett Paré efforts!), great quickness and speed around the court, and a marvelous volleying touch. His balletic grace was a delight to watch.”
Longshore, another Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, wrote, “In the history of Southern tennis, for most of us, Bitsy Grant and Ham Richardson are our most famous players. After these two, I believe that Jack Tuero was our most talented. … Jack’s friendly personality and unselfish attitude made him a positive influence on countless young players through the years.”
He was inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.
His honors and accomplishments include:
- Won the 1949 National Intercollegiate (NCAA) Championship
- SEC singles champion in 1947, 1949 and 1950
- Boys’ 15s Southern champion and national 15s runner-up in 1940
- In 1948, he was Southern singles champ and was ranked No. 1 in the section in 1943 and 1951
- Four-time NCAA doubles champion in 1947, 1948-50
- Had a 7-9 career in ATP matches
- Reached the second round of the US Open in 1954
- 1949 and 1951 Blue-Gray singles titlist
- Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985