Don Fontana

Don Fontana, born on January first, nineteen thirty-one, was a prominent Canadian tennis player who made his mark in the sport during the 1950s and 1960s. He achieved remarkable success, being ranked as the year-ending number two Canadian player six times, with three of those rankings occurring in the 1950s and the other three in the 1960s. Additionally, he secured a spot in the Canadian top-ten five more times throughout his career.

Fontana's notable achievements include being the runner-up in the Canadian Open singles in nineteen fifty-six, where he triumphed over U.S. player Bob Perry in the semifinals but ultimately lost to Noel Brown in the final. He also excelled in doubles, winning the Canadian Open doubles championship three times alongside compatriot Robert Bédard in nineteen fifty-five, nineteen fifty-seven, and nineteen fifty-nine, while finishing as a runner-up on four other occasions.

In international competitions, Fontana represented Canada in the Davis Cup eight times from nineteen fifty-five to nineteen sixty-three, with a career win-loss record of seven and fifteen. He was also a competitor in the Pan American Games in nineteen fifty-nine and nineteen sixty-three. His contributions to tennis extended beyond playing, as he served as the Canadian Davis Cup captain five times between nineteen sixty-three and nineteen seventy-six and was the tournament director of the Canadian Open in nineteen fifty-nine and from nineteen seventy-one to nineteen seventy-eight.

Fontana's legacy includes his induction into the Tennis Canada Hall of Fame in two thousand, and he was known for his role as a long-time tennis TV analyst for CTV's coverage of the Canadian Open. Remarkably, he was one of the last individuals to have played tennis with the legendary Bill Tilden, participating in a mock-Davis Cup match in nineteen fifty-three. Fontana passed away in Scarborough, Ontario, on July seventeenth, two thousand fifteen.