The local tennis fraternity is today mourning the death of one of Jamaica’s tennis pioneers, Richard Russell O.D., who passed away Wednesday morning at Hospiten Montego Bay.

Three days after being admitted with pneumonia, Russell, the only Jamaican to feature in and venture beyond the first round at all four Grand Slams (Australian Open, French Open, US Open and Wimbledon) passed away at age 79.

Russell is best remembered for notching a 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 win against India’s Richie Chopra in a first round match at the Australian Open in 1966 and also took part in the inaugural Nations Cup (now World Team Cup), as a member of the Caribbean team.

He became the nation’s youngest All-Jamaica Open champion at age 16 and was conferred with the national honour of Order of Distinction in October 2022, for his “decades of exemplary sportsmanship as well as display of citizenship that led to the growth of the sport of tennis in Jamaica.”

A winner of more than 12 matches in the Davis Cup, Russell was also the man behind the Russell Tennis Academy, which he operated at Campion College and Hillel Academy for the past decade.

His resume includes being a founding member of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), serving as director of Tennis Jamaica in 2012 and chairman of the All-Island High School Tennis Championships from 2011-2012.

For these and other achievements, Russell was inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame in 2019.