Surviving the sinking of the Titanic, only to go on and win the US Open, the Davis Cup and an Olympic gold medal. Richard Norris Williams, a leading North American tennis player of the early 20th century, lived a life worthy of a film.
Accompanied by his father and coach, Williams was one of the more than 2,000 passengers who set sail on April 10, 1912, aboard the Titanic from Europe to New York. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, the 21-year-old had been accepted into Harvard University.
Both assisted other passengers after the Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14 and tragedy unfolded. They were among the last to leave the ship.
Sports Illustrated reported that the young tennis player freed a passenger trapped in his cabin after breaking down a jammed door. A crew member threatened to fine him for damaging the ship’s property — a moment that may well have inspired a scene in James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic, when Jack and Rose break a door during their escape and are reprimanded for damaging “White Star Line property”.
Williams’ father died after being struck by one of the ship’s funnels, while the player jumped 12 metres into the sea and managed to swim to one of the lifeboats. After being exposed to the freezing waters of the North Atlantic, his legs became frostbitten. A doctor aboard the rescue ship RMS Carpathia suggested immediate amputation to prevent possible gangrene.
“I’m going to need these legs,” Williams said. He refused to give permission, determined to recover. With remarkable determination, he began walking the decks of the Carpathia every two hours, even during the night, to restore circulation in his limbs.
The young man made an astonishing recovery and, just a few months later, became champion of the third edition of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship. 114 years later, North American Tommy Paul and Argentina’s Román Burruchaga are contesting the title of one of the oldest tournaments on the tour.
Williams was part of the United States team that won the 1914 Davis Cup, claimed the US Open twice (1914, 1916) and won the gold medal in mixed doubles at the Paris 1924 Olympic Games.
His successful career and a life story marked by resilience and perseverance earned him induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1957.
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