Trinity tennis legend Frank Froehling, who became one of the top men's players in the world, died on January 23rd, 2020, at the age of 77 at his son's home in Jensen Beach, Florida. Funeral arrangements are pending. 

Froehling earned a bachelor's degree in math from Trinity in 1964, the same year he attained All-America honors. He posted a 46-5 career singles mark for the Tigers, and won nine singles championships. Froehling was a key member of the 1962-1964 squads which sported three undefeated seasons and chalked up 60 consecutive victories. He was inducted into the 2001 Trinity Athletic Hall of Fame.

Along the way, Froehling and Bobby Joyner '64 were an undefeated doubles team, going 17-0 from 1961-1963. Joyner had this to say about his teammate:

“Frank Arthur Froehling, my best friend, my confidant, and the person who taught this country boy so much about life. Our stories and life experiences are too numerous to share and would take up too much time - 60 years worth. He was a wonderfully warm and caring guy, so fun and always treated me like a brother. Words cannot express the depth of our loss.”

Froehling made his mark at the national and international tennis levels. He was singles runner-up in 1963 at the U.S. Championships to Rafael Osuna and was named the #6 player in the world. Froehling placed second in doubles with Charles Pasarell in 1965. 

Froehling teamed up with Lesley Turner at the 1962 U.S. Championships in mixed doubles and was paired three years later with Judy Tegart. They were runners-up each time to Stolle and Margaret Smith.

Additionally, Froehling was a 1963 Wimbledon singles quarterfinalist and advanced to the semifinals of the 1971 French Open. 

Butch Newman '65 and the late Chuck McKinley became Trinity's first tennis All-Americans, receiving the accolade in 1963. McKinley went on to capture the 1963 Wimbledon singles title and was the top-ranked player in the world.

“Frank was truly one of Trinity's greatest legends,” said Newman, Trinity's Director of Tennis, “He had to settle with playing #2 in the lineup behind Chuck McKinley. Even though Frank was the ultimate team player, he never quit striving to be #1. He battled leukemia the last 12 years of his life, and finally succumbed. He put up a great fight, just like he always did in every tennis match he played.”

Froehling was also a member of three U.S. Davis Cup teams. He helped the 1963 and 1971 teams capture the coveted cup.

After competitive tennis, Froehling worked as a tennis court contractor for over 40 years. He built or resurfaced thousands of tennis courts in Florida with Fast-Dry Courts.

Cliff Buchholz '65 earned All-America honors the same year. Buchholz and Newman reached the NCAA doubles quarterfinals. Later, Buchholz became a major force in the tennis industry, operating a number of tennis centers and national tournaments. Each summer, Buchholz hosted a reunion in Vail, Colorado, of the tennis classes of 1964 and 1965.

“Frank was one of the greatest players to ever play college tennis,” said Buchholz, “A finalist at the U.S. Championships, a semifinalist at the French Open, but I will mainly remember him as one of my teammates and close friends. The last five years our 1964 team gathered in Vail are memories that are even more special with my friend. I will miss him.”

Trinity Trustee Miles Cortez '64 was also a teammate of Froehling's and was a major contributor to the three undefeated campaigns from 1962-1964. Inducted into the Trinity Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, Cortez had some succinct and poignant comments about Froehling:

“World-class tennis player, strong student, great teammate, and a beloved friend.”