Class of 2022
Choy Wai Chuen

Biography

Born in Hong Kong on 5 March 1914

Choy Wai Chuen went to boarding school in England at Framlingham in Suffolk and later university at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He competed mostly on the UK circuit and won an assortment of amateur and open titles.

He beat British Davis Cupper, Charles Hare, who was ranked world No. 10 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph for 1937, in the semifinals of the British Hard Court Championships in 1938 before finishing runner-up to arguably the greatest Chinese tennis player of all time, Kho Sin-Khie. The British Hard Court Championships were at the time regarded as the most important tournament outside of the four majors. Fred Perry was a five-time champion from 1933-1937 and other notable winners included Rene Lacoste, Rod Laver, John Newcombe, and Ilie Nastase. Choy was also a quarterfinalist at the British Covered Court Championships in 1937 and at Queen’s in 1938.

In singles at the majors, Choy competed at Wimbledon eleven times from 1933-1939 and 1946-1949, reaching the 3rd round in 1939 and semifinals of the Plate twice. He also played the French Open in 1937 and the US Open in 1940 and 1941.

He represented China in the Davis Cup in 1937, 1939, and 1946, and was a starting singles player in all four ties against New Zealand, France, Denmark, and Belgium. Most notably, he won at No. 2 singles and then partnered Kho Sin-Khie to deliver the clinching doubles point to secure China’s historic maiden victory in the Davis Cup against Denmark in the Europe Zone 1st round tie in 1946.

He passed away due to leukemia at age 37 in London on 9 July 1951.