Admired as one of the most gifted strikers of the ball, Tsui Wai Pui captured a remarkable 34 local major titles (8 singles, 21 doubles, and 5 mixed doubles) over a 32-year span. In addition, aside from winning 13 local majors in men’s doubles with his brother Tsui Yun Pui, he also managed to claim three hardcourt mixed doubles partnering his daughter Yuen Yuen, and teamed up with his son, Kenneth, to reach the CRC Open men’s doubles final in 1967. In 1966, Tsui’s triumph in men’s doubles at age 55 at the CRC Open with Louis Hsu cemented his place as the oldest player to capture a local major.
In 1937, Tsui was nominated alongside Kho Sin-Khie and Choy Wai Chuen to represent China in the Davis Cup Europe Zone 1st Round tie against New Zealand that was held in Brighton, England. In the crucial doubles, Kho and Tsui fought Cam Malfroy and Alan Stedman to one set all before the Kiwis eventually won 6-3, 6-8, 6-3, 6-2. In the reverse singles, Kho beat Stedman to force a fifth and deciding rubber, but Malfroy defeated Choy to give New Zealand a 3-2 overall victory.
Two weeks later, Tsui and Choy were in Paris as the first Hong Kong-born players to compete in the French Championships. Tsui was defeated, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round by France’s 6-foot-7 Davis Cup player, Yvon Petra, who went on to capture the mixed doubles title. He turned out to be the last Frenchman to win the men’s singles at Wimbledon when he later triumphed in 1946. That year, the annual men’s top 10 rankings compiled by A. Wallis Myers listed Petra as the world No. 4.
In 1948, Tsui Wai Pui and Tsui Yun Pui were the first pairing from Hong Kong to medal on a nationwide level on the Mainland when they claimed the gold medal in men’s doubles at the China National Games in Shanghai. Tsui also represented Hong Kong together with daughter Yuen Yuen at the Asian Games in Tokyo in 1958 when tennis was first included as a medal sport. Fittingly, the Davis Cup had been a part of the family’s legacy with both son Kenneth (1970-1974) and son-in-law Ling Fong (1970-1972) players for Hong Kong, and his grandson, Derek Ling, being the captain (2000-2010).
Local Majors
Men’s Singles
Hong Kong Grass Court Championships
1934 1936 1938 1939 1948
Hong Kong Hardcourt Championships
1937 1938 1947
Men’s Doubles
Hong Kong Grass Court Championships
1936 1938 1939 1941 1947 1948 1949 1953 1957 1960
Hong Kong Hardcourt Championships
1937 1938 1947 1948
CRC Open
1948 1950 1958 1959 1960 1961 1963 1966
Mixed Doubles
Hong Kong Hardcourt Championships
1947 1952 1959 1961 1962