I had a critical comment last year when I did my post on Bill Tilden, claiming that I was celebrating pedophilia. I actually intended the story of Tilden to be a reminder of a life in the closet & the toll it takes on a person. I feel that if Tilden had been free to be who he truly was, he might likely have dated young men over 18 or even over 21, or possibly met someone closer to his own age, you never know who you might fall in love with.
I have no sexual interest in anyone younger than 30.. .I would consider 30 too young. My idea of a perfect mate would be a silver fox such as my husband: 62, thin, fit, 6' 150#, knows how to use power tools. If something should happen to him, God forbid, I would have to honor my commitment to Anderson Cooper. As for children, those who know me have heard my position: "I like children under 5 years old & over 25 years old. In between, I would rather not encounter them".
I am not a criminal! I am a tennis player. I feel awkward saying this, but I consider myself an artist, an artist of the game...I have to create...” If this was happening today, & Bill Tilden were Roger Federer’s greatest rival, I am sure that Bill Tilden would be a guest on Oprah. Tilden would chat about his “problems” with Oprah & Dr. Drew, & then publicly announce that he was going into sex addiction rehab. William Tatem Tilden II was born on this day- February 10th, in 1893.
In 1950, during an era of very closed minds, the Red scare & sexual & social conservatism, Tilden was overwhelmingly voted the greatest tennis player of the first half of the 20th century in an Associated Press poll only 6 weeks after being released from prison, for the 2nd time, on a conviction of having fondled & made unwanted advances to a teenage boy.
In the 1920s his star was as bright as Babe Ruth's & Jack Dempsey's. Tilden won every major title for which he competed for 6 years, including 6 U.S. Nationals (1920-25). His greatness was not simply in his ability to hit a tennis ball. It was as much in the way he did it, just as his long & tragic fall into poverty & humiliation was as much a self-destruction as it was about sex.
Tilden won 3 Wimbledons, the 1st American to win the tournament in 1920 & 1921. He didn't compete at Wimbledon from 1922-26; the next 3 years he lost in the semifinals before becoming the oldest man to win a Wimbledon's singles title, at 37 in 1930.
Tilden won 7 U.S titles, 5 U.S. doubles titles & 4 national indoor titles while also leading the U.S. to 7 consecutive Davis Cups from 1920-26, including 13 singles victories in Cup competition. He didn't lose a match in 1924 & won 57 consecutive games in a single stretch in 1925.
After turning pro.Tilden moved to Hollywood in the 1930s & became friends with movie stars such as Greta Garbo Charlie Chaplin, Errol Flynn, Katherine Hepburn & Joseph Cotten.
He traveled the circuit with hand picked adolescent ball boys; his behavior gradually resulted in banishment from many country & tennis clubs, & exclusion from major tennis tournaments.
In 1946, Tilden was arrested in Beverly Hills for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Although the young man was a teenage prostitute & had consented to Tilden's sexual advances, Tilden was sentenced to a year in prison. He served for 7 months. In 1949, Tilden was arrested again for involvement with a 16 year old hitchhiker & sentenced to another year in prison, of which he served 10 months.
His reputation was tarnished by scandal & his fortune squandered on bad investments in Broadway shows. Tilden's final years were excruciatingly sad, spent alone in poverty in a lonely walk-up room in Hollywood. In 1953,Tilden died of a heart attack at age 60, in his bed. He had $282.11 in cash & traveler's checks with him; $200 was returned to a student for lessons never given. His net worth was $88.11 when he died.
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