Rained Out, Then Sold Out

On Saturday, September 26, the Men's Pro Doubles Tournament at the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame Festival was called for rain just as it got underway. That didn’t dampen the spirits of the ball kids from Breakpoint Tennis and Life Skills Academy. They took home the only cups of the day. Ted Drewes frozen custard.

That evening, a sold-out crowd gathered at the Highlands, which used to be the Triple A Club, for the dinner honoring our 2026 St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame inductees: George Capps, James Holton Jr. and Rick Randall.

Tom O'Neal, a board member of the Triple A Youth Foundation and co-director of the festival, opened with a video from St. Louis tennis legend Butch Buchholz. Butch worked with both Capps and Holton in the 1960s and '70s, and he talked about what they did for pro tennis in St. Louis and around the world.

In 1964, George Capps put up the money for the world's first week-long men's pro tournament, held at Triple A. Four more pro tournaments followed in the U.S. that year, and that early circuit became the foundation for what is now the ATP.

James Holton Jr. sponsored and ran the Holton Classic, a WCT men's pro tournament, in 1972, 1973 and 1974. He brought Rod Laver, Stan Smith, Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe, Niki Pilic and Tony Roche to St. Louis.

Both men have passed away. Their sons, John Capps and Rick Holton, accepted for them and shared their memories, including some colorful stories about how the greats of that era played hard on and off the court.

Tom Fluri, a 2013 inductee, introduced Rick Randall, his teammate on the 1970 University of Missouri tennis team.

Rick was ranked No. 1 in singles in the Missouri Valley in the 60s, 65s and 75s age divisions. Nationally he was ranked No. 23 in the 60s, and he has won four national doubles titles. He worked with Butch Buchholz on pro events in St. Louis, including the 1982 Davis Cup tie. Over the years, Rick has been head pro at three clubs and has put a lot of work into keeping the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in shape. These days he's raising money to give the Hall of Fame a permanent home.

After thanking everyone, Rick took us back in time. He brought up memories most of us hadn't thought about in years, like needing a key to open a can of balls and cutting his fingers on the metal strip. Or riding the bus down to the Armory to watch Jimmy Connors practice on the end court. Then there were the stories only Rick could tell, like sitting next to Arthur Ashe for all 6 hours and 22 minutes of McEnroe vs. Wilander at the 1982 Davis Cup and listening to how Ashe handled McEnroe. You could tell how grateful he is to be part of this community and how much its history means to him. Tennis gave him a life, and he's spending the rest of it giving back.

Thank you to Vetta Tennis Clubs, Forest Lake, Dwight Davis and USTA Missouri Valley/St. Louis for buying tables. Thanks also to our major sponsors: Lindell Bank, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, the Dan Apted family, Ted Simmons, Moneta Financial Group, Welsch Heating & Cooling, Scott and Sue Hunt, the Tom O'Neal family, the George Capps Foundation, the James Holton family and a generous anonymous donor.

The night raised almost $20,000, which will go toward junior tennis in the St. Louis area and the Hall of Fame website.

Thank you to everyone who came out, and congratulations to our 2026 inductees and their families.