The Tennis Brain That Outsmarted a Generation

What if we told you that long before the unorthodox artistry of Miloslav Mečíř, the sliced wizardry of Fabrice Santoro, or the dazzling unpredictability of Florian Mayer, there was a player even stranger — and perhaps more brilliant — than all of them?

Let’s rewind and rediscover the journey of a brilliant mind who thrived on throwing off his opponents — and tennis norms.

Image Credit : IMS Vintage Photos

In the late 1970s, a peculiar figure emerged on the ATP Tour. Far removed from the power of Sampras, the charisma of McEnroe, or the stoic dominance of other American legends, Gene Mayer carved out his own path — a path so unique that it almost erased him from memory.

Today, he is mostly forgotten, his name absent from the pantheon of tennis greats. And yet, Mayer didn’t just belong to his era — he challenged it. In doing becoming arguably the first true “tennis artist” of the modern game.

Gene Mayer didn’t look the part of a top-level athlete. His gangly physique and oversized racquet hinted at something unusual. But don’t be fooled by appearances : beneath that unassuming frame was a visionary — a player who saw tennis differently.

« Gene manipulates you. One reason he returns serve so well is that he stands in close and takes the ball on the rise » Roscoe Tanner

He wasn’t the first to adopt the two-handed forehand, but no one made it look quite like Gene Mayer. The Flushing native had a gift for disguise. He masked the ball better than anyone, waiting until the very last moment to strike — keeping his rivals in a constant state of guesswork.

At his peak, Mayer reached world No. 4 in singles, overcoming a lack of raw power and athleticism with pure technical brilliance. His game wasn’t built on strength — it was built on intelligence, precision, and creativity. Against all odds, he regularly took down the best players of his generation.

Mayer wasn’t just a singles artist — he was also a doubles genius. Alongside his brother Sandy, the Mayer duo became one of the most iconic pairs of their time. Their crowning achievement came in Paris, where they lifted the Roland-Garros doubles title.

But Gene’s greatest legacy isn’t a trophy. It’s the way he thought the game — and made others rethink it too. In an era obsessed with power, Mayer was the outlier, the chess master on a tennis court. The smartest player of the 1980s, and maybe one of the most underrated minds in tennis history.