Photo: Szenti Tamás — CC BY-SA 4.0Source
József Asbóth
tennis player · coach
- September 18, 1917 · Szombathely
- September 22, 1986 · Munich
- 69 years
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József Asbóth, 69, Hungarian tennis player, French Open winner.
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Full Biography
|József Asbóth (Hungarian: [ˈjoːʒɛf ˈɒʒboːt]; 18 September 1917 – 22 September 1986) was a Hungarian tennis player. Born to a family of railway workers, he is best remembered for being the first Hungarian and first player from Eastern Europe to win a Grand Slam singles title, at the 1947 French Open (where as the fifth seed he beat Yvon Petra, Tom Brown and Eric Sturgess). He remains the only Hungarian male player to win a Grand Slam singles title. Asbóth was a clay court specialist who was good at keeping the ball in play.
Asbóth also reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1948 (beating Sturgess and Brown, then losing to John Bromwich). Hungary's Communist government had let him leave the country only after the personal warrant of the Swedish King Gustaf V that Asbóth would return to his homeland and wasn't going to emigrate. In 1941, he was a member of the Hungarian team that won the Central European Cup.
Asboth won the Open de Nice Côte d'Azur or Nice French Riviera Open tournament in 1947 defeating Bob Falkenburg and again in 1948 defeating Budge Patty and Jaroslav Drobný in the semifinal and final. He won the Monte-Carlo Masters tournament in 1948 defeating Patty in the semifinal in five sets.
Asbóth was ranked World No. 8 by John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph in 1948 (and No. 9 in 1947).
His Davis Cup record was 24 wins and 17 losses. He won the Hungarian National Tennis Championships 13 times.
After his career, he became responsible for the next generation of tennis players at the Belgian Tennis Federation. He later became a trainer in Munich.
In 1993 a street was named after Asbóth in Szombathely, the city where he was born.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title)
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zsef_Asb%C3%B3th
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from József Asbóth's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was the tennis player József Asbóth born?
- A.Nice
- B.Budapest
- C.Szombathelycorrect
- D.Munich
József Asbóth was born in Szombathely, where a street was named after him in 1993.
Source: biographical details and legacy
2.What was the occupation of József Asbóth's family members?
- A.Diplomats
- B.Railway workerscorrect
- C.Farmers
- D.Tennis coaches
József Asbóth was born into a family of railway workers.
Source: early life
3.Which tournament did József Asbóth win in 1947 to become a Grand Slam champion?
- A.Nice French Riviera Open
- B.French Opencorrect
- C.Monte-Carlo Masters
- D.Wimbledon
József Asbóth won the 1947 French Open, becoming the first Hungarian to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Source: career highlights
4.In what year did József Asbóth pass away?
- A.1986correct
- B.1993
- C.1947
- D.1948
József Asbóth died on 22 September 1986.
Source: introductory text
5.Which monarch provided a personal warrant that allowed József Asbóth to travel abroad?
- A.King Christian X of Denmark
- B.King Leopold III of Belgium
- C.King George VI of the United Kingdom
- D.King Gustaf V of Swedencorrect
Hungary's Communist government allowed József Asbóth to travel only after a personal warrant from the Swedish King Gustaf V.
Source: travel and politics
6.What was József Asbóth's specific skill as a tennis player?
- A.He was an aggressive serve-and-volley player.
- B.He excelled at net play on grass courts.
- C.He had the fastest serve in the Davis Cup.
- D.He was a clay court specialist good at keeping the ball in play.correct
The text notes that József Asbóth was a clay court specialist who was skilled at keeping the ball in play.
Source: playing style
7.How many times did József Asbóth win the Hungarian National Tennis Championships?
- A.17 times
- B.24 times
- C.8 times
- D.13 timescorrect
József Asbóth secured victory at the Hungarian National Tennis Championships a total of 13 times.
Source: career statistics
8.Which player did József Asbóth defeat in the 1948 Monte-Carlo Masters semifinal?
- A.Budge Pattycorrect
- B.Tom Brown
- C.Yvon Petra
- D.Jaroslav Drobný
József Asbóth won the 1948 Monte-Carlo Masters tournament by defeating Budge Patty in the semifinal in five sets.
Source: tournament victories
9.What was József Asbóth's world ranking in 1948 according to John Olliff?
- A.No. 9
- B.No. 8correct
- C.No. 13
- D.No. 5
In 1948, John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph ranked József Asbóth as World No. 8.
Source: rankings
10.Where did József Asbóth work as a trainer after his tennis career ended?
- A.Paris
- B.Budapest
- C.Brussels
- D.Munichcorrect
After his time at the Belgian Tennis Federation, József Asbóth later became a trainer in Munich.
Source: post-career
11.Which team did József Asbóth help to a victory in the Central European Cup in 1941?
- A.The Hungarian teamcorrect
- B.The French team
- C.The Swedish team
- D.The Belgian team
In 1941, József Asbóth was a member of the Hungarian team that won the Central European Cup.
Source: early career
12.Who defeated József Asbóth in the 1948 Wimbledon semifinals?
- A.Eric Sturgess
- B.John Bromwichcorrect
- C.Tom Brown
- D.Yvon Petra
József Asbóth reached the 1948 Wimbledon semifinals, where he lost to John Bromwich.
Source: career highlights
13.What was József Asbóth's total match record in Davis Cup play?
- A.13 wins and 13 losses
- B.17 wins and 24 losses
- C.24 wins and 24 losses
- D.24 wins and 17 lossescorrect
The biography specifies that József Asbóth maintained a Davis Cup record consisting of 24 wins and 17 losses.
Source: career statistics
14.Which opponent did József Asbóth defeat in the 1948 Nice French Riviera Open final?
- A.Budge Patty
- B.John Olliff
- C.Jaroslav Drobnýcorrect
- D.Bob Falkenburg
József Asbóth won the 1948 Nice French Riviera Open, defeating Jaroslav Drobný in the final.
Source: tournament victories
15.At the 1947 French Open, what was József Asbóth's seeding?
- A.First seed
- B.Ninth seed
- C.Fifth seedcorrect
- D.Eighth seed
József Asbóth entered the 1947 French Open as the fifth seed before winning the title.
Source: career highlights
16.What entity did József Asbóth serve after his playing career concluded?
- A.The International Tennis Hall of Fame
- B.The Swedish Royal Court
- C.The Belgian Tennis Federationcorrect
- D.The Hungarian Communist Party
Following his career, József Asbóth was responsible for the next generation of tennis players at the Belgian Tennis Federation.
Source: post-career
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