"Even today, Tilden's case remains sensitive enough for his native Philadelphia to reject recent calls for a commemorative plaque. He has paid a high price for his late fall from grace, which prevents him from being acclaimed as a sporting legend on a par with Suzanne Lenglen and Rod Laver. . . . However you judge his colourful and complex story, Tilden remains the closest antecedent we have to Federer's miraculous longevity."—Simon Briggs, Telegraph
“Bill Tilden not only won tennis championships and unceasingly promoted the game, he also wrote books, performed in stage plays, loved classical music, and played bridge at a championship level. Catered to by European, Asian, and Hollywood royalty, Tilden was very much a Renaissance man, and his contributions are worthy of recognition and study.”—Manolo Santana, former Wimbledon tennis champion
“My family had no money for coaching so I learned tennis from Bill Tilden’s book and the backboard. In reading it more recently I have realized how brilliantly he described the modern game: he said the great baseline would beat the great serve-volleyer, the continental grip is a bad one for the forehand, and that one should hit topspin whenever an opponent comes to the net. He also suggested getting control of the point with groundstrokes and thus preparing the way to finish with a net attack.”—Allen Fox, former NCAA singles champion and college coach
“As a fellow Philadelphian, I grew up with Big Bill Tilden as the tennis player I dreamed of being one day. I never saw him play in his prime, but I heard everyone saying he was the best player in the world. Whether or not that is true will always be a matter of opinion, but he certainly led the way in making tennis the great sport it is today.”—Vic Seixas, oldest living Wimbledon champion
