Gary Kitchell

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

While commentating on the French Open on television network TruTV, John McEnroe paid homage to Gary Kitchell, the beloved Vero Beach tennis personality known around the world of tennis as one of the best physical therapists in the sport. Kitchell passed away in Vero Beach on Sunday, May 18 after a long illness.

McEnroe, commentating alongside younger brother Patrick McEnroe, took the opportunity to acknowledge Kitchell, with whom he worked with for many years, when discussing an ankle tape job that Ben Shelton received in his first round match at Roland Garros.

“(Ben) was having his ankle work done, and I talked to him about how it was jammed and it reminded me of my late great friend Gary Kitchell,” said McEnroe, the four-time U.S. Open champion. “He just passed away recently, because he literally did that exact move to me and a bunch of other players. He worked with Ivan (Lendl). He worked with Michael Chang, Jim Courier. You can go down the list. Great man. So I want to just say, Gary, you’re up there, man. We love you, and thanks for everything you did for the sport of tennis all these years.”

Added Patrick McEnroe of Kitchell, “(He was) one of the unsung heroes of the sport, working behind the scenes with a lot of players.”

John then continued, in discussing the situation with Shelton and how important physios like Kitchell are such an important part of the sports, “When the trainer came out at the end of the fourth set, and Ben was looking like he was struggling. Then suddenly, the guy worked on him for a few minutes, and then he comes out. And there was no signs of any problems. So, these guys play an important role in our sport, and Gary’s one of the main men there. So, rest in peace my friend.”

In addition to working with players like McEnroe, Lendl, Chang and Courier, Kitchell also worked with current pros such as Tommy Paul and Reilly Opelka. In 2021, Kitchell hosted Paul and Opelka for a special exhibition match at The Boulevard that you can read about here: https://worldtennismagazine.com/an-entertaining-qa-with-reilly-opelka-tommy-paul-from-vero-beach-florida/20458

Reilly Opelka and Tommy Paul, two of the top American professional tennis players, will play in a special charity tennis exhibition Thursday, December 9 at 5 pm at The Boulevard Tennis Club in Vero Beach, Florida.

The event, that will feature a question-and-answer session with both pros followed by the exhibition match, will benefit the Sally Wilkey Foundation, the Vero Beach charitable foundation that provides tennis instruction and financial assistance to in-need children in the Vero Beach area.

The event was organized by Vero Beach’s Gary Kitchell, the well-known sports physical therapist, who has worked with Opelka as well as three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe among others. Kitchell will serve as the emcee for the question and answer session as well as the chair umpire for the exhibition match.

“It will be one of the most exciting nights of tennis ever in Vero Beach with Reilly and Tommy, two of best players in the world, showcasing their talents at The Boulevard for a great cause,” said Christophe Delavaut, the Director of Tennis and co-owner of The Boulevard.“We are very thankful to Gary Kitchell, one of your most charismatic and outgoing members, for being the driving force for this top-flight night of tennis entertainment. We applaud Gary’s dedication and service to the sport of tennis and to his current and future efforts to give back to the sport to those who are less fortunate.”

Opelka just completed a breakthrough year on the ATP Tour, reaching the Masters 1000 event in Toronto, defeating French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas before falling to eventual U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the final. He also reached the semifinals of the Italian Championships and the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Standing six-foot 11 inches tall, Opelka is one of the tallest players to ever play pro tennis and is also one of the fast servers in the sports history with his 140 mph-plus delivery.

Paul is fresh off winning his first ATP singles title at the Stockholm Open in Sweden, defeating former world No. 1 Andy Murray en route. He represented the United States at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last summer and was a member of the 2020 U.S. Davis Cup team. His best appearance at a Grand Slam tournament came when he reached the third round of the 2020 Australian Open.

Tickets can be purchased for $75 at www.VeroBeachTennisTickets.com. Tickets will cost $90 after December 6. Seating will be limited to about 150 seats in the Boulevard bleacher seating area.

The Boulevard Tennis Club is the leading tennis in Vero Beach and also the home of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit event held in April.

Gary Kitchell

John McEnroe Pays Homage To Gary Kitchell On French Open TV Broadcast

Reilly Opelka, Tommy Paul To Play Boulevard Charity Exhibition