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Ladislav Hecht (; ; August 31, 1909 – May 27, 2004) was a Jewish Czechoslovak-American professional tennis player. He won the gold medal in singles at the 1932 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine, and won the 1934 Hungarian International Tennis Singles Championship. In 1937 he reached the semifinals of the doubles at Wimbledon with Roderich Menzel, and the following year he reached the 1938 Wimbledon quarterfinals in singles. Despite being Jewish, he was invited to the Germany Davis Cup team in 1938 by an aide to Adolf Hitler who was not aware that he was Jewish, but chose not to accept the invitation. He represented Czechoslovakia in the Davis Cup during the 1930s, was captain of the team, and had a record of 18-19. In the 1930s, he was ranked world No. 6 in singles.
Hecht developed a successful tennis career, many considering him to be the best tennis player in Europe immediately before the Second World War.
In the 1930s, he was ranked world #6 in singles.
He won the gold medal in singles at the 1932 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine. The Jews of Czechoslovakia; Historical Studies and Surveys, Volume 2, Jewish Publication Society of America, 1968.
In 1934, Hecht won the Butler Trophy of Monte Carlo alongside Roderich Menzel, defeating Jacques Brugnon and Jean Lesueur in the final. In singles, he was victorious at the Hungarian International Tennis Championships, upsetting Henner Henkel of Germany in the semifinal and Ignacy Tłoczyński of Poland in the final. He reached the doubles finals with Josef Caska.
In late 1935 and early 1936, Hecht and Menzel toured the Far East, which included a visit to Japan to participate in the Japanese National Championships, where Menzel lost in the final, and they lost in the doubles final as well, both times to title defender Jiro Yamagishi. From there, they sailed to India where they were the finalists at the East of India Championships. Arriving home, he was defeated in the Czechoslovakian International Championship match by British player Fred Perry. He was a second straight time finalist in Budapest.
In 1937 he reached the semifinals of the doubles at Wimbledon with Menzel, and the following year he reached the 1938 Wimbledon quarterfinals in singles.
From 1930 to 1939, he played for the Czech Republic Davis Cup team, achieving a record of 18–19, and was its captain. In 1936, Hecht moved to Budapest, and then sought livelihood in Australia.
Hecht was invited to play for the German Davis Cup Team in 1938 after Germany Munich agreement by an aide to Adolf Hitler who was unaware that he was Jewish, but he declined.
After the war, Hecht continued his tennis career, becoming a no. 1 ranked player in the eastern United States. In May 1941, he was the runner-up at the Brooklyn Tennis Tournament, losing to Pancho Segura.Caroline Seebohm (2009). Little Pancho; The Life of Tennis Legend Pancho Segura At the end of 1942 he was ranked # 10 of all men players in the United States.
In 1947, he won the Brooklyn Tennis Tournament at 38 years of age by beating Peruvian Enrique Buse in the final in straight sets. American Lawn Tennis Volume 41 (1947). Hecht added the Eastern Clay Court Championships to his accolades the same year by defeating American Dick Savitt in the final in Jackson Heights, Queens.
In 1957, the USTA ranked him second in the country in senior singles, behind Bryan Grant.
He had two children, Timothy and Andrew, both of whom settled in Aspen, Colorado.
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