Dragutin Mitić

Dragutin Mitić was born in Zagreb on 16 September 1917.{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}} He was nicknamed Dragec.{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=284}} His first tennis performance was an instant success. In 1932 he played at the national junior championships and won. At eighteen, he competed in Bled and upset Czechoslovak Josef Caska with a 13:11, 6:1 score, and brought home the mixed doubles with Hella Kovač. He made his Davis Cup debut in 1936. That same year he traveled to South Africa and, although he didn't return with any major result, gained international experience.{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=284}}

Mitić played tennis for Zagreb clubs Akademski teniski klub ATK, between 1935 and 1940,{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}}{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=766}} Slavija in 1946,{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}}{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=766}} Dinamo in 1947–48,{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}}{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=767}} Naprijed in 1949,{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}}{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=766}} and ZTK in 1951.{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=767}} He played for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia Davis Cup team, first at the International Lawn Tennis Challenge, and later the Davis Cup, from 1936 to 1951.{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}}

Mitić's breakthrough year was in 1938 with back-to-back victories over well-established names such as Czechoslovak Roderich Menzel, French Christian Boussus, and Ignacy Tłoczyński in matches in Alexandria, Cairo, and Beaulieu, respectively. In Nice, he lost to Kho Sin-Kie. He also did well in two big tournaments. At the 1938 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles he dropped out of the Australian Mervyn Weston in four sets, then Argentine Alejo Russell in five, and Brazilian Alcides Procopio in three, losing in the fourth round to Max Ellmer. In the Roland Garros he advanced one more round into the quarterfinals, but there won only one game against Menzel. He booked his first and only Grand Slam title (as it was called in the Open era) in the mixed doubles, where he and Simonne Mathieu rebounded from a one-set disadvantage against Nancye Wynne Bolton and Boussus to achieve their biggest feat.{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=285}}

In 1939 Mitić made a name for himself on the French Riviera tennis circuit. In Monaco he beat Adam Baworowski, and in Bordighera, the home favorite Giorgio de Stefani, claiming the title in both tournaments. In Cairo he won the mixed doubles with his partner, Billie Yorke.{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=285}} After World War II he won the first post-war tournament in Budapest, the Hungarian Tennis Championships, from József Asbóth, along with the doubles with partner Josip Pallada, and the mixed doubles.{{sfn|Huszadik Század 1945}} He also won five consecutive singles titles in the Yugoslavian Nationals from 1946 to 1950.{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=285}}

In 1947 Mitić repeated his Hungarian success and became a two-time singles champion.{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}} In 1948 he won the Czechoslovakia International doubles tournament with Palada.{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}} In 1950 he was crowned Indian champion in the mixed doubles category, teaming with Patricia Canning Todd.{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}}

Mitić defected to the West together with Milan Branović while competing at the 1952 Italian International Championships.{{cite magazine |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,816354,00.html |title=Iron Curtain: Travelers |date=28 April 1952 |access-date=9 November 2021 |magazine=Time}}

After his defection in 1952, he lived in New York City, where he opened a tennis center.{{sfn|Croatian Encyclopedia}}

According to tennis expert Predrag Briksi: "Mitić had a world-class backhand, sharp and accurate, coherent and well coordinated. He had a very good service and refined volley, strong smash, and the only weak point in his refined game was his above-average forehand shot. The Mitić forehand was slightly weaker because it was regularly struck with the weight of the body on the 'wrong foot'. His on-court reach showed vulnerability when it came to movement. He covered a great range from right to the left side, but he was a little slower relative to his front-back reach. He was excellent at baseline, and just as good at the net when he went volleying".{{sfn|Šoškić|2012|p=284}}

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• {{cite book|url=http://www.tennispress.rs/knjiga.pdf|script-title=sr:Тениски савез Србије Тенис без граници 1922–2012.|year=2012|last1=Šoškić|first1=Čedomir|website=tennispress.rs|access-date=25 December 2013|language=sr|trans-title=Tennis Association of Serbia, Tennis without borders 1922-2012|pages=284|location=Belgrade, Serbia|publisher=Tennis Association of Serbia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234517/http://www.tennispress.rs/knjiga.pdf|archive-date=30 December 2013|url-status=dead}}
• {{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/mitic-dragutin|title=Mitić, Dragutin|first=Slaven|last=Ravlić|author-link=Slaven Ravlić|encyclopedia=Croatian Encyclopedia|year=2013|access-date=25 December 2013|language=hr|location=Zagreb, Croatia|publisher=Miroslav Krleža Lexicographical Institute | ref = {{harvid|Croatian Encyclopedia}} }}
• {{cite web|url=http://www.huszadikszazad.hu/1945-szeptember/sport/mitics-harom-bajnoksagot-nyert-a-magyar-nemzetkozi-teniszbajnoksagon|trans-title=Mitic won three championships at the Hungarian Internationals|title=Mitics három bajnokságot nyert a magyar nemzetközi teniszbajnokságon|date=September 1945|publisher=Huszadik század|location=Budapest, Hungary|language=hu|access-date=6 February 2014|ref={{sfnRef|Huszadik Század 1945}}}}

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• {{ITF}}
• {{Davis Cup player}}

{{French Open mixed doubles champions}}

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Category:1917 births

Category:1986 deaths

Category:Croatian male tennis players

Category:French Championships (tennis) champions

Category:Tennis players from Zagreb

Category:Yugoslav defectors

Category:Yugoslav male tennis players

Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles