(1932-2001)
Inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, 1988
Born in Hartford, Slobin was a 1950 graduate of Weaver High School, lettering three years in football, basketball and tennis. He started playing tennis at Keney Park and played both singles and doubles for three years in high school. He was the Class ‘A’ undefeated singles champion from 1948-1950 and was ranked No. 1 in New England in the 15-and-under category and then for two years in the 18-and-under category. Nationally he was ranked #17 in singles and #10 in doubles.
He was offered a tennis scholarship to the University of Miami where he continued his career. He was the only freshman on the undefeated 1951 team, which was ranked first nationally. Slobin was team captain of his junior and senior years, during which the team was unbeaten. He was the first Miami player to be elected captain in his junior year.
Slobin joined the armed services in 1954 and played in Europe as a member of the 1955 European USA Armed Services Tennis Team. Each year from 1956 through 1959 he played in the French National Championships and he played in the U.S. Open at Forrest Hills in 1954 and then from 1956-62, competing against the best tennis players in the world.
He won numerous championships in Hartford and Connecticut and was ranked first in both singles and doubles in the state. He started an insurance business, but his heart was in tennis and in 1963 he built the first indoor tennis club in the greater Hartford area. He turned professional in 1967 and taught tennis, managed his tennis club and consulted with other tennis entrepreneurs. In 1971 he established the first adult tennis camp in Connecticut. During the 1970s, he and Bob Yellin played tournament doubles and reached the finals of the New England Racquetball championship.