Northsider Albert Lyle is at it again: bringing home another international tennis award.
Last week, tennis players from around the country were in Mallorca, Spain representing the United States at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Super-Seniors World Team Championships. Lyle and his team won the Lorne Main Cup in the Men’s 85 & Over category, where they played in a round-robin tournament with various countries. The top American players representing the U.S. are all over the age of 65 in their version of the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competitions.
The four man team also included another Mississippi connected player, Delta born Lester Sack who now makes his home in Laguna Woods, Calif. Sack, a member of the Mississippi Hall of Fame along with Lyle, often played at River Hills Club including the Southern Seniors.
Other teammates included Jerald Hayes, Carmel, Ind., captain; and Wilbur Jones, Shawnee, Kan.
Lyle has won numerous local, regional, national and international tennis championships, as a single and doubles player. In 2022 he became a world champion at the International Tennis Federation World Championship just weeks shy of his 85th birthday.
Lyle grew up in Meridian and played golf in his youth –playing on Ole Miss’ golf team throughout his time in college. In 1973, he brought high school soccer to the state by starting the first team at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. They had to travel to Louisiana for the first two years to have other teams to play. Lyle played soccer himself during his 30s and 40s. He was also an avid runner into his 50s and 60s, but the sport he has stuck with the longest is tennis. He was inducted into the Tennis Foundation of Mississippi Hall of Fame in 2018.
Lyle started playing tennis in his 30s because having three young boys with his wife Ary Jane and working took him away from the golf course during the week. This left him with only the weekends to play the sport he had his whole young life, and he wasn’t quite as good just playing twice a week. So, he took up tennis.
“It was more athletic, which I enjoyed,” Lyle said. “I really got into it and hit with whoever I could get to hit with me. I played a few local tournaments when I first started and played off and on through the years. I did win the Mississippi singles title in the 55 age group.”
He really got serious about the sport in his 60s when Ken Toler asked him to be his doubles partner. Toler had been the best doubles player in Mississippi for about 40 years outside of the professionals, and Lyle knew he would have to step up his game.
He improved and he and Toler began traveling for regional and national tournaments.
“We were number one in the south for doubles for at least 10 years and were number seven in the U.S.,” Lyle said.
Toler then began having issues with his shoulder and had to hang up his tennis racket. By that time, Lyle was deep into the tournament routine and kept going. He played more singles than doubles and was constantly practicing.
“I really started getting better when I was in my 60s,” Lyle said. “I’m still practicing and still getting better if you can believe that.”
