A lifelong athlete and northsider, Albert Lyle, became a world champion last month at the 2022 International Tennis Federation World Championship just weeks shy of his 85th birthday in July.
Lyle grew up in Meridian and played golf in his youth – even playing on Ole Miss’s 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, and they had to travel to Louisiana for the first two years to have other teams to play. Next year will be 50 years since the team began. 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 even 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.
“I knew I was going to have to get better when he asked me to be his partner because he had been the best doubles player in the state,” Lyle said. “I started practicing then.”
About that same time River Hills Club got an automatic ball machine, and Lyle was able to begin practicing in that way, which he said helped 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 ten years and were number seven in the US,” 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.”
Lyle has even taken lessons to make strides towards being better.
“About five years ago, I took some lessons from Dave Randall,” Lyle said. “I knew I had to improve my strokes to be competitive against the best players in my age group. I have gotten a lot better since then and have actually gotten better since the last tournament. I practiced yesterday and improved my backhand!”
Lyle plays at least two matches a week, but he still hits with the ball machine daily.
“I am lucky that I get to play three tough athletes, Wyatt Emmerich and Gary Noble, who are really good and I hit with Tito Echiburu weekly and it really helps my game,” Lyle said. “That helps me. The days I’m not playing matches, I usually hit with a ball machine. Practicing with a ball machine helps me get my exercise everyday, plus it helps with tennis also.”
This year was the first year that Lyle went to the world championship as he said it is usually in Europe.
“Last year it was in Spain, so I had never been to it,” Lyle said. “This year, it was in Florida, and I was playing singles and doubles. So, I went. I was playing doubles with Jerry Caldwell from Atlanta. He has been a really good doubles player over the years, and we were playing the number one in the world in singles and his doubles partner. We were able to beat them.”
Lyle and Caldwell played another USA team, which King Van Nostrand was a part of. Van Nostrand has won 43 world championships between singles, doubles and mixed doubles. They lost the first match to Van Nostrand and his doubles partner and were down 0-4 in the second set but came back to win it. They had a ten point tiebreaker for the third set and Lyle and Caldwell won it for the world championship title.
Later, Lyle faced Van Nostrand again for the singles final. To get into the final, Lyle had beaten the eighth seed, fifth seed, and second seed.
“I almost beat him,” Lyle said. “I won the first set, lost the second set, and we played a ten point tiebreaker for the third set, and I was up but couldn’t pull it off.”
While Lyle achieved becoming a world champion in this year’s tournament, he is already more focused on next year.
“Winning the singles championship next year is the main thing I’m concentrating on,” Lyle said. “It is fun to be the world champion, but I would like to win it in singles also.”
Lyle said there are a few things he believes have led to his success: lack of injuries, being in shape, and his competitiveness.
“I’m still able to move well, and I eat right and exercise,” Lyle said. “I guess I just have a competitive nature, and I enjoy the competitiveness of it.”
