Doug Philpott was one of the great folk heroes of Canadian tennis. A promoter, umpire and referee involved with all kinds of events including the Canadian Open, Philpott was as much at home with an eight-year-old beginner as he was with super stars like John Newcombe or Arthur Ashe.

     Referred to by many as Mr. Tennis, Philpott remained a devoted player himself until three weeks before he died in 1984 at the age of 78. The Philpott Inner-City Children’s Tennis Fund was set up to honor the memory of a man who unselfishly dedicated his life to helping others enjoy tennis as much as he did.