Welcome to another edition of “Did You Know?”!!!
Did you know that former world number one tennis great Stefan Edberg indirectly killed a man when he was 17 years old? Edberg at the time was playing as a junior in the 1983 US Open. One of his serves made a direct hit into the groin of one of the linesman, a man named Dick Wertheim. The impact of the serve caused Wertheim to fall and hit his head. He was rendered unconscious by the fall and was rushed to hospital. He never recovered and died due to the head injury.
Edberg went onto an illustrious tennis career and was seen as one of the classiest and most sporting players on the tour.
Is there something ironic about a dude called ‘Dick’ being killed by a smack to the goolies?
Well technically he died of a head injury. Also, the ball might have contacted his berries, in which case it’s much less ironic.