VITAS, "TAPPY" AND THE WOMAN CALLED RICHARD
VITAS GERALAITIS: THE PLAYBOY CHAMPION When Vitas Geraliatis (pictured: right) passed away at the age of 40, it left the tennis community in shock. The Grand Slam winner and a perennial top-ten player had been bigger than life during his years as a tennis professional When news on the passing of Vitas Geralaitis reached the news outlets around the world there was a sense of shock throughout the tennis community. It was hard to believe that Geralaitis, a larger than life personality, was no more. Born in Brooklyn, New York on July 26th, 1954, Geralaitis was as flamboyant off-court as he was a superstar on-court. With his long curly blonde hair and athletic game, Geraliatis was tagged with the "playboy" label at a time when there were already several larger than life personalities in tennis. Vitas Geralaitis was a regular fixture on the New York club scene But it would be unfair to remember Vitas Geralaitis as merely a flamboyant playboy tennis pro. He achieved a to