Stan Smith’s wife, Marjory Gengler, tied the knot with the American tennis player in 1974. The former Princeton University tennis player, Marjory Gengler, shares four kids with the 1972 Wimbledon Champion.
Before their marriage, Marjory was a tennis player but gave up to balance the family life. The sacrifice was vital for their marriage to last till now.
Their kids are out of the spotlight, and none followed their dad’s footsteps. And by footsteps, how can we forget talking about the American tennis player and his impact on pop culture.
Since the 1970s, more than 100 million Stan Smith shoes have been sold, with the revival coming in 2014. Once, the tennis player even joked about how he is more known for his shoes than his tennis career.
Stan Smith Wife, Marjory Gengler, Is A Former Tennis Player
Stan Smith and his wife, Marjory Gengler, tied the knot in 1974. The ceremony was held in St. John’s of Lattingtovm Episcopal Church, New York.
When the couple decided to get married, Stan was already a household name. Smith had won two Grand Slam titles, and Marjory was the star tennis player at Princeton University and had made her debut in mixed doubles in Wimbledon.
Marjory, an undergraduate student, debuted at Wimbledon in mixed doubles in 1972 and the US Open in 1971, 1973, and 1974. And though Marjory and Stan became a successful couple off the court, the same cannot be said about their on-court relationship.
When playing together, the couple lost both times in the first round, in the US Open. Soon after their wedding, Marjory quit playing competitively.
In an interview with Hilton Head Monthly, Stan credited Marjory’s flexibility that helped them through the challenging first few years. Their early years as a married couple were spent on the road.
The couple share four children and decided to homeschool them. Their kids have chosen to remain away from the spotlight. Till 2018, there was info about the former tennis player having 14 grandkids.
He even shared a story of how one of his grandkids thought he was cool as the American rapper Jay Z took his name in a song.
The Shoe Legacy Of Stan Smith
Stan Smith, the American tennis player’s legacy was sealed by the shoe named after him launched in the 1970s. Stan Smith is a piece of pop culture history and more than 100 million has been sold since its first launch.
The origin of the shoe Stan Smith began in 1965 when it was named Robert Haillet, after a French player. Haillet retired in 1971, and Adidas started its search for the new shoe star.
They wanted to take over America, and what better than to choose a young Californian tennis player by the name of Stan Smith. When Adidas approached him, Smith had won the Davis Cup four times and ranked no.1.
During his meeting with Adidas, Smith’s agent negotiated with the sportswear brand to have Stan’s face on the shoe’s tongue. The shoes wouldn’t be renamed to Stan Smith until 1978.
Stan Smiths were the staple for decades, but the sales began to take a hit during the early 2000s. So, in 2011, Adidas announced it would take them off the market.
Adidas promised the former tennis player they would bring the shoes back in two years, a marketing strategy Stan didn’t believe. But fashion designer Stella McCartney and multi-faceted Pharrell Williams brought new designs and relaunched the shoe in 2014.
Adidas’ marketing strategy worked, and Stan Smith once again became the talk of the town. In an interview, the tennis player said probably 95% of the people worldwide had no idea about him.
Marjory replied that 99% of the people worldwide had no idea who he was.
