David Wheaton
He traded the pressure of championship tennis for a microphone, building a platform to discuss faith, values, and life beyond the baseline.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American author, radio host, columnist, and former tennis player·Birthday: June 2·Generation X
Biography
David Wheaton's life has been a match played in two distinct sets. The first was on the tennis tour, where his powerful serve-and-volley game took him to the world's top 15, a Wimbledon semifinal, and a Grand Slam doubles title. His victory at the 1991 Grand Slam Cup, with its then-largest prize in tennis history, was a peak moment. But Wheaton felt a void the trophies couldn't fill. He walked away from the pro circuit and began a second act as an author and radio host. His nationally syndicated program, 'The Christian Worldview,' became his new arena, where he engages with cultural and spiritual topics. Wheaton's journey is a study in transformation, from athletic intensity to intellectual and spiritual pursuit, proving that a champion's discipline can be redirected toward entirely new goals.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Reached the semifinals of the 1991 Wimbledon Championships in singles.
- Won the 1991 Grand Slam Cup, defeating Michael Chang in the final.
- Captured the 1990 Australian Open men's doubles title with Patrick McEnroe.
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 12 in 1991.
Did You Know?
He was an All-American tennis player at Stanford University before turning professional.
Wheaton is an accomplished pilot and owns an airplane.
He authored the book 'University of Destruction,' warning about challenges in college life.
His radio show is broadcast on hundreds of stations across the United States.
“The most important thing is not the triumph but the struggle.”
