He first started a career as a tennis player. Having made the final NK Older Youth (Van Lennep Cup) in 1946, he won the Spieghel Hilversum and Heide B tournament, took the semi-finals Plaswijck Kralingen and won the B tournament in Rotterdam. He also reached the final three men's doubles Flehite A with Peter Scholtz and was 1956 men's singles champion Unilever (following Jan de Soet).