Who was vito gerialitis?

Vito G. Gerulaitis was a prominent American professional tennis player known for his success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Born on February 26, 1954, he won a total of 25 ATP singles titles and achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in 1978. Gerulaitis was also noted for his charismatic personality and for famously stating, "No one beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row," after defeating Jimmy Connors in 1979, ending a long losing streak against him. He passed away on September 17, 2004.