"Tennis, art & a bit of Danish contrarian attitude"- Metallica co-founder Lars Ulrich's father and former ATP player Torben passes away at age 95

American heavy metal band Metallica's drummer and co-founder Lars Ulrich's father Torben, a tennis player among many other things, passed away at the age of 95 on Wednesday, December 20.

Lars Ulrich was the first Dane to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and received a knighthood from Denmark later on. Interestingly, he began as an aspiring tennis player, inspired mainly by his father Torben and grandfather Einer, both of whom were professional tennis players.

Torben Ulrich reached a career-high ranking of World No. 96 in singles, doing so in 1973. He won three titles in the men's circuit, most notably at the Stuttgart Open in 1953, before the advent of the Open Era. He also represented Denmark at the Davis Cup in several levels, as late as 1977, when he was 48 years old.

In addition to being a tennis player, Torben Ulrich was also a musician, playing clarinet in a jazz band and releasing several albums throughout his life. The Dane also worked as a writer, covering music and sharing his thoughts on jazz music, as well as as a filmmaker.

Taking to Instagram after his father's passing, Lars Ulrich shared a heartfelt tribute to him, proudly stating that he was a man who challenged the status quo and pushed boundaries, armed with a typically Danish "contrarian attitude."

“Torben Ulrich: 1928-2023 95 years of adventures, unique experiences, curiosity, pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, tennis, music, art, writing….and quite a bit of Danish contrarian attitude. Thank you endlessly! I love you dad,” Lars Ulrich wrote on Instagram.

A look at Torben Ulrich's tennis career

"Metallica Through The Never" Portraits - 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

Torben Ulrich made a series of Grand Slam appearances in his tennis career, both in the Open Era and the pre-Open Era.

His best results came before the introduction of the Open Era, as he made a series of fourth-round appearances at the French Open (1959), the Wimbledon Championships (1959), and the US Open (1953, 1956, 1964, and 1968).

He also played doubles at the Majors, reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open (1968) and the semifinals of Wimbledon (1959). At the Australian Open and the US Open, his best result was reaching the second round.

He did so in Melbourne in 1971, while he achieved the feat at Flushing Meadows on four occasions -- 1968, 1972, 1973, and 1975.