Alex Gordon made great contributions to the game of tennis as a coach, player, and USPTA member. As a coach, he was first hired on as head professional at Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego in 1946. He taught there for 10 years and then returned again in 1960 and remained there until 1976. As a player, he attended UCLA and was captain of the men's tennis team and the No. 1 singles player. He was also the 2-time Southern California Interscholastic doubles champion. Gordon was the USPTA national 45 doubles champion in 1969, '71, and '72 (with Ben Press).
Gordon was the president of the USPTA San Diego Division in 1969 to 1974. He was also president of the USPTA national Board of Directors in 1976, but passed away during his presidency. He is credited with holding the Association together in the 1970s, when it struggled with internal political turmoil. For that and his other contributions, the Alex Gordon Professional of the Year award was named in his honor.