[6][7] Patty started playing tennis as a child,[8] and practised with Pauline Betz every Saturday morning when he was a junior player.

[7] After winning the Los Angeles novice championships when he was 13, she encouraged him to take lessons with Bill Weissbuch at the Beverly Hills Tennis Club.

[6][7] There, Patty was discovered by Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor, who provided him with financial support to travel to national junior championships.

[6] Patty intended to study at the University of Southern California, but was drafted into the US Army several days after registering.

[7] After his return from military service, Patty partnered with Betz to win the mixed doubles title at the 1946 French Championships.

[7] Patty was also the fourth consecutive male player from Southern California to win Wimbledon (after Jack Kramer, Bob Falkenburg, and Ted Schroeder).

[5][6] Patty partnered with Gardnar Mulloy in 1957 to win the Wimbledon men's doubles title, upsetting top seeds Lew Hoad and Neale Fraser in the final.

[8] The duo also reached the final of the 1957 U.S. National Championships two months later,[7] but lost in four sets to Fraser and Ashley Cooper.

[6] The final tournament of Patty's career was the 1960 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost to Italy's Nicola Pietrangeli in the first round.