Australian Tennis Hall of Fame

A pictorial celebration of one of the highest honours in Australian tennis.

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Australian Tennis Hall of Fame

Established in 1993, the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame is one of the highest honours Australian tennis players can receive. Players are inducted annually on Australia Day during the Australian Open. Players are honoured with a bronze bust, which is unveiled at Rod Laver Arena before being mounted alongside the other Hall of Famers in Garden Square at Melbourne Park. 

Rod Laver (1993) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Rod Laver (1993)

Dubbed “Rocket” by legendary Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman, Rod Laver was the second man to complete the Grand Slam in 1962, after American Don Budge in 1938. In 1969, Laver became the only player to win the Grand Slam twice. Ending five years in exile as an outlaw pro, Laver returned to the Grand Slam arena and won the first Open Wimbledon in 1968 and the first Australian Open in 1969. The unassuming Rocket also became the first tennis player to bank $1 million in prize money. A powerful left-hander who sent the ball hurtling over the net laden with topspin, Laver was a driven competitor whose all-court play won him many titles. He dominated the 1960s, winning 17 of his 20 titles in this decade. Laver racked up a formidable 20-4 win-loss record in Davis Cup and was part of five winning teams. In January 2000, centre court at Melbourne Park was named Rod Laver Arena in honour of his achievements.

Margaret Court (1993) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Margaret Smith [Court] (1993)

Dubbed “The Arm” by Billie Jean King for her formidable reach, Court amassed a list of tournament wins that is unrivalled. She is one of only three players to complete the “boxed set” – singles, doubles and mixed titles at all four majors. A strong, superbly conditioned athlete known for her blanketing net attack and powerful serve, Court collected 64 major titles in singles, doubles and mixed (including two shared Australian mixed titles); her closest rival is Martina Navratilova with 59. In 1970, Margaret Court became just the second woman to complete the Grand Slam; only Steffi Graf has since emulated the feat. As Margaret Smith, the “Aussie Amazon” had already swept a unique Grand Slam in mixed doubles with Ken Fletcher in 1963. An 11-time winner of her national title, from 12 finals, no other player has so dominated a Grand Slam like Court at the Australian Championships.

Roy Emerson (1994) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Roy Emerson (1994)

Roy Emerson was a super-fit and athletic champion whose career bridged the amateur and Open eras. His haul of 28 Grand Slam titles (12 singles, 16 doubles) is a record for men’s tennis. Emerson is also the only man to win singles and doubles titles at all four majors. In 1964, his only loss in Grand Slam play came in the quarterfinals at Paris to Italy’s Nicola Pietrangeli. A vibrant figure in Australia’s golden tennis age, Emerson played in eight winning Davis Cup teams and clinched 34 of 38 Cup rubbers. A gifted doubles player – he won doubles titles at all the majors at least three times – Emerson had a reputation for making any partner look good. Not least at the French Championships, where he won the doubles six times with five different partners. Emerson was justly famous for his “no excuses” code, saying: “You should never complain about an injury. We believe that if you play, then you aren’t injured, and that’s that.”

Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1994) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1994)

Evonne Goolagong Cawley ranked in the top 10 for nine years and climbed to the top of the rankings for one week in 1976. She won four Australian Open singles between 1974 and 1977, though not in consecutive championships, as she missed the January 1977 Open and won the December 1977 event. The beloved “Gong” finished her career in the mid-1980s with seven Grand Slam singles titles from 18 finals, and 13 major titles in all. Renowned for her grace, ethereal touch and fluid speed around the court, Goolagong Cawley started playing as a young girl by hitting a ball against a wall with a board from an apple crate. The US Open was the only major to elude the adored Aussie; she lost four consecutive finals in New York between 1973 and 1976. She did, however, win Wimbledon as a mother in 1980, only the second woman to do so.

Neale Fraser (1994) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Neale Fraser (1994)

Neale Fraser was a strong athlete known for his big forehand and fearsome lefty serve. A Wimbledon champion and dual US singles winner, he was unlucky to miss out on his national title in three finals. Against Rod Laver in 1960, he held a match point, only to lose 8-6 in the fifth set. In 1959 and 1960 Fraser dominated the United States Championships, winning the singles, doubles and mixed titles in both years. A committed Davis Cup player, he finished with an imposing 18-3 record. Fraser’s commitment to Davis Cup continued for 24 years as captain. Fraser guided Australian teams to victory in 1973, 1977, 1983 and 1986. In 2008 he was awarded the ITF’s highest accolade – the Philippe Chatrier award for outstanding achievement in tennis.

Lew Hoad (1995) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Lew Hoad (1995)

Admired for his dashing, attacking play, Lew Hoad was a feared foe on the court. Pancho Gonzalez was in awe of Hoad’s talent: “When Lew’s game was at its peak nobody could touch him.” In 1956 Hoad came within a match of completing the Grand Slam, but was defeated in the United States final by his “tennis twin”, Ken Rosewall. He had one last crack at the Grand Slam in 1957 (winning only Wimbledon), before turning pro in 1958. Hoad and Rosewall formed a formidable team in Davis Cup, the two 19-year-olds successfully defending the Cup in 1953 against the Americans. Between 1952 and 1956 Hoad was involved in four Davis Cup victories, all against the United States. Back pain forced him to cut short his career in the 1960s.

Ken Rosewall (1995) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Ken Rosewall (1995)

Known as “Muscles” to his friends, Ken Rosewall is one of the Australian greats of tennis. In a career that continued into his 40s, Rosewall amassed 18 major titles and achieved a career doubles Grand Slam. One of the finest players to not win Wimbledon, Rosewall made it to the final at the All England Club on four occasions (1954, 1956, 1970 and 1974). While he wasn’t the strongest player on court, Rosewall used canny placement and court speed to make up for any lack of physical presence. He was renowned for his enviable backhand, balance and excellent anticipation. He famously teamed with Lew Hoad – the pair was born 21 days apart – to defend the Davis Cup in 1953. Rosewall finished with an impressive 19-3 win-loss record in Davis Cup and was a member of winning Australian teams in 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1973. The centre court at Sydney’s Olympic Tennis Centre is named Ken Rosewall Arena in his honour.

Frank Sedgman (1996) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Frank Sedgman (1996)

Frank Sedgman took just five years to amass 22 major titles. Out of the 24 major trophies on offer in 1951 and 1952, Sedgman won 16 of them, including a doubles Grand Slam in 1951 with countryman Ken McGregor. Quick around the court, Sedgman was known for his athleticism, fitness and impeccable net play. An exponent of the serve-and-volley game, Sedgman was Australia’s first postwar Wimbledon champion, setting off the golden era of Australian dominance. He made his Davis Cup debut in 1949 and helped Australia to the final, where they lost 4-1 to the Americans. The following year, Sedgman and co. turned the tables, winning the Cup 4-1 in the US. Sedgman helped Australia to retain the Cup in 1951 and 1952 and finished with a 25-3 record, 16-3 in singles and 9-0 in doubles.

John Bromwich (1996) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

John Bromwich (1996)

Ambidextrous, with a double-handed forehand, John Bromwich forged a highly successful doubles team with Adrian Quist. The pair was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1984 on the strength of their partnership, which yielded 10 major titles. As well as being a prolific doubles champion, Bromwich also tasted singles success, winning the Australian title in 1939 and 1946, and finishing runner-up in the men’s singles final at Wimbledon in 1948. He lost that match in five sets to Bob Falkenburg after leading 5-2 in the fifth. Bromwich was a member of Australia’s successful Davis Cup squads in 1939 and 1950. The 1939 team is the only one in Cup history to win the final from two rubbers down.

Sir Norman Brookes (1996) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Sir Norman Brookes (1996)

Sir Norman Brookes, or “The Wizard” as he was known, was the first foreign man to win Wimbledon, in 1907. Brookes was known for his clever, all-court game, a mixture of solid ground strokes backed up by a well-varied serve. Brookes won his home major in 1911 and three years later captured the singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon. It was the first time he’d returned to the All England Club since his first win there seven years earlier. More doubles success followed in the United States in 1919 and Australia in 1924. Following his retirement, Brookes became a renowned tennis administrator, president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia from 1926 to 1955. The men’s singles trophy at the Australian Open, the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, is named in his honour.

Ashley Cooper (1996) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Ashley Cooper (1996)

Ashley Cooper was an attacking player with smooth ground strokes and poise at the net. In 1958 his only loss in the Grand Slams came in the semifinals at the French. He was only the sixth man to win three or more majors in a season. Melbourne-born but raised in Queensland, Cooper won back-to-back Australian titles in 1957 and 1958, and featured in Australia’s Davis Cup team in both years. In 1957 the Australians triumphed over the United States 3-2, but in 1958 the result was reversed, with the Americans defeating the Australians 3-2. In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List of 2007, Cooper was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his service to tennis.

Harry Hopman (1996) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Harry Hopman (1996)

Harry Hopman was a successful doubles and mixed doubles player, who amassed seven majors in a 10-year period.Hopman is best known as Australia’s most successful Davis Cup captain of all time. Hopman guided Australian teams to 16 cups between 1939 and 1967.A strong believer in fitness, Hopman inspired his Davis Cup teams to great heights during his tenure as captain.Hopman was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1996 and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978. He has been further honoured by having the Hopman Cup named after him.

Fred Stolle (1997) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Fred Stolle (1997)

Tall and competitive, Fred Stolle was known for his powerful serve, accurate volleys and fluid backhand. He won all four doubles majors, and contested singles finals at all the Grand Slams, winning at Paris in 1965 and New York in 1966. Stolle was runner-up at Wimbledon three times (1963, 1964 and 1965) and twice at the Australian Championships (1964 and 1965). He lost to Chuck McKinley in his first Wimbledon final and to doubles partner Roy Emerson in the other four deciders. Stolle enjoyed success in Davis Cup and was part of Australia’s winning teams in 1964, 1965 and 1966. He finished with a 13-3 win-loss record (10-2 in singles, 3-1 in doubles). Following his retirement, Stolle swapped his racquet for a microphone and settled into a long and successful career as a TV commentator.

Jack Crawford (1997) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Jack Crawford (1997)

Stylish and sporting, “Gentleman Jack” Crawford came within one set of completing the first tennis Grand Slam in 1933. He captured the Australian, French and Wimbledon titles, but fell in five sets in the United States final to Fred Perry. Apart from singles success, Crawford captured six major doubles titles and five mixed doubles titles. He won three straight Australian mixed finals with his wife, Marjorie Cox Crawford, between 1931 and 1933. Crawford was a proud Davis Cup representative for a decade (1928-37), finishing with a 36-21 win-loss record. His success and classic style inspired a grass-roots tennis boom in Australia.

Gerald Patterson (1997) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Gerald Patterson (1997)

Tall and well-built, Gerald Patterson played a strong serve-and-volley game that netted him three major singles. In his fourth Australian final in 1927, Patterson came through in a torrid five-setter against Jack Hawkes in the first Australian (as opposed to Australasian) Championships at the new Kooyong stadium. He was then already a two-time Wimbledon champion, defeating Norman Brookes in an all-Aussie final in 1919, and regaining the title in 1922, the first year after the abolition of the Challenge Round. Patterson was known as the “Human Catapult” for his powerful serve. Nephew of Dame Nellie Melba, who was Patterson’s No.1 fan, he was somewhat ahead of his time, using a steel racquet strung with wire in 1925. He also enjoyed great success representing Australia in Davis Cup. Amassing a 32-14 record ( 21-10 in singles, 11-4 in doubles), Patterson was part of the winning Australasia team in 1919.

John Newcombe (1998) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

John Newcombe (1998)

John Newcombe was a rugged serve-volleyer and a great competitor. His most formidable weapons – serve, volley and forehand – were used to devastating effect. “Newk” captured seven Grand Slam singles titles, winning all but the French. Newcombe and Tony Roche won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles together – more than any other men’s team in tennis history. Newcombe would eventually own 17 doubles majors by the end of his career. He was part of five winning Davis Cup teams, four successive victories between 1964 and 1967 and the all-star pro team of 1973. In 1994 Newcombe was named Davis Cup captain and led Australia to a 3-2 win over France in the 1999 final.

Tony Roche (1998) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Tony Roche (1998)

Tony Roche achieved great success in doubles with his long-time partner and lifelong friend John Newcombe. The two snared 12 doubles majors together, including five Wimbledon championships in both the amateur and professional eras. Roche also won five Australian doubles, the last with Arthur Ashe. Roche possessed a lethal left-hand serve and crisp volleys – weapons that carried him to the 1966 French title – his only major singles win. He finished runner-up in five Grand Slam finals – twice at the French (1965 and 1967), twice in the United States (1969 and 1970) and once at Wimbledon (1968). All five losses were to fellow Aussies: Fred Stolle and Roy Emerson in Paris, Rod Laver at Wimbledon and the US Open, and Ken Rosewall also in New York. A keen Davis Cup player, Roche racked up a 14-5 win-loss record (7-3 singles, 7-2 doubles) and was a part of winning teams in 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1977. After retiring, Roche became a highly successful coach, guiding the careers of world No.1 players Ivan Lendl, Patrick Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer.

Lesley (Turner) Bowrey (1998) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Lesley (Turner) Bowrey (1998)

Between 1961 and 1967, Lesley Turner won 13 major titles: two French singles titles, seven doubles at all four majors, and four mixed. An extremely fit and determined baseliner, she was a runner-up on 14 occasions in Grand Slam tournaments. Turner participated in the inaugural Federation Cup competition in 1963 and represented Australia in 13 ties for 13 wins and six losses. As Lesley Bowrey, she captained Australia’s Fed Cup team between 1994 and 2000. In 1997, as well as being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Bowrey was presented with the Sarah Palfrey Danzig Award. This award is given to a female player who by character, sportsmanship, manners, and spirit of cooperation, has contributed to the growth of tennis.

Adrian Quist (1998) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Adrian Quist (1998)

Best known as one half of the successful doubles duo Bromwich-Quist, Adrian Quist was a talented singles player as well, winning three Australian titles. Between 1936 and 1950, Quist won 10 successive Australian doubles titles – a record that stands. The last eight he won with John Bromwich, while the first two were secured with Don Turnbull. With an all-court game and sharp volleys, Quist was an important member of Australia’s Davis Cup team. He performed heroically in the 1939 championship team, winning the doubles with Bromwich to keep Australia alive and then winning his reverse singles in five sets against American great Bobby Riggs.

Ken McGregor (2000) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Ken McGregor (2000)

Winner of nine major titles, Ken McGregor completed the doubles Grand Slam in 1951 with Frank Sedgman. Starting at the 1951 Australian Championships, the pair won seven consecutive majors together – a feat that has never been equalled. McGregor was a tall, big-serving volleyer who was a surprise selection in Australia’s 1950 Davis Cup team. The selection was proved correct when McGregor won his first singles rubber and helped Australia to victory over the United States. Between 1950 and 1952 McGregor made the final of the Australian Championships, winning in 1952 against his doubles partner, Sedgman. He lost the 1950 final to Sedgman and the 1951 Australian and Wimbledon finals to American Dick Savitt. McGregor retired from tennis at 25 to play Australian Rules football, playing five seasons for West Adelaide in the SANFL.

Mal Anderson (2001) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Mal Anderson (2001)

In 1957, Mal Anderson was the first unseeded player to win the US Championship. In 1958 he made the finals of the US and Australian championships, but lost both to Ashley Cooper. Anderson started to play tennis at the age of eight and became serious about the game in his teenage years. He represented Australia in Davis Cup in 1957, 1958, 1972 and 1973 (Australia won in 1957 and 1973). A rangy serve-volleyer, Anderson was at his peak in 1957-58, reaching a career-high ranking of No.2. In doubles, he captured his first Grand Slam title at the 1957 French Championships, with fellow Queenslander Cooper. But as he turned professional in 1959, it would be 16 years before Anderson tasted major doubles success again, this time at the 1973 Australian Open alongside John Newcombe. At age 36, and 14 years after his first Australian final, Anderson was runner-up to 37-year-old Ken Rosewall in the ‘golden oldies’ Australian Open final of 1972.

Nancye (Wynne) Bolton (2001) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Nancye [Wynne] Bolton (2001)

Nancye Bolton is remembered for winning 20 Australian titles; the only woman to win more is Margaret Court with 23. In 1940, 1947 and 1948 she pulled off the rare feat of winning the singles, doubles and mixed titles. In 1938, aged 22, Nancye Wynne became the first Australian woman to play a Grand Slam final abroad, at the US Championship in Forest Hills, losing to American great Alice Marble. Bolton attained a career-high ranking of No.4 in 1947 and stayed in that position until 1949. She was renowned for her powerful forehand and competitive grit. Widowed during the war, she returned to tennis after a break of several years and won a hat-trick of postwar titles (1947-49) without conceding a set. The Melburnian won her last Australian singles title in 1951 aged 34.

Mervyn Rose (2002) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Mervyn Rose (2002)

An aggressive left-hander, Mervyn Rose won the singles and doubles titles at the 1954 Australian Championships. He represented Australia in two Davis Cup ties – both victorious finals against the United States, in 1951 and 1957. A winner of seven Grand Slam titles, winning finals at all four majors in the amateur 1950s, Rose reinvented himself in the pro era as a coach. He has worked with players including Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Eleni Daniilidou and Nadia Petrova. Rose was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and received an Order of Australia Medal (AM) in 2006.

Thelma (Coyne) Long (2002) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Thelma [Coyne] Long (2002)

Thelma Long was the winner of 19 majors over a 22-year career. She was especially successful in doubles, capturing a record 12 Australian doubles titles. Long also holds the record as the oldest Australian women’s singles champion; she was aged 35 years and eight months in 1954 when she won her second Australian singles. And Long holds the team record for the most Australian doubles titles (10) with Nancye Wynne Bolton. In 1960, Long became a coach and mentored many junior players in her home state of New South Wales. In 1985 Tennis NSW awarded Long life membership of the state association, and in 2000 she was awarded the Australian Sports medal.

Pat Cash (2003) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Pat Cash (2003)

Pat Cash’s greatest tennis achievement was winning the men’s singles at Wimbledon in 1987. After defeating world No.1 Ivan Lendl in straight sets, he climbed into the stands to celebrate with his family and coach. This practice has now almost become de rigueur among Wimbledon winners. Cash twice made the final of the Australian Open – in 1987 and 1988 – but lost five-setters on both occasions, to Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander respectively. The Australian was a renowned serve-and-volleyer whose game flourished on grass. A regular Davis Cup representative for Australia, he was part of Australia’s winning teams at Kooyong in 1983 and 1986. Cash first represented Australia as a 17-year-old and finished with a 31-10 Davis Cup record over eight years.

Brian Tobin (2004) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Brian Tobin (2004)

Brian Tobin has dedicated over 40 years of his life to tennis administration. President of Tennis Australia between 1977 and 1989, he presided over the Australian Open’s move from Kooyong to Melbourne Park. He succeeded Philippe Chatrier as President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) from 1991 to 1999.

Daphne Akhurst (2006) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Daphne Akhurst (2006)

Daphne Akhurst captured five Australian singles and doubles titles and the mixed four times, an achievement that was unsurpassed until 1951 when Nancye Bolton won her sixth Australian title. Born in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield in 1903, Akhurst showed promise as a young pianist. She studied at the State Conservatorium of Music and become a music teacher but it was her achievements on court that she is best known for. In 1925 Akhurst was part of the first Australian women’s team to travel overseas. She competed at Wimbledon and made the quarterfinals. In 1928 she returned to the All England Club and reached the semifinals in singles and doubles, and the final of the mixed doubles. At home, Akhurst enjoyed an unprecedented run of success, winning five women’s singles titles at the Australian Championships between 1925 and 1930. An immensely popular champion, Akhurst died of an ectopic pregnancy at the age of 29. The winner of the Australian Open women’s singles final is presented with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

Mark Edmondson (2007) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Mark Edmondson (2007)

Mark Edmondson is famously remembered as the last Australian man to win the Australian Open. A rank outsider at Kooyong in 1976, world No.212 Edmondson came up against countryman and defending champion John Newcombe. Edmondson was unseeded, while Newcombe was the No.2 seed and heavily favoured to win his third Australian singles title. But 21-year-old Edmondson overcame Newcombe in blustery conditions, 6-7 6-3 7-6 6-1. Edmondson went on to win four Australian Open doubles titles in the 1980s, and the French Open in 1985. A regular representative for his country in Davis Cup, “Edo” finished with a 19-10 win-loss record.

Pat Rafter (2008) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Pat Rafter (2008)

Popular both on and off the court, Pat Rafter captured back-to-back US Open titles in 1997 and 1998 – the only Australian to do so in the Open era. Rafter was known and admired for his serve-and-volley style, which suited the grass courts of Wimbledon, where he was a dual finalist in 2000 and 2001 and semifinalist in 1999. He also made the semis at the Australian and French opens. Rafter was respected for his sportsmanship, which saw him honoured with the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award and four ATP Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Awards. A winner of 11 ATP singles titles and 10 doubles titles, including Australian Open 1999 (with Swede Jonas Bjorkman), Rafter was also a regular inclusion in Australia’s Davis Cup teams between 1994 and 2001. He finished with a 21-11 win-loss record (18-10 in singles, 3-1 in doubles). The 2001 Davis Cup final was his last event. Within weeks of his retirement, Rafter was named Australian of the Year in 2002.

Wendy Turnbull (2009) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Wendy Turnbull (2009)

Wendy Turnbull turned pro in 1975 and was quickly nicknamed “Rabbit” by her peers, such was her speed around the court. In an illustrious career she made the final of every Grand Slam except Wimbledon. Turnbull’s consistency was exceptional, achieving a top 10 year-end ranking for eight consecutive years (1977-84) and a year-end top 20 ranking for 10 straight years (1977-86). She achieved her highest singles ranking of No.3 in January 1985. In doubles she paired with Kerry Reid to win the 1978 Wimbledon crown, with Betty Stove to win the 1979 US and French titles, and with Rosie Casals to win the 1982 US Open. She made another 11 major doubles finals, won five mixed doubles titles and teamed with Liz Smylie to win a bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Turnbull debuted in the Federation Cup in 1977 and played a record 45 ties, later serving as captain. In 1984 the Queenslander was awarded an OBE for services to tennis.

Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge (2010) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge (2010)

Mark Woodforde combined with fellow Aussie Todd Woodbridge to form one of the greatest doubles combinations in history – their records include 11 Grand Slam doubles titles and five straight Wimbledon trophies. Alongside Woodbridge, Woodforde also won Olympic gold in 1996 at Atlanta and silver at Sydney in 2000, won 14 doubles rubbers in Davis Cup and was part of the winning Australian team in 1999. In singles, Woodforde’s highlights included an Australian Open semifinal in 1996, a career-best ranking of No.19 in April 1996, and four ATP titles. Woodforde retired at the end of the 2000 season with 67 doubles titles (61 won as one half of the “Woodies”). The only one of his 12 doubles majors that Woodforde didn’t win with Woodbridge was his first – the 1989 US Open, teamed with John McEnroe. From 1996 to 1997 the “Woodies” came within one match of holding all four major doubles titles, winning the Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open trophies before falling in the 1997 French Open final. Woodforde retired shortly after the pair won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics (they’d already completed their Grand Slam set with the Roland Garros title) and Woodbridge began a successful partnership with Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman that reaped a further five majors. Part of Australia’s winning Davis Cup teams in 1999 and 2003, Woodbridge retired after the 2005 Wimbledon championships with a record 83 doubles titles. He also proved an adept singles player, peaking at world No.19 in May 1997, reaching the Wimbledon semifinals the same year and winning two ATP singles titles.

Owen Davidson (2011) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Owen Davidson (2011)

Owen Davidson is just one of three players to complete a mixed doubles Grand Slam, the others being Margaret Court (1963 and 1965) and Ken Fletcher (1963). Davidson’s perfect year came in 1967 when he captured the Australian title with compatriot Lesley Turner, before teaming with American Billie Jean King to claim Wimbledon, and the French and US championships. The Melburnian won the Wimbledon mixed doubles on four occasions – more than any other male player. Davidson also enjoyed success in men’s doubles, winning at home in 1972 with Ken Rosewall and at the 1973 US Open with John Newcombe.

Ken Fletcher (2012) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Ken Fletcher (2012)

Ken Fletcher’s greatest career achievement was capturing the mixed doubles Grand Slam in 1963, with Margaret Smith Court. The pair amassed a total of 10 major mixed doubles titles in the 1960s. Fletcher also enjoyed success in men’s doubles, winning the 1964 French title with Roy Emerson and the 1966 Wimbledon crown with John Newcombe. Despite not winning a major singles title (he was runner-up to Emerson in the 1963 Australian Championships), Fletcher collected 37 career titles. He held match points in the 1966 Wimbledon semifinals before falling to eventual champion Manolo Santana. A popular player and “larrikin” by nature, Fletcher coached at the All England Club and in Hong Kong during the 1970s. After losing a battle with cancer in 2006, Fletcher was posthumously inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.

Judy Dalton (2013) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Judy Dalton (2013)

Judy Dalton was Wimbledon singles runner-up in 1968 and a semifinalist in 1971. She reached the singles quarterfinals at the US Open twice, Wimbledon once and the Australian three times. However, she excelled at doubles, winning the Australian in 1964, 1967, 1969 and 1970; the French in 1966; Wimbledon in 1969; and the US in 1970 and 1971 (w/Margaret Court, AUS). Her highest singles ranking was No.7 in 1968 and she helped Australia win the Federation Cup in 1965 and 1970. Her record was 6-1 singles and 12-3 doubles. Dalton was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.

Kerry Reid (2014) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Kerry Reid (2014)

The youngest of four children, Kerry (Melville) Reid won the Australian Open singles title in 1977 (d Dianne Fromholtz) and a further 26 titles during her career. She was ranked in the world’s top 10 for 12 consecutive years from 1968 to 1979 and held a career-high ranking of No.5, with her chief rivals being Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Chris Evert. She won the Australian Open doubles crown in 1968 and 1977, and Wimbledon in 1978. In singles she was runner-up to Court at Australian Open 1970, and to King at the 1972 US Open. She was a member of the Australian team that won the Fed Cup in 1968, and she held a 37-10 win–loss record from 1967 to 1979. She married tennis player Grover “Raz” Reid in 1976, who became her coach. She later retired to South Carolina and has two daughters.

David Hall (2015) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

David Hall (2015)

Hall dominated wheelchair tennis across the globe for a decade, finishing No.1 in singles for six years between 1995 and 2005. He won every major title at some time during his career, including gold at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics and silver at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympics. In 1995 he became the first non-American to win the prestigious US Open. Hall amassed nine Australian Opens, eight US Opens and seven British Opens. He began playing wheelchair tennis at 19, three years after he lost his legs hitchhiking on the central coast of NSW, where he was hit by a car. He is the State Wheelchair Tennis Coach in Sydney and in 2007 was appointed the Australian Wheelchair Tennis advisor.

Rex Hartwig (2016) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Rex Hartwig (2016)

Known as the “Wrecker” for his demolition jobs on opponents, his perfectly timed groundstrokes, and his crisp and accurate volleys, Hartwig won the Wimbledon doubles title twice: in 1954 with Mervyn Rose and in 1955 with Lew Hoad. He won the doubles in Australia and New York in 1953 (w/Rose).Hartwig was blocked by Hoad and Ken Rosewall from many singles titles, but still won his share and was ranked in the world’s top 10. He was runner-up to Rose in the 1954 Australian singles and to Vic Seixas in the US singles. Legendary Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman described Hartwig as a great stylist. He played in eight ties from 1953 to 1955, compiling a 12-1 win–loss record: 6-0 singles, 6-1 doubles. He turned professional in 1955 aged 26, but after several years returned to his farm near Albury.

Beryl (Penrose) Collier (2017) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Beryl [Penrose] Collier (2017)

Born in Sydney in 1930, Collier competed in the Australian Open on eight occasions, from 1950 to 1957, winning the singles title in 1955 after defeating compatriot Thelma (Coyne) Long in straight sets. It was a clean sweep for Collier, taking out the doubles title with Mary (Bevis) Hawton – for a second consecutive year – and the mixed doubles with Neale Fraser. Her best results came in that year, when in addition to her Australian Open successes, she reached a career-high ranking of world No.5 after playing in four finals and winning the German Championships. She also reached the French Open and Wimbledon quarterfinals. In 1948 at the age of 16, the right-hander won the Australian girls’ singles title, alongside a singles title at the 1952 Welsh Championships. Collier was married in 1957 and left her tennis career to start a family with her husband Jim, who passed away in 1989.

Jan Lehane O’Neill (2018) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Jan Lehane O'Neill (2018)

Jan was ranked No.1 in Australia in 1960. She then went on to be ranked No.5 in the world and reached the quarter finals at Wimbledon. On three occasions she was seeded in the first 8 at Wimbledon. Jan was also four-time finalist to Margaret Court in the Australian Open, in an era when Australian women’s tennis players led the world.

Dianne (Fromholtz) Balestrat (2019) by Tennis AustraliaTennis Australia

Dianne [Fromholtz] Balestrat (2019)

Left-handed Balestrat (nee Fromholtz) started playing tennis at the age of seven and joined the WTA tour at age 16. A Fed Cup player from 1974 to 1983, she held an outstanding win-loss record of 35-11. She was part of a successful Australian team which reached seven finals and that would win the competition in 1974 in Naples. At 19, she cracked the top five, going on to peak at world No.4 in March 1979. She spent five years in the WTA top 10. She had three career wins over Chris Evert and four over Martina Navratilova, with other career wins over Billie Jean King (8-6 record), Wendy Turnbull, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade, Pam Shriver, Sue Barker, Bonnie Gadusek, Gabriela Sabatini and Catarina Lindqvist. She was absent from the tour between 1981 and 1982 due to a car accident and retired at the 1981 US Open, but after 15 months Balestrat was eager to play again. Without a ranking, she received two wildcards and struggled through 1984 in qualifying. However, she made it back through the ranks to reach world No.21 in 1986. At Wimbledon 1987 she reached the quarterfinals, losing to Navratilova. In 2004 she won the Australian Open Mixed Doubles Legends’ event with Geoff Masters, and was a three-time finalist (1998, 1999, 2003) with Fred Stolle. She married French businessman Claude Balestrat in 1983. Balestrat finished her career with 30 singles titles and 19 doubles titles.

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