Australian Tennis Hall of Fame

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.