John Newcombe

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John Newcombe
Country Flag of Australia Australia
Residence -
Date of birth May 23, 1944 (1944-05-23) (age 64)
Place of birth Sydney, Australia
Height -
Weight -
Turned pro 1968
Retired 1981
Plays Right-handed
Career prize money US$1,062,408
Singles
Career record: 429 - 136
Career titles: 68 including 32 in the open era listed in the ATP Webside
Highest ranking: 1 (3-Jun-74)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open W (1973, 1975)
French Open QF (1969)
Wimbledon W (1967, 1970, 1971)
US Open W (1967,1973)
Doubles
Career record: 332 - 113
Career titles: 33
Highest ranking: 1

Infobox last updated on: January 22, 2007.

John David Newcombe AO OBE (born May 23, 1944 in Sydney, Australia) is a former World No. 1 tennis champion.

Contents

[edit] Biography

A natural athlete, as a boy Newcombe played several sports until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962 and 1963 and became a member of Australia's Davis Cup winning team in 1964. He won his first Grand Slam major in 1965 by taking the Australian Championships doubles title with fellow Australian Tony Roche. That same year, the duo won the Wimbledon doubles title. They would team up to win the Australian doubles championship three more times, Wimbledon another four times and the US Championships in 1967, the French Championships in 1967 and 1969. Together, Newcombe and Roche won 12 Grand Slam titles, more than any other men's team in tennis history.

Newcombe's powerful serve and volley was the backbone of his attacking game. To the delight of fans, and the surprise of his opponent, he frequently came up with a second-serve ace. His play made him the No. 1 amateur in the world in 1967 according to Lance Tingay (Rex Bellamy ranked him No. 2 amateur behind Roy Emerson) (and the true No. 1 in the world was Rod Laver, a professional player). As a pro, Newcombe was the joint world number one player in 1970 and 1971. In singles play, he was a two time winner of the Australian Open, a three time winner of Wimbledon, and the US Open twice.

As member of Lamar Hunt's, "World Championship Tennis" professional tour group, and part of the players union, he was banned by the International Tennis Federation from competing in the 1972 Wimbledon championships and he boycotted the event in 1973. Very popular with the fans, Newcombe's absence resulted in urgent negotiations that ultimately resolved the issues.

John Newcombe was the last of the Australians who dominated tennis in the 1950s and 1960s. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Newcombe in his list of the 21 greatest players of all time,[1] and also considered Newcombe to have the best second serve in tennis history.

[edit] Distinctions

  • He served as President of the Association of Tennis Professionals in 1977 and 1978.
  • Overall, he won 25 Grand Slam major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
  • Newcombe and Rod Laver are the only players to ever win both the US Open and Wimbledon men's singles titles as an amateur and as a professional. The grass surfaces favored his game and the French Open's clay surface was the only major singles championship he never won. However, he did take the French doubles title on three occasions.
  • In 1986, his achievements were recognized with his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
  • Still active in tennis, he was made captain of Australia's Davis Cup team in 1995.
  • He is an Australian Living Treasure.
  • He runs the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch & Tennis Academy in New Braunfels, Texas.
  • Notoriously, he was revealed to be President George W. Bush's drinking companion on the night when he was charged with driving under the influence. This controversy surfaced during the 2000 US Presidential Election[1].

[edit] Grand Slam singles finals

[edit] Wins (7)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
1967 Wimbledon Flag of West Germany Wilhelm Bungert 6–2, 6–1, 6–1
1967 U.S. Open Flag of the United States Clark Graebner 6–4, 6–4, 8–6
1970 Wimbledon (2) Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall 5–7, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
1971 Wimbledon (3) Flag of the United States Stan Smith 6–3, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
1973 Australian Open Flag of New Zealand Onny Parun 6–3, 6–7, 7–5, 6–1
1973 U.S. Open (2) Flag of Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš 6–4, 1–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
1975 Australian Open (2) Flag of the United States Jimmy Connors 7–5, 3–6, 6–4, 7–6

[edit] Runner-ups (3)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
1966 U.S. Open Flag of Australia Fred Stolle 4–6, 12-10, 6–3, 6–4
1969 Wimbledon Flag of Australia Rod Laver 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
1976 Australian Open Flag of Australia Mark Edmondson 6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 6–1

[edit] Grand Slam men's doubles finals

[edit] Wins (17)

Year Championship Partnering Opponents in Final Score in Final
1965 Australian Open Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Roy Emerson
Flag of Australia Fred Stolle		 3–6, 4–6, 13-11, 6–3, 6–4
1965 Wimbledon Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher
Flag of South Africa Bob Hewitt		 7–5, 6–3, 6–4
1966 Wimbledon (2) Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of Australia Owen Davidson
Flag of Australia Bill Bowrey		 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3
1967 Australian Open (2) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Bill Bowrey
Flag of Australia Owen Davidson		 3–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–8, 8–6
1967 French Open Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Roy Emerson
Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher		 6–3, 9–7, 12-10
1967 U.S. Open Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Bill Bowrey
Flag of Australia Owen Davidson		 6–8, 9–7, 6–3, 6–3
1968 Wimbledon (3) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher
Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall		 3–6, 8–6, 5–7, 14-12, 6–3
1969 French Open (2) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Roy Emerson
Flag of Australia Rod Laver		 4–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4
1969 Wimbledon (4) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of the Netherlands Tom Okker
Flag of the United States Marty Riessen		 7–5, 11-9, 6–3
1970 Wimbledon (5) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall
Flag of Australia Fred Stolle		 10-8, 6–3, 6–1
1971 Australian Open (3) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of the Netherlands Tom Okker
Flag of the United States Marty Riessen		 6–2, 7–6
1971 U.S. Open (2) Flag of the United Kingdom Roger Taylor Flag of the United States Stan Smith
Flag of the United States Erik Van Dillen		 6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
1973 Australian Open (4) Flag of Australia Mal Anderson Flag of the United States John Alexander
Flag of Australia Phil Dent		 6–3, 6–4, 7–6
1973 U.S. Open (3) Flag of Australia Owen Davidson Flag of Australia Rod Laver
Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall		 7–5, 2–6, 7–5, 7–5
1973 French Open (3) Flag of the Netherlands Tom Okker Flag of the United States Jimmy Connors
Flag of Romania Ilie Năstase		 6–1, 3–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4
1974 Wimbledon (6) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of the United States Bob Lutz
Flag of the United States Stan Smith		 8–6, 6–4, 6–4
1976 Australian Open (5) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Ross Case
Flag of Australia Geoff Masters		 7–6, 6–4

[edit] Runner-ups (4)

Year Championship Partnering Opponents in Final Score in Final
1963 Australian Open Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of Australia Bob Hewitt
Flag of Australia Fred Stolle		 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
1964 French Open Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Roy Emerson
Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher		 7–5, 6–3, 3–6, 7–5
1966 Australian Championships (2) Flag of Australia Tony Roche Flag of Australia Roy Emerson
Flag of Australia Fred Stolle		 7–9, 6–3, 6–8, 14-12, 12-10
1972 U.S. Open Flag of Australia Owen Davidson Flag of South Africa Cliff Drysdale
Flag of the United Kingdom Roger Taylor		 6–4, 7–6, 6–3

[edit] Grand Slam mixed doubles finals

[edit] Wins (2)

Year Championship Partnering Opponents in Final Score in Final
1964 U.S. Open Flag of Australia Margaret Court Flag of the United States Ed Rubinoff
Flag of Australia Judy Tegart Dalton		 0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1965 Australian Open Flag of Australia Margaret Court Flag of Australia Owen Davidson
Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern		 Shared championship, final not played

[edit] Runner-up (1)

Year Championship Partnering Opponents in Final Score in Final
1965 French Open Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher
Flag of Australia Margaret Court		 6–4, 6–4

[edit] 68 Singles titles including 32 listed by the ATP Website for the Open Era only

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. 1968 Hamburg, Germany Clay Flag of South Africa Cliff Drysdale 6–3, 6–2, 6–4
2. 1969 Rome, Italy Clay Flag of Australia Tony Roche 6–3, 4–6, 6–2, 5–7, 6–3
3. 1969 Bournemouth, England Clay Flag of South Africa Bob Hewitt 6–8, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
4. 1970 Casablanca WCT, Morocco Other Flag of Spain Andrés Gimeno 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
5. 1970 Wimbledon, London Grass Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall 5–7, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
6. 1971 Philadelphia WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of Australia Rod Laver 7–6, 7–6, 6–4
7. 1971 Chicago WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 4–6, 7–6, 6–2
8. 1971 Dallas WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 7–6, 6–4
9. 1971 Wimbledon, London Grass Flag of the United States Stan Smith 6–3, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4
10. 1971 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Flag of the Netherlands Tom Okker 6–3, 5–7, 1–6, 7–5, 6–3
11. 1971 Montreal, Canada Clay Flag of the Netherlands Tom Okker 7–6, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6
12. 1971 Toronto WCT, Canada Carpet Flag of the Netherlands Tom Okker 7–6, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6
13. 1972 Las Vegas WCT, U.S. Hard Flag of South Africa Cliff Drysdale 6–3, 6–4
14. 1972 St. Louis WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of Yugoslavia Nikola Pilić 6–3, 6–3
15. 1972 Fort Worth WCT, U.S. Hard Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall 5–7, 1–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–4
16. 1972 Alamo WCT, U.S. Outdoor Flag of South Africa Cliff Drysdale 6–1, 6–1, 7–5
17. 1972 Vancouver WCT, Canada Outdoor Flag of the United States Marty Riessen 6–7, 7–6, 7–6, 7–5
18. 1972 Gothenberg WCT, Sweden Carpet Flag of Australia Roy Emerson 6–0, 6–3, 6–1
19. 1972 Johannesburg-2, South Africa Hard Flag of Australia John Alexander 6–1, 7–6
20. 1973 Australian Open, Melbourne Grass Flag of New Zealand Onny Parun 6–3, 6–7, 7–5, 6–1
21. 1973 U.S. Open, New York Grass Flag of Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš 6–4, 1–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
22. 1973 Djakarta, Indonesia Other Flag of Australia Ross Case 7–6, 7–6, 6–3
23. 1974 St. Petersburg WCT, U.S. Hard Flag of the Soviet Union Alex Metreveli 6–0, 7–6
24. 1974 La Costa WCT, U.S. Hard Flag of the United States Stan Smith 6–2, 4–6, 6–4
25. 1974 Tucson, U.S. Hard Flag of the United States Arthur Ashe 6–3, 7–6
26. 1974 New Orleans WCT, U.S. Other Flag of the United States Jeff Borowiak 6–4, 6–2
27. 1974 Orlando WCT, U.S. Hard Flag of Chile Jaime Fillol 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
28. 1974 Dallas WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of Sweden Björn Borg 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2
29. 1974 Maui, U.S. Hard Flag of the United States Roscoe Tanner 7–6, 7–6
30. 1974 Tokyo, Japan Outdoor Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall 3–6, 6–2, 6–3
31. 1974 Sydney Indoor, Australia Hard (i) Flag of the United States Cliff Richey 6–4, 6–3, 6–4
32. 1975 Australian Open, Melbourne Grass Flag of the United States Jimmy Connors 7–5, 3–6, 6–4, 7–6

[edit] Runner-ups (16)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. 1969 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Flag of the Netherlands Tom Okker 8-10, 6–1, 7–5, 6–3
2. 1969 London/Queen's Club, United Kingdom Grass Flag of Australia Fred Stolle 6–3, 22-20
3. 1969 Wimbledon, London Grass Flag of Australia Rod Laver 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4
4. 1970 London/Queen's Club, United Kingdom Grass Flag of Australia Rod Laver 6–4, 6–3
5. 1970 Louisville, U.S. Hard Flag of Australia Rod Laver 6–3, 6–3
6. 1970 Los Angeles, U.S. Hard Flag of Australia Rod Laver 4–6, 6–4, 7–6
7. 1971 London/Queen's Club, United Kingdom Grass Flag of the United States Stan Smith 8–6, 6–3
8. 1973 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Clay Flag of Spain Manuel Orantes 3–6, 6–3, 6–4
9. 1973 Chicago, U.S. Carpet Flag of the Netherlands Tom Okker 3–6, 7–6, 6–3
10. 1973 Tokyo, Japan Other Flag of Australia Ken Rosewall 6–1, 6–4
11. 1973 Tehran, Iran Clay Flag of Mexico Raúl Ramírez 6–7, 6–1, 7–5, 6–3
12. 1973 Sydney Indoor, Australia Hard (i) Flag of Australia Rod Laver 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
13. 1974 Hempstead WCT, U.S. Hard Flag of the United States Stan Smith 6–4, 3–6, 6–3
14. 1976 Australian Open, Melbourne Grass Flag of Australia Mark Edmondson 6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 6–1
15. 1978 Richmond WCT, U.S. Carpet Flag of the United States Vitas Gerulaitis 6–3, 6–4
16. 1978 Guadalajara, Mexico Clay Flag of the United States Gene Mayer 6–3, 6–4

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ In his 1979 autobiography Kramer considered the best player ever to have been either Don Budge (for consistent play) or Ellsworth Vines (at the height of his game). The next four best were, chronologically, Bill Tilden, Fred Perry, Bobby Riggs, and Pancho Gonzales. After these six came the "second echelon" of Rod Laver, Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Gottfried von Cramm, Ted Schroeder, Jack Crawford, Pancho Segura, Frank Sedgman, Tony Trabert, John Newcombe, Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Björn Borg, and Jimmy Connors. He felt unable to rank Henri Cochet and René Lacoste accurately but felt they were among the very best.

[edit] See also

Tennis Portal

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Ilie Năstase		 World No. 1
June 3, 1974 - July 28, 1974		 Succeeded by
Jimmy Connors
v • d • e
World No. 1s in Men's tennis
v • d • e
Pre Open Era Wimbledon men's singles champions*

* Pre Open Era · (1877) Spencer Gore · (1878) Frank Hadow · (1879–80) John Hartley · (1881–86) William Renshaw · (1887) Herbert Lawford · (1888) Ernest Renshaw · (1889) William Renshaw · (1890) Willoughby Hamilton · (1891–2) Wilfred Baddeley · (1893–4) Joshua Pim · (1895) Wilfred Baddeley · (1896) Harold Mahony · (1897–00) Reginald Doherty · (1901) Arthur Gore · (1902–6) Lawrence Doherty · (1907) Norman Brookes · (1908–9) Arthur Gore · (1910–13) Tony Wilding · (1914) Norman Brookes · (1915–18) No competition · (1919) Gerald Patterson · (1920–1) Bill Tilden · (1922) Gerald Patterson · (1923) Bill Johnston · (1924) Jean Borotra · (1925) René Lacoste · (1926) Jean Borotra · (1927) Henri Cochet · (1928) René Lacoste · (1929) Henri Cochet · (1930) Bill Tilden · (1931) Sidney Wood · (1932) Ellsworth Vines · (1933) Jack Crawford · (1934–6) Fred Perry · (1937–8) Don Budge · (1939) Bobby Riggs · (1940–5) No competition · (1946) Yvon Petra · (1947) Jack Kramer · (1948) Bob Falkenburg · (1949) Ted Schroeder · (1950) Budge Patty · (1951) Dick Savitt · (1952) Frank Sedgman · (1953) Vic Seixas · (1954) Jaroslav Drobný · (1955) Tony Trabert · (1956–7) Lew Hoad · (1958) Ashley Cooper · (1959) Alex Olmedo · (1960) Neale Fraser · (1961–2) Rod Laver · (1963) Chuck McKinley · (1964–5) Roy Emerson · (1966) Manuel Santana · (1967) John Newcombe
v • d • e
Australian Open men's singles champions*
* Open Era · (1969) Rod Laver · (1970) Arthur Ashe · (1971–72) Ken Rosewall · (1973) John Newcombe · (1974) Jimmy Connors · (1975) John Newcombe · (1976) Mark Edmondson · (1977 [Jan]) Roscoe Tanner · (1977 [Dec]) Vitas Gerulaitis · (1978–79) Guillermo Vilas · (1980) Brian Teacher · (1981–82) Johan Kriek · (1983–84) Mats Wilander · (1985) Stefan Edberg · (1986) No competition · (1987) Stefan Edberg · (1988) Mats Wilander · (1989–90) Ivan Lendl · (1991) Boris Becker · (1992–93) Jim Courier · (1994) Pete Sampras · (1995) Andre Agassi · (1996) Boris Becker · (1997) Pete Sampras · (1998) Petr Korda · (1999) Yevgeny Kafelnikov · (2000–01) Andre Agassi · (2002) Thomas Johansson · (2003) Andre Agassi · (2004) Roger Federer · (2005) Marat Safin · (2006–07) Roger Federer · (2008) Novak Djokovic
v • d • e
Wimbledon men's singles champions*
* Open Era · (1968–69) Rod Laver · (1970–71) John Newcombe · (1972) Stan Smith · (1973) Jan Kodeš · (1974) Jimmy Connors · (1975) Arthur Ashe · (1976–80) Björn Borg · (1981) John McEnroe · (1982) Jimmy Connors · (1983–84) John McEnroe · (1985–86) Boris Becker · (1987) Pat Cash · (1988) Stefan Edberg · (1989) Boris Becker · (1990) Stefan Edberg (1991) Michael Stich · (1992) Andre Agassi · (1993–95) Pete Sampras · (1996) Richard Krajicek · (1997–00) Pete Sampras · (2001) Goran Ivanišević · (2002) Lleyton Hewitt · (2003–07) Roger Federer
v • d • e
US Open men's singles champions*
* Open Era · (1968) Arthur Ashe · (1969) Rod Laver · (1970) Ken Rosewall · (1971) Stan Smith · (1972) Ilie Năstase · (1973) John Newcombe · (1974) Jimmy Connors · (1975) Manuel Orantes · (1976) Jimmy Connors · (1977) Guillermo Vilas · (1978) Jimmy Connors · (1979–81) John McEnroe · (1982–83) Jimmy Connors · (1984) John McEnroe · (1985–87) Ivan Lendl · (1988) Mats Wilander · (1989) Boris Becker · (1990) Pete Sampras · (1991–92) Stefan Edberg · (1993) Pete Sampras · (1994) Andre Agassi · (1995–96) Pete Sampras · (1997–98) Patrick Rafter · (1999) Andre Agassi · (2000) Marat Safin · (2001) Lleyton Hewitt · (2002) Pete Sampras · (2003) Andy Roddick · (2004–07) Roger Federer