 | |
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Kiawah Island, South Carolina |
| Born | October 15, 1951 Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Turned pro | 1972 (amateur from 1969) |
| Retired | 1985 |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $1,696,198 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 592–293 |
| Career titles | 15 |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (July 30, 1979) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1977Jan) |
| French Open | 4R (1978) |
| Wimbledon | F (1979) |
| US Open | SF (1974, 1979) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | RR (1976, 1977, 1979, 1981) |
| WCT Finals | SF (1981) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 272-182 |
| Career titles | 13 |
| Highest ranking | No. 14 (August 23, 1977) |
Leonard Roscoe Tanner (born October 15, 1951) is an American former professional tennis player.[1] He reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4 on July 30, 1979.
Tanner was famous for his big left-handed serve, which was reportedly clocked at 153 miles per hour (246 km/h) at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California on February 19, 1978 during the 1978 American Airlines Tennis Games singles final against Raúl Ramírez.[2][3][4] He is also known for winning the men's singles title at the first of two Australian Open tournaments held in 1977. Tanner won the tournament held in January. Tanner reached the Wimbledon final in 1979, losing to Björn Borg in five sets.
After his retirement, Tanner received media attention in the 2000s for legal problems that included stretches of imprisonment, arrests for missing child support payments, allegations of financial misdeeds, and bankruptcy .
- ^ "The Big Interview Roscoe Tanner". The Times. London. December 5, 2004.[dead link]
- ^ Yorkey, Mike; Roscoe Tanner (2005). Double Fault: My Rise And Fall, And My Road Back. Liguori, Mo: Triumph Books. ISBN 1572437790.
- ^ L. Jon Wertheim (November 29, 2004). "Outside Looking In". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Wimbledon '99: Secrets of an express delivery, by Ronald Atkin, The Independent, June 20, 1999 Retrieved December 9, 2009.