Ken Rosewall

Ken Rosewall
AM MBE
Rosewall in the mid-1950s
Full nameKenneth Robert Rosewall
Country (sports)Australia Australia
ResidenceSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Born (1934-11-02) 2 November 1934 (age 90)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Turned pro1956
(amateur since 1950)
Retired1980
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS$1,602,700
Int. Tennis HoF1980 (member page)
Singles
Career record1811–710 [1]
Career titles147 [2] (40 listed by the ATP)
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1961, L'Équipe)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (1953, 1955, 1971, 1972)
French OpenW (1953, 1968)
WimbledonF (1954, 1956, 1970, 1974)
US OpenW (1956, 1970)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsRR – 3rd (1970)
WCT FinalsW (1971, 1972)
Professional majors
US ProW (1963, 1965)
Wembley ProW (1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963)
French ProW (1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)
Other pro events
TOCF (1958FH)
Doubles
Career record211–113 (Open Era)
Career titles14 listed by the ATP
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (1953, 1956, 1972)
French OpenW (1953, 1968)
WimbledonW (1953, 1956)
US OpenW (1956, 1969)
Mixed doubles
Career record21–6
Career titles1
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French OpenSF (1953)
WimbledonF (1954)
US OpenW (1956)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1953, 1955, 1956, 1973)

Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE (born 2 November 1934) is an Australian former world top-ranking professional tennis player. Rosewall won 147 singles titles, including a record 15 Pro Majors and 8 Grand Slam titles for a total 23 titles at pro and amateur majors ranks him second all time to Novak Djokovic on 24. He also won 15 Pro Majors in doubles and 9 Grand Slam doubles titles. Rosewall achieved a Pro Slam in singles in 1963 by winning the three Pro Majors in one year and he completed the Career Grand Slam in doubles.[3]

Rosewall had a renowned backhand and enjoyed a long career at the highest levels from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. Rosewall was ranked as the world No. 1 tennis player by multiple sources from 1961 to 1964,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] multiple sources in 1970,[11][12] and Rino Tommasi in 1971 and 1972.[13] Rosewall was first ranked in the top 20 in 1952,[14] and last ranked in the top 20 in 1977.[15] Rosewall is the only player to have simultaneously held Pro Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces (1962–63). At the 1971 Australian Open, he became the first man during the Open Era to win a Grand Slam tournament without dropping a set. Rosewall won world professional championship tours in 1963, 1964, and the WCT titles in 1971 and 1972. A natural left-hander, Rosewall was taught by his father to play right-handed. He developed a powerful, effective backhand but never had anything more than an accurate but relatively soft serve. He was 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall, weighed 67 kg (148 lb), and sarcastically was nicknamed "Muscles" by his fellow-players because of his lack of them; however, he was fast, agile, and tireless, with a deadly volley. A father of two and grandfather of five, Rosewall lives in northern Sydney.

  1. ^ Garcia, Gabriel. "Ken Rosewall: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Madrid, Spain: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Record: Most Titles". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  3. ^ McCauley (2000), pp. 256–257
  4. ^ (1961 ranking) 1961 Robert Roy's rankings in l'Équipe in January 1962 reproduced in Tennis de France N°106, Fevrier 1962, page 17 "Un classement open"
  5. ^ (1961 ranking) Tennis de France N°106 FEVRIER 1962, editorial page 1
  6. ^ McCauley (2000), p. 121
  7. ^ (1961-64 rankings) "Time magazine, 14 May 1965". Time. 14 May 1965.
  8. ^ McCauley (2000), pp. 123, 125
  9. ^ McCauley (2000), pp. 126, 235
  10. ^ (1964 ranking) "The Age (Melbourne), 21 December 1964". newspapers.com. 21 December 1964.
  11. ^ (1970 rankings) Almanacco Illustrato del tennis 1989, Edizioni Panini, p.694
  12. ^ 1970 Martini and Rossi award
  13. ^ (1971-72 rankings) Almanacco Illustrato del tennis 1989, Edizioni Panini, p.694
  14. ^ Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis (1994), Lance Tingay 1952 rankings, p. 614
  15. ^ "ATP rankings, 31 December 1977". atptour.com.