John Newcombe

Year-end No. 1 ranking: 1967, 1970-71 and 3rd June 1974 for 8 weeks

John Newcombe and Tony Roche were a great men's doubles pair, both Australian, both perfectly complimentary to one another's game. This brought them a haul of doubles crowns including five Wimbledon's, the U.S. in 1967, the French in 1967 and 1969, and the Australian in 1965, 1967, 1971 and 1976. Newcombe and Roche are one of four teams to have won the Big Four and are the leading team with 12 majors.

The age of professionalism, players added their name's to anything, in a bid to claim the riches entering the game in the 1970s

Newcombe made his name though as a singles player, sharpening his Davis Cup teeth, under legendary captain Harry Hopman, as a raw 19-year-old in 1963. Newcombe helped Hopman win four Cups, between 1964-67, and returned in 1973 for a further triumph.

John Newcombe returned to the Davis Cup scene in 1973, playing alongside Rod Laver [r] and Ken Rosewall, under the captaincy of Neale Fraser [c]

The Sydney born Newcombe didn't seriously consider tennis until the age of 17, but at the end of his career he won 25 major titles in singles, doubles and mixed, to stand second behind Roy Emerson (28) in the all-time male champions list. The backbone of his game was his serve, volley and forehand, which was at its best on grass. He won three Wimbledon (1967, 1970-71) and U.S. Championships singles titles in 1967 and 1973, plus two Australian titles in 1973 and 1975.

Rod Laver and Newcombe stand as the only two players to have won Wimbledon and U.S. singles titles as both amateurs and professionals. In 1967 he was the number amateur in the world, and 1970-71 king of all. His best professional season was in 1971, when he won 19 singles tournaments, which took his final career haul to 73 professional titles: 32 in singles; 41 in doubles. Newcombe won $1,062,408 in prize money and in 1995 was appointed Australian Davis Cup captain.

Grand Slam Record

Australian Singles winner 1973, 1975; Singles finalist 1976; Doubles winner 1965, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1976; Doubles finalist 1963, 1966; Mixed winner 1965 (shared)

French Doubles winner 1967, 1969, 1973; Doubles finalist 1964; Mixed finalist 1965

Wimbledon Singles winner 1967, 1970, 1971; Singles finalist 1969; Doubles winner 1965-66, 1968-70, 1974; Mixed finalist 1965

U.S. Championships Singles winner 1967, 1973; Singles finalist 1966; Doubles winner 1967, 1971, 1973; Doubles finalist 1972; Mixed winner 1964; Mixed finalist 1965

Tournament Record (inc. Davis Cup)

Italian Championships Singles winner 1969; Doubles 1965, 1969, 1971, 1973; Doubles finalist 1962, 1964, 1976; Mixed winner 1964

Australian Davis Cup team member 1963-67, 1973, 1975-76; winning side 1964-67, 1973; Captain losing captain 1999-2000

Top