Željko Franulović (; born 13 June 1947) is a Croatian former tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia and has since had a long career in tennis management. He has been the Monte-Carlo Masters tournament director since 2005.Zeljko Franulovic Announces Record Attendance

Whilst his career-high ATP singles ranking was world No. 3, the ATP rankings were installed after his 1969–1971 heyday – Franulović was ranked inside the top 20 in both 1970 and 1971, reaching as high as world No. 3 in March 1971. Finalist of the 1970 French Open and winner in Monte Carlo the same year. His singles career lasted 20 years from 1963 to 1983 in which he won 23 career titles.

Biography Franulović was born on the island of Korčula to father Ivo and mother Katica, but at the age of one month got brought to Split where he grew up. His playing career lasted for 20 years between 1963 and 1983, during which he won a total of twenty three singles titles, as well as seven doubles titles. He played his first singles tournament at the 1963 Yugoslavian International Championships. In 1967 he won his first title at the same event.

He is remembered for reaching the French Open final in 1970, which he lost to Czech Jan Kodeš in straight sets. He reached the semifinals the following year. He also won the Monte-Carlo Masters in 1970. He won his final singles title in 1982 at the San Benedetto Open in Italy. He played his final tournament at the ATP Essen Challenger event in 1983.

Since retiring from playing tennis, Franulović became involved in the ATP since the 1990s. He was the coach of the Croatian Davis Cup Team from 1994 to 1997. He was the Tournament Representative for Europe on the Association of Tennis Professionals' Board of Directors, between 2007 and 2009.

Grand Slam finals Singles: 1 (1 runner-up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore Loss 1970 French Open Clay Jan Kodeš 2–6, 4–6, 0–6

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Tournament 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Australian Open A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 0 French Open1R1R4RQFFSF1R2R3R3R A1R2R1R1R1R A1R 0 / 16 Wimbledon Q11R A2R3R2R A A A A2RA A A A A A A 0 / 5 US Open A A1R1R A2R A A A3R3R3R A A A A A A 0 / 6 Strike rate 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 20 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 1 Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

Career finals

Singles: 19 (13 titles, 6 runner-ups)

ResultW/L DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreWin 1–0 Mar 1969 St. Petersburg, U.S. Clay Jaime Fillol 6–4, 6–2, 6–4Win 2–0 Apr 1969 Houston, U.S. Clay Rafael Osuna 7–5, 6–3, 6–2Win 3–0 Jul 1969 Indianapolis, U.S. Clay Arthur Ashe 8–6, 6–3, 6–4Loss 3–1 May 1969 Brussels, Belgium Clay Tom Okker 4–6, 6–1, 2–6, 2–6Loss 3–2 Nov 1969 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay François Jauffret 6–3, 2–6, 4–6, 3–6Win 4–2 Mar 1970 Barranquilla, Colombia Clay Nikola Špear 9–7, 6–3, 6–3Win 5–2 Apr 1970 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Manuel Orantes 6–4, 6–3, 6–3Loss 5–3 Jun 1970French Open Clay Jan Kodeš 2–6, 4–6, 0–6Win 6–3 Aug 1970 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay John Alexander 6–4, 9–7, 6–4Win 7–3 Nov 1970 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay Manuel Orantes 6–4, 6–2, 6–0Win 8–3 Feb 1971 New York, U.S. Carpet (i) Clark Graebner 6–2, 5–7, 6–4, 7–5Win 9–3 Mar 1971 Macon, U.S. Carpet (i) Ilie Năstase 6–4, 7–5, 5–7, 3–6, 7–6(5–4)Loss 9–4 May 1971 Bournemouth, U.K. Clay Gerald Battrick 3–6, 2–6, 7–5, 0–6Loss 9–5 Jul 1971 Clemmons, U.S. Clay Jaime Fillol 6–4, 4–6, 6–7Win 10–5 Aug 1971 Indianapolis, U.S. Clay Cliff Richey 6–3, 6–4, 0–6, 6–3Win 11–5 Dec 1971 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay Ilie Năstase 6–3, 7–6, 6–1Loss 11–6 Jul 1975 Hilversum, Netherlands Clay Guillermo Vilas 4–6, 7–6, 2–6, 3–6Win 12–6 Oct 1976 Aviles, Spain Clay Jan Kodeš 7–6, 6–1, 5–7, 7–6Win 13–6 May 1977 Munich, West Germany Clay Víctor Pecci 6–1, 6–1, 6–7, 7–5

Doubles: 14 (7 titles, 7 runner-ups) ResultW/L DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 0–1 Jul 1970 Båstad, Sweden Clay Jan Kodeš Dick Crealy Allan Stone 2–6, 6–2, 12–12 ret.Loss 0–2 Aug 1970 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay Jan Kodeš John Alexander Phil Dent 8–10, 2–6, 4–6Loss 0–3 Nov 1970 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay Jan Kodeš Bob Carmichael Ray Ruffels 5–7, 2–6, 7–5, 7–6, 3–6Loss 0–4 Mar 1971 Macon, U.S. Carpet (i) Jan Kodeš Clark Graebner Thomaz Koch 3–6, 6–7Win 1–4 Aug 1971 Indianapolis, U.S. Clay Jan Kodeš Clark Graebner Erik van Dillen 7–6, 5–7, 6–3Win 2–4 Oct 1971 Barcelona WCT, Spain Clay Juan Gisbert Sr. Cliff Drysdale Andrés Gimeno 7–6, 6–2, 7–6Win 3–4 Dec 1971 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay Ilie Năstase Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol 6–4, 6–4Win 4–4 Mar 1974 Hampton, U.S. Carpet (i) Nikola Pilić Pat Cramer Mike Estep 6–3, 1–2, retiredLoss 4–5 Jul 1975 Hilversum, Netherlands Clay John Lloyd Wojciech Fibak Guillermo Vilas 4–6, 3–6Loss 4–6 Jun 1978 Berlin, West Germany Clay Hans Gildemeister Colin Dowdeswell Jürgen Fassbender 3–6, 4–6Loss 4–7 Oct 1978 Tokyo, Japan Clay Buster Mottram Geoff Masters Ross Case 2–6, 6–4, 1–6Win 5–7 Oct 1978 Barcelona, Spain Clay Hans Gildemeister Jean-Louis Haillet Gilles Moretton 6–1, 6–4Win 6–7 Jul 1979 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay Heinz Günthardt Dick Crealy Antonio Zugarelli 6–2, 6–4Win 7–7 Sep 1980 Geneva, Switzerland Clay Balázs Taróczy Heinz Günthardt Markus Günthardt 6–4, 4–6, 6–4

Orders Order of Saint-Charles KnightRemise de décorations dans les ordres de Saint-Charles et des Grimaldi par S.A.S le Prince Albert II

References

External links