Neale Fraser

Neale Andrew Fraser, (3 October 1933 – 2 December 2024) was an Australian champion tennis player. Fraser is the most recent man to have completed the triple crown (i.e. having won the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles at a Grand Slam tournament), which he did in 1959 and 1960 at the U.S. National Championships (now known as the US Open). He won the 1960 Wimbledon championships. Fraser was ranked world No. 1 amateur tennis player in 1959 and 1960 by Lance Tingay(2016). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (3rd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press. ISBN 978-1-9375-5938-0. and Ned Potter.Potter, Edward C. (November 1960). "The World's First Tens of 1960". World Tennis. Vol. 8, no. 6. New York. p. 35.

After his playing days were over, he was the non-playing captain of Australia's Davis Cup team for a record 24 years.

Biography

Neale Fraser was the son of barrister and politician Archibald Fraser.

The young Fraser was taught by coach Bryan Slattery, and later won the Wimbledon singles in 1960 and the U.S. Championships singles in 1959 and 1960. He failed to win the Australian Championships, finishing as runner-up on three occasions (1957, 1959, and 1960) and held a championship point in the 1960 final. Team play – doubles and Davis Cup – proved nearest to Fraser's heart. In doubles, he took three Australian (1957, 1958, and 1962), French (1958, 1960, and 1962) and US (1957, 1959, and 1960) titles, and two Wimbledons (1959, and 1961) with three different partners: Ashley Cooper, Lew Hoad, and Roy Emerson.

Fraser was also successful in the mixed doubles, winning the Australian Championships in 1956 with Beryl Penrose, Wimbledon in 1962, and the U.S. Championships from 1958 to 1960 with Margaret Osborne duPont. He holds the distinction of having won the U.S. National (now Open) singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles in 1959 and then successfully defending those titles a year later. Since that time, no one has equalled that feat at a grand slam tournament, let alone successively.

Fraser was ranked the World No. 1 amateur in 1959 and 1960 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph, and was in the top 10 every year between 1956 and 1962.

Fraser became Davis Cup captain for the Australian team in 1970, holding the position for a record 24 years and piloting Australia to four wins in 1973, 1977, 1983, and 1986, and recording 55 wins from 75 ties played.

Fraser is one of the 20 men to win all four majors in doubles, and in 1984, he was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Fraser was honoured with an MBE in 1974, and an AO in 1988. He was chairman of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame from 1997 until 2005. In 2008, he received the International Tennis Federation's highest honour: the Philippe Chatrier Award for outstanding achievements in tennis.

Fraser was also the centenary ambassador for the Davis Cup, and was the first recipient of the ITF and International Hall of Fame's Davis Cup Award of Excellence.

Neale Fraser was married with children and grandchildren. He was voted Victorian Father of the Year in 1974.

Fraser died on 2 December 2024, at the age of 91.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 7 (3 wins, 4 losses)

ResultYearChampionship SurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1957 Australian Championships Grass Ashley Cooper 3–6, 11–9, 4–6, 2–6Loss 1958 Wimbledon Championships Grass Ashley Cooper 6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 11–13Loss 1959 Australian Championships Grass Alex Olmedo 1–6, 2–6, 6–3, 3–6Win 1959 US Championships Grass Alex Olmedo 6–3, 5–7, 6–2, 6–4Loss 1960 Australian Championships Grass Rod Laver 7–5, 6–3, 3–6, 6–8, 6–8Win 1960 Wimbledon Championships Grass Rod Laver 6–4, 3–6, 9–7, 7–5Win 1960 US Championships Grass Rod Laver 6–4, 6–4, 10–8

Doubles: 18 (11 wins, 7 losses)

ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1954 Australian Championships Grass Clive Wilderspin Rex Hartwig Mervyn Rose 3–6, 4–6, 2–6Loss 1954 Wimbledon Grass Ken Rosewall Rex Hartwig Lew Hoad 5–7, 4–6, 3–6Win 1957 Australian Championships Grass Lew Hoad Mal Anderson Ashley Cooper 6–3, 8–6, 6–4Loss 1957 Wimbledon Grass Lew Hoad Budge Patty Gardnar Mulloy 10–8, 4–6, 4–6, 4–6Win 1957 U.S. Championships Grass Ashley Cooper Gardnar Mulloy Budge Patty 4–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3Win 1958 Australian Championships Grass Ashley Cooper Roy Emerson Bob Mark 7–5, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5Loss 1958 Wimbledon Grass Ashley Cooper Sven Davidson Ulf Schmidt 4–6, 4–6, 6–8Win 1958 French Championships Clay Ashley Cooper Robert Howe Abe Segal 3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 7–5Loss 1959 French Championships Clay Roy Emerson Nicola Pietrangeli Orlando Sirola 3–6, 2–6, 12–14Win 1959 Wimbledon Grass Roy Emerson Rod Laver Bob Mark 8–6, 6–3, 14–16, 9–7Win 1959 U.S. Championships Grass Roy Emerson Earl Buchholz Alex Olmedo 3–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 7–5Loss 1960 Australian Championships Grass Roy Emerson Rod Laver Bob Mark 6–1, 2–6, 4–6, 4–6Win 1960 French Championships Clay Roy Emerson Jose-Luis Arilla Andrés Gimeno 6–2, 8–10, 7–5, 6–4Win 1960 U.S. Championships Grass Roy Emerson Rod Laver Bob Mark 9–7, 6–2, 6–4Win 1961 Wimbledon Grass Roy Emerson Bob Hewitt Fred Stolle 6–4, 6–8, 6–4, 6–8, 8–6Win 1962 Australian Championships Grass Roy Emerson Bob Hewitt Fred Stolle 4–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4, 11–9Win 1962 French Championships Clay Roy Emerson Wilhelm Bungert Christian Kuhnke 6–3, 6–4, 7–5Loss 1973 Wimbledon Grass John Cooper Jimmy Connors Ilie Năstase 6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 9–8, 1–6

Mixed doubles: 7 (5 titles, 2 runner-ups)

ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1956 Australian Championships Grass Beryl Penrose Mary Bevis Hawton Roy Emerson 6–2, 6–4Loss 1957 Wimbledon Grass Althea Gibson Darlene Hard Mervyn Rose 4–6, 5–7Win 1958 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Maria Bueno Alex Olmedo 6–3, 3–6, 9–7Loss 1959 Wimbledon Grass Maria Bueno Darlene Hard Rod Laver 4–6, 3–6Win 1959 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Janet Hopps Bob Mark 7–5, 13–15, 6–2Win 1960 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Maria Bueno Antonio Palafox 6–3, 6–2Win 1962 Wimbledon Grass Margaret Osborne Ann Haydon-Jones Dennis Ralston 2–6, 6–3, 13–11

Grand Slam performance timeline

Singles

Tournament 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 19701971197219731974 1975 SR W–L Win %Australian 3R2R2R3RSFFSFFF ASF A A A A A3R A A A3R1R1R1R 0 / 15 29–15 65.9French A A3R A AQFQFSFQF ASF A A2R A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 7 20–7 74.1Wimbledon A A2R1RQFSFFQFW4RSF A A3R A A A A A A1R1R2R1R 1 / 14 38–13 74.5U.S. A A4R4R SF3R SFWW A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 2 / 7 32–5 86.5 Win–loss 1–1 1–1 7–4 4–3 12–3 14–4 17–4 18–3 21–2 3–1 13–3 3–2 2–1 2–2 0–2 1–2 0–2 3 / 43 119–40 74.8

Neale Fraser

Bron en licentie