Neville Godwin (born 31 January 1975) is a tennis coach and a former professional player from South Africa. He has won one singles title (2001 Newport) in his career, and reached his highest individual ranking on the ATP Tour in March 1997, when he became World No. 90. His highest ranking in doubles was World No. 57.
Professional career
Godwin turned professional in 1994.
At the 1996 Wimbledon tournament, Godwin had his best finish at a Grand Slam, when he reached the fourth round as a qualifier, defeating Cristiano Caratti, compatriot Grant Stafford and Boris Becker before losing to Alex Rădulescu.
Godwin retired in 2003.
Coaching career He now lives in his hometown of Johannesburg with his wife, Nicky and two sons, Oliver and James. He coached performance players out of the Wanderers Club for 5 years, before coaching South African player Kevin Anderson to a world top 10 ranking and a US Open final appearance in 2017. In 2017, he won ATP Coach of the Year award. On 12 November 2017, it was announced Godwin and Anderson had split.
He came into limelight again during the Australian Open 2018 when Hyeon Chung, who was being coached by Godwin became the first player from South Korea to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam slam.
He currently coaches Alexei Popyrin.
Junior Grand Slam finals
Doubles: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups) ResultYearTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss1993French OpenClay Gareth Williams Steven Downs James Greenhalgh1–6, 1–6Loss1993WimbledonGrass Gareth Williams Steven Downs James Greenhalgh7–6, 6–7, 6–7Win1993US OpenHard Gareth Williams Ben Ellwood James Sekulov6–3, 6–3
ATP career finals
Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up) LegendGrand Slam Tournaments (0–0)ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)ATP Masters Series (0–0)ATP Championship Series (0–0)ATP World Series (1–1)Finals by surfaceHard (0–0)Clay (0–0)Grass (1–1)Carpet (0–0)Finals by settingOutdoors (1–1)Indoors (0–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss0–1Newport, United StatesInternational SeriesGrass Leander Paes3–6, 2–6Win1–1Newport, United StatesInternational SeriesGrass Martin Lee6–1, 6–4
Doubles: 3 (3 runner-ups) LegendGrand Slam Tournaments (0–0)ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)ATP Masters Series (0–0)ATP Championship Series (0–1)ATP World Series (0–2)Finals by surfaceHard (0–2)Clay (0–1)Grass (0–0)Carpet (0–0)Finals by settingOutdoors (0–3)Indoors (0–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss0–1Washington, United StatesChampionship SeriesClay Fernon Wibier Luke Jensen Murphy Jensen4–6, 4–6Loss0–2Hong Kong, Hong KongInternational SeriesHard Tuomas Ketola Byron Black Alex O'Brien5–7, 1–6Loss0–3Chennai, IndiaWorld SeriesHard Wayne Black Leander Paes Mahesh Bhupathi6–4, 5–7, 4–6
ATP Challenger and ITF Futures finals
Singles: 9 (2–7) LegendATP Challenger (2–7)ITF Futures (0–0)Finals by surfaceHard (2–4)Clay (0–0)Grass (0–2)Carpet (0–1)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss0–1Eilat, IsraelChallengerHard Tuomas Ketola3–6, 4–6Win1–1Jerusalem, IsraelChallengerHard Gabriel Trifu6–4, 7–6Loss1–2Jerusalem, IsraelChallengerHard Lior Mor5–7, 7–5, 2–6Loss1–3Manchester, United KingdomChallengerGrass Igor Gaudi6–7, 2–6Loss1–4Istanbul, TurkeyChallengerHard Vadim Kutsenko4–6, 6–7(3–7)Win2–4Las Vegas, United StatesChallengerHard Cristiano Caratti6–3, 6–3Loss2–5Surbiton, United KingdomChallengerGrass Taylor Dent6–4, 6–7(3–7), 2–6Loss2–6Hamburg, GermanyChallengerCarpet Raemon Sluiter1–6, 3–6Loss2–7Waikoloa, United StatesChallengerHard Robby Ginepri3–6, 3–6
Doubles: 18 (11–7) LegendATP Challenger (11–7)ITF Futures (0–0)Finals by surfaceHard (7–7)Clay (1–0)Grass (1–0)Carpet (2–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss0–1Binghamton, United StatesChallengerHard Scott Sigerseth David Di Lucia Chris Woodruff6–4, 4–6, 3–6Loss0–2Bombay, IndiaChallengerHard David Nainkin Byron Black Wayne Black2–6, 6–7Win1–2Jerusalem, IsraelChallengerHard Leander Paes Noam Behr Eyal Ran7–6, 7–5Loss1–3Aptos, United StatesChallengerHard Geoff Grant Sébastien Leblanc Jocelyn Robichaud6–7, 7–6, 5–7Loss1–4Jerusalem, IsraelChallengerHard David Nainkin Noam Behr Eyal ErlichwalkoverWin2–4Brest, FranceChallengerHard Marcos Ondruska Justin Gimelstob Brian Macphie6–4, 5–7, 6–4Loss2–5Jerusalem, IsraelChallengerHard Barry Cowan Tuomas Ketola Jeff Coetzee2–6, 4–6Win3–5Manchester, United KingdomChallengerGrass Jeff Coetzee Jamie Delgado Martin Lee6–4, 6–2Loss3–6Istanbul, TurkeyChallengerHard Jeff Coetzee Gouichi Motomura Oleg Ogorodov2–6, 6–2, 2–6Win4–6Hong Kong, Hong KongChallengerHard Michael Hill Bob Bryan Mike Bryan3–6, 7–5, 7–6Win5–6Hull, United KingdomChallengerCarpet Barry Cowan Julian Knowle Stefano Pescosolido6–3, 3–6, 6–3Win6–6Singapore, SingaporeChallengerHard Michael Hill Nathan Healey Paul Hanley6–4, 6–1Win7–6Hamilton, New ZealandChallengerHard Michael Hill Michael Joyce Jim Thomas7–6(7–4), 6–4Win8–6Jerusalem, IsraelChallengerHard Kevin Ullyett Noam Behr Eyal Ran7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–3)Loss8–7Segovia, SpainChallengerHard Marcos Ondruska Wesley Moodie Shaun Rudman6–7(5–7), 3–6Win9–7Eckental, GermanyChallengerCarpet George Bastl Yves Allegro Marcus Hilpert6–4, 4–6, 7–5Win10–7Tarzana, United StatesChallengerHard George Bastl Brandon Coupe Kevin Kim6–3, 4–6, 6–3Win11–7Paget, BermudaChallengerClay George Bastl Ramón Delgado Alexandre Simoni7–6(10–8), 6–3
Performance timelines
Singles Tournament19931994199519961997199819992000200120022003SRW–LWin %Grand Slam tournamentsAustralian OpenAAQ3Q33RQ1Q1AQ3Q1Q30 / 12–1French OpenAAAA1RQ1AQ1Q1Q1A0 / 10–1WimbledonQ2Q1A4R2R1RQ13R1R1RA0 / 66–6US OpenQ1A1R2RQ1Q3Q2Q2Q1Q1A0 / 21–2Win–loss0–00–00–14–23–30–10–02–10–10–10–00 / 109–10ATP Masters SeriesIndian WellsAAAQ2AAAAAAA0 / 00–0MiamiAA1RQ11R1RQ1AQ1AA0 / 30–3CanadaAAQ31R2R2RAQ2AAA0 / 32–3CincinnatiAAAAAAA1RAAA0 / 10–1ParisAAQ1AAAAAAAA0 / 00–0Win–loss0–00–00–10–11–21–20–00–10–00–00–00 / 72–7
Doubles Tournament1993199419951996199719981999200020012002SRW–LWin %Grand Slam tournamentsAustralian OpenAAAAA2R1RA1RA0 / 31–3French OpenAAAAA2R1RQF2R1R0 / 55–5WimbledonQ2Q1AQ1Q12R1R1R1R3R0 / 53–5US OpenAAQ1A1R1R3R1R1R1R0 / 62–6Win–loss0–00–00–00–00–13–42–43–31–42–30 / 1911–19MiamiAA1RAQ21R1RA2RA0 / 41–4CanadaAAQ2AQFQ2A1RAA0 / 22–2CincinnatiAAAAAAA2RAA0 / 11–1Win–loss0–00–00–10–02–10–10–11–21–10–00 / 74–7
External links
Neville Godwin at the Association of Tennis Professionals Coach profile