Neale Fraser

Last updated

Neale Fraser
AO, MBE
Neale Fraser.jpg
Neale Fraser at the 1972 Dutch Open
Full nameNeale Andrew Fraser
Country (sports)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
ResidenceAustralia
Born (1933-10-03) 3 October 1933 (age 91)
Melbourne, Victoria
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Retired1977
PlaysLeft-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF 1984 (member page)
Singles
Career record697–227 (75.2%) [1]
Career titles37 [1]
Highest ranking No. 1 (1959, Lance Tingay ) [2]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open F (1957, 1959, 1960)
French Open SF (1959, 1962)
Wimbledon W (1960)
US Open W (1959, 1960)
Doubles
Career record20–16
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1959)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open W (1957, 1958, 1962)
French Open W (1958, 1960, 1962)
Wimbledon W (1959, 1961)
US Open W (1957, 1959, 1960)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open W (1956)
Wimbledon W (1962)
US Open W (1958, 1959, 1960)
Team competitions
Davis Cup W (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962)

Neale Andrew Fraser AO MBE (born 3 October 1933) is a former number one amateur male tennis-player from Australia, born in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of a Victorian judge. Fraser is the last 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 managed on two consecutive occasions, in 1959 and 1960 (both times at US National, now known as US Open); no male player has equalled this feat at any Grand Slam tournament since.

Contents

After his playing days were over, he was non-playing captain of Australia's Davis Cup team for a record 24 years. [3]

Biography

He was the son of barrister and politician Archibald Fraser. [4]

Fraser was taught by coach Bryan Slattery, and later won the Wimbledon singles in 1960 and the US Championships singles in 1959 and 1960. Fraser 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, Fraser 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. [2]

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 Phillippe Chartier Award for outstanding achievements in tennis.

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

Neale Fraser is married with children and grandchildren. He was voted Victorian Father of the Year in 1974. [5]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 7 (3 wins, 4 losses)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1957 Australian Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Cooper 3–6, 11–9, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1958 Wimbledon Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Cooper6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 11–13
Loss1959 Australian Championships Grass Flag of the United States.svg Alex Olmedo 1–6, 2–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win1959 US Championships Grass Flag of the United States.svg Alex Olmedo6–3, 5–7, 6–2, 6–4
Loss1960 Australian Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver 7–5, 6–3, 3–6, 6–8, 6–8
Win1960 Wimbledon Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver6–4, 3–6, 9–7, 7–5
Win1960 US Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver6–4, 6–4, 10–8

Doubles: 18 (11 wins, 7 losses)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1954 Australian Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Clive Wilderspin Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rex Hartwig
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mervyn Rose
3–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1954 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rex Hartwig
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lew Hoad
5–7, 4–6, 3–6
Win1957 Australian Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lew Hoad Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mal Anderson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Cooper
6–3, 8–6, 6–4
Loss1957 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lew Hoad Flag of the United States.svg Budge Patty
Flag of the United States.svg Gardnar Mulloy
10–8, 4–6, 4–6, 4–6
Win1957 U.S. Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Cooper Flag of the United States.svg Gardnar Mulloy
Flag of the United States.svg Budge Patty
4–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3
Win1958 Australian Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Cooper Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Mark
7–5, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5
Loss1958 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Cooper Flag of Sweden.svg Sven Davidson
Flag of Sweden.svg Ulf Schmidt
4–6, 4–6, 6–8
Win1958 French Championships Clay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ashley Cooper Flag of Australia (converted).svg Robert Howe
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Abe Segal
3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 7–5
Loss1959 French Championships Clay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of Italy.svg Nicola Pietrangeli
Flag of Italy.svg Orlando Sirola
3–6, 2–6, 12–14
Win1959 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Mark
8–6, 6–3, 14–16, 9–7
Win1959 U.S. Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of the United States.svg Earl Buchholz
Flag of the United States.svg Alex Olmedo
3–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 7–5
Loss1960 Australian Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Mark
6–1, 2–6, 4–6, 4–6
Win1960 French Championships Clay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Jose-Luis Arilla
Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Andrés Gimeno
6–2, 8–10, 7–5, 6–4
Win1960 U.S. Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Mark
9–7, 6–2, 6–4
Win1961 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Hewitt
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Stolle
6–4, 6–8, 6–4, 6–8, 8–6
Win1962 Australian Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Hewitt
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Stolle
4–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4, 11–9
Win1962 French Championships Clay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson Flag of Germany.svg Wilhelm Bungert
Flag of Germany.svg Christian Kuhnke
6–3, 6–4, 7–5
Loss1973 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Cooper Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Connors
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Ilie Năstase
6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 9–8, 1–6

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

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1956 Australian Championships Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Beryl Penrose Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mary Bevis Hawton
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson
6–2, 6–4
Loss1957 Wimbledon Grass Flag of the United States.svg Althea Gibson Flag of the United States.svg Darlene Hard
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mervyn Rose
4–6, 5–7
Win1958 U.S. Championships Grass Flag of the United States.svg Margaret Osborne Flag of Brazil.svg Maria Bueno
Flag of the United States.svg Alex Olmedo
6–3, 3–6, 9–7
Loss1959 Wimbledon Grass Flag of Brazil.svg Maria Bueno Flag of the United States.svg Darlene Hard
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver
4–6, 3–6
Win1959 U.S. Championships Grass Flag of the United States.svg Margaret Osborne Flag of the United States.svg Janet Hopps
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Mark
7–5, 13–15, 6–2
Win1960 U.S. Championships Grass Flag of the United States.svg Margaret Osborne Flag of Brazil.svg Maria Bueno
Flag of Mexico.svg Antonio Palafox
6–3, 6–2
Win1962 Wimbledon Grass Flag of the United States.svg Margaret Osborne Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ann Haydon-Jones
Flag of the United States.svg Dennis Ralston
2–6, 6–3, 13–11

Grand Slam performance timeline

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#DNQANH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

Tournament195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 SRW–LWin %
Australian 3R 2R 2R 3R SF F SF F F A SF AAAAA 3R AAA 3R 1R 1R 1R 0 / 1529–1565.9
French AA 3R AA QF QF SF QF A SF AA 2R AAAAAAAAAA0 / 720–774.1
Wimbledon AA 2R 1R QF SF F QF W 4R SF AA 3R AAAAAA 1R 1R 2R 1R 1 / 1438–1374.5
U.S. AA 4R 4R SF 3R SF W W AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA2 / 732–586.5
Win–loss1–11–17–44–312–314–417–418–321–23–113–33–22–12–20–21–20–23 / 43119–4074.8

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References

  1. 1 2 Garcia, Gabriel. "Neale Fraser: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 427.
  3. "Neale Fraser: A Davis Cup devotee like no other". WLM Tennis. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  4. "Archibald McDonald Fraser". Re-Member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  5. "Past winners". Father’s Day Council of Victoria.