Ashley Cooper (tennis)

Cooper won his first Grand Slam singles title at the 1957 Australian Championships where he defeated compatriot Neale Fraser in the final in four sets.[3][4]

Cooper played his best year in 1958, becoming one of only eleven men to win three of the four Grand Slam events in the same year. He successfully defended his Australian singles title after a straight-sets victory in the final against Malcolm Anderson.[3] In July, he won his first and only Wimbledon title after beating Fraser in the final. The pair were roommates at that year's tournament and ate breakfast together on the morning of their match.[5] He followed up with a first singles title at the U.S. Championships, again defeating Anderson in the final.[5] Additionally, Cooper was a semifinalist at the French Championship, losing to Luis Ayala in five sets after leading by 2 sets to love. The defeat prevented him from achieving the Grand Slam that year. It remained the only Major that Cooper did not win in his career.[6]

The right-handed Cooper was the top ranked player in both 1957—when he was a Wimbledon and Forest Hills finalist, and Paris semi-finalist—and in 1958. Cooper played on the Australian Davis Cup team that won the cup in 1957, and were finalists in 1958. In January 1959, Cooper turned professional after signing a contract with Jack Kramer.[7]

After retiring as a player, Cooper went on to serve as a tennis player development administrator with Tennis Queensland, where he was based for nearly fifty years. He also sat on the board of directors for Tennis Australia.[8]

Cooper was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1987 and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.[9] In the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2007, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his service to tennis.[10]

In 2009 Cooper was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.[11]

Source:[12]

Singles: (4 titles, 2 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1957	Australian Championships	Grass	Neale Fraser	6–3, 9–11, 6–4, 6–2
Loss	1957	Wimbledon	Grass	Lew Hoad	2–6, 1–6, 2–6
Loss	1957	U.S. Championships	Grass	Malcolm Anderson	8–10, 5–7, 4–6
Win	1958	Australian Championships (2)	Grass	Malcolm Anderson	7–5, 6–3, 6–4
Win	1958	Wimbledon	Grass	Neale Fraser	3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 13–11
Win	1958	U.S. Championships	Grass	Malcolm Anderson	6–2, 3–6, 4–6, 10–8, 8–6

Doubles: (4 titles, 3 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1956	French Championships	Clay	Lew Hoad	Don Candy Robert Perry	5–7, 3–6, 3–6
Loss	1957	Australian Championships	Grass	Malcolm Anderson	Lew Hoad Neale Fraser	3–6, 6–8, 4–6
Win	1957	French Championships	Clay	Malcolm Anderson	Don Candy Mervyn Rose	6–3, 6–0, 6–3
Win	1957	U.S. Championships	Grass	Neale Fraser	Gardnar Mulloy Budge Patty	4–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3
Win	1958	Australian Championships	Grass	Neale Fraser	Roy Emerson Robert Mark	7–5, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5
Loss	1958	Wimbledon	Grass	Neale Fraser	Sven Davidson Ulf Schmidt	4–6, 4–6, 6–8
Win	1958	French Championships	Clay	Neale Fraser	Robert Howe Abe Segal	3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 7–5

Source:[13]

Cooper married Helen Wood, Miss Australia 1957, on 2 January 1959. An estimated crowd of five thousand unruly people surrounded St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Brisbane to try to catch a glimpse of the couple.[14]

Cooper died on 22 May 2020 at the age of 83 following a long illness.[15]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ashley Cooper (tennis).

• Ashley Cooper at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Ashley Cooper at the International Tennis Federation
• Ashley Cooper at the Davis Cup
• Ashley Cooper at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Ashley Cooper at Tennis Australia
• Australian Open Hall of Fame