Neale Fraser

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 person to have won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at a Grand Slam tournament on two consecutive occasions in 1959 and 1960 (both times at US National, now known as US Open). Since that time, nobody has equalled that feat at any Grand Slam tournament even once.

Neale Fraser
AO, MBE
Neale Fraser at the 1972 Dutch Open
Full nameNeale Andrew Fraser
Country (sports) Australia
ResidenceAustralia
Born (1933-10-03) 3 October 1933
Melbourne, Victoria
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Retired1977
PlaysLeft-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF1984 (member page)
Singles
Career record697-227 (75.2%)[1]
Career titles37[2]
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1959, Lance Tingay)[3]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenF (1957, 1959, 1960)
French OpenSF (1959, 1962)
WimbledonW (1960)
US OpenW (1959, 1960)
Doubles
Career record20–16
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1959)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenW (1957, 1958, 1962)
French OpenW (1958, 1960, 1962)
WimbledonW (1959, 1961)
US OpenW (1957, 1959, 1960)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian OpenW (1956)
WimbledonW (1962)
US OpenW (1958, 1959, 1960)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962)

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

Biography

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

Fraser 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 Wimbledon (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 in 1956 with Beryl Penrose, Wimbledon in 1962, and the US from 1958 to 1960 with Margaret Osborne duPont. He holds the distinction of having won the US 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.[3]

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)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1957Australian ChampionshipsGrass Ashley Cooper3–6, 11–9, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1958Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Ashley Cooper6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 11–13
Loss1959Australian ChampionshipsGrass Alex Olmedo1–6, 2–6, 6–3, 3–6
Win1959US ChampionshipsGrass Alex Olmedo6–3, 5–7, 6–2, 6–4
Loss1960Australian ChampionshipsGrass Rod Laver7–5, 6–3, 3–6, 6–8, 6–8
Win1960Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Rod Laver6–4, 3–6, 9–7, 7–5
Win1960US ChampionshipsGrass Rod Laver6–4, 6–4, 10–8

Doubles: 18 (11 wins, 7 losses)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1954Australian ChampionshipsGrass Clive Wilderspin Rex Hartwig
Mervyn Rose		3–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1954WimbledonGrass Ken Rosewall Rex Hartwig
Lew Hoad		5–7, 4–6, 3–6
Win1957Australian ChampionshipsGrass Lew Hoad Mal Anderson
Ashley Cooper		6–3, 8–6, 6–4
Loss1957WimbledonGrass Lew Hoad Budge Patty
Gardnar Mulloy		10–8, 4–6, 4–6, 4–6
Win1957U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Ashley Cooper Gardnar Mulloy
Budge Patty		4–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3
Win1958Australian ChampionshipsGrass [Ashley Cooper Roy Emerson
Bob Mark		7–5, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5
Loss1958WimbledonGrass Ashley Cooper Sven Davidson
Ulf Schmidt		4–6, 4–6, 6–8
Win1958French ChampionshipsClay Ashley Cooper Robert Howe
Abe Segal		3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 7–5
Loss1959French ChampionshipsClay Roy Emerson Nicola Pietrangeli
Orlando Sirola		3–6, 2–6, 12–14
Win1959WimbledonGrass Roy Emerson Rod Laver
Bob Mark		8–6, 6–3, 14–16, 9–7
Win1959U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Roy Emerson Earl Buchholz
Alex Olmedo		3–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4, 7–5
Loss1960Australian ChampionshipsGrass Roy Emerson Rod Laver
Bob Mark		6–1, 2–6, 4–6, 4–6
Win1960French ChampionshipsClay Roy Emerson Jose-Luis Arilla
Andrés Gimeno		6–2, 8–10, 7–5, 6–4
Win1960U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Roy Emerson Rod Laver
Bob Mark		9–7, 6–2, 6–4
Win1961WimbledonGrass Roy Emerson Bob Hewitt
Fred Stolle		6–4, 6–8, 6–4, 6–8, 8–6
Win1962Australian ChampionshipsGrass Roy Emerson Bob Hewitt
Fred Stolle		4–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4, 11–9
Win1962French ChampionshipsClay Roy Emerson Wilhelm Bungert
Christian Kuhnke		6–3, 6–4, 7–5
Loss1973WimbledonGrass John Cooper Jimmy Connors
Ilie Năstase		6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 9–8, 1–6

Mixed Doubles: 7 (5 titles, 2 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1956Australian ChampionshipsGrass Beryl Penrose Mary Bevis Hawton
Roy Emerson		6–2, 6–4
Loss1957WimbledonGrass Althea Gibson Darlene Hard
Mervyn Rose		4–6, 5–7
Win1958U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Margaret Osborne Maria Bueno
Alex Olmedo		6–3, 3–6, 9–7
Loss1959WimbledonGrass Maria Bueno Darlene Hard
Rod Laver		4–6, 3–6
Win1959U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Margaret Osborne Janet Hopps
Bob Mark		7–5, 13–15, 6–2
Win1960U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Margaret Osborne Maria Bueno
Antonio Palafox		6–3, 6–2
Win1962WimbledonGrass Margaret Osborne Ann Haydon-Jones
Dennis Ralston		2–6, 6–3, 13–11

Grand Slam performance timeline
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

Singles
Tournament195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975 SR W–L Win %
Australian 3R 2R 2R 3R SF F SF F F A SF A A A A A 3R A A A 3R 1R 1R 1R 0 / 1529–1565.9
French A A 3R A A QF QF SF QF A SF A A 2R A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 720–774.1
Wimbledon A A 2R 1R QF SF F QF W 4R SF A A 3R A A A A A A 1R 1R 2R 1R 1 / 1438–1374.5
U.S. A A 4R 4R SF 3R SF W W A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 2 / 732–586.5
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

References
  1. Garcia, Gabriel. "Neale Fraser: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  2. Garcia, Gabriel. "Neale Fraser: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  3. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 427.
  4. "Former Member Profile - Archibald McDonald Fraser". www.parliament.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  5. "Past winners". Father’s Day Council of Victoria.
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