The Open Era
South Africa · born Springs, 1942 · two-handed on both sides · five Wimbledon titles in doubles and mixed
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3
Wimbledon men's doubles titles, 1967 to 1978
2
Wimbledon mixed titles, 1978 and 1981
9-0
Sets in his three Wimbledon doubles finals
10
Major titles in doubles and mixed
25-5
Davis Cup record for South Africa
Born in Springs, near Johannesburg, on 20 May 1942, McMillan first played Wimbledon in 1961 and turned professional in 1969. In singles he reached No. 39 in 1974, won indoor titles at Munich that year and Nuremberg in 1976, and beat Pancho Gonzales on the way to the 1970 South African Open final, which he lost to Rod Laver. Doubles made his name. With Bob Hewitt he won five major men's doubles titles and the 1977 Masters, and he reached No. 1 in the doubles rankings in August 1977. He won 63 tour doubles titles and five major mixed titles, four with Betty Stöve. He played Davis Cup for South Africa from 1965 to 1978, left the tour in 1983 and became a commentator for Eurosport and BBC Radio 5.
| Wimbledon doubles titles | 3, all with Bob Hewitt and all in straight sets: 1967, beat Roy Emerson and Ken Fletcher 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; 1972, beat Stan Smith and Erik van Dillen 6-2, 6-2, 9-7; 1978, beat Peter Fleming and John McEnroe 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 |
|---|---|
| Wimbledon mixed titles | 2 with Betty Stöve: 1978, beat Billie Jean King and Ray Ruffels 6-2, 6-2; 1981, beat Tracy Austin and John Austin 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 |
| Wimbledon mixed finals lost | 1977 and 1979 with Stöve, both to Greer Stevens and Hewitt |
| Wimbledon singles | Third round in 1970 and 1978 |
| Queen's Club | Doubles 1978 with Hewitt, beat Fred McNair and Raúl Ramírez 6-2, 7-5 |
| Other grass | Bristol doubles 1972 with Hewitt, beat Clark Graebner and Lew Hoad 6-3, 6-2. Singles finals lost at Dublin 1972 and Nottingham 1973 |
| Wimbledon veterans | Over-35 singles runner-up to John Newcombe in 1982; over-35 doubles champion with Hewitt in 1988, beating the Gullikson twins |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Men's doubles | with Bob Hewitt |
| 1972 | Men's doubles | with Bob Hewitt |
| 1978 | Men's doubles | with Bob Hewitt |
| 1978 | Mixed doubles | with Betty Stöve |
| 1981 | Mixed doubles | with Betty Stöve |
| Eastbourne | ||
| 1967 | Men's singles South of England Championships | |
| Bristol (West of England) | ||
| 1972 | Men's doubles Bristol Open | with Bob Hewitt |
| Queen's Club | ||
| 1978 | Men's doubles | with Bob Hewitt |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. † single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"You hold the whip when you serve, but you can take the whip for yourself with your return."
The person behind the player.
Childhood
Asked at a dinner at Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis and Squash Club why he was one of the first two-handed players, McMillan gave a plain answer: as a five-year-old he used his mother's full-size racquet, which was a bit heavy for him. He had won the club's top tournament in 1962, 1963 and 1970.
Source: Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash ClubSports Illustrated 1974
Sports Illustrated described him in a tidy white Sluggo cap, so slender that his shorts hung at his waist like laundry, gripping the racquet with both hands "like an umbrella in a storm" as he launched himself from the corner to volley. His face, the magazine said, was alternately vacant and stony.
Source: Sports IllustratedPress box
His first name was his mother's maiden name, and he described himself as a Scotchman on both sides. Proofreaders, Sports Illustrated reported in 1974, kept changing it to Fred. The same piece noted that he and Hewitt seldom spent time together off the court, although they had just won 21 of their last 22 matches.
Source: Sports IllustratedWimbledon 1967
He and Hewitt had been partners only since late 1966 when they won their first Wimbledon title, beating Roy Emerson and Ken Fletcher 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. They did not lose a set at the championships, and McMillan did not lose a single service game.
Source: International Tennis Hall of FameDavis Cup 1974
McMillan played Davis Cup for South Africa in 1965 to 1969 and 1973 to 1978, winning 23 of his 28 doubles rubbers. In 1974 South Africa reached the final and were awarded the Cup when India refused to travel to South Africa in protest at apartheid.
Source: International Tennis Hall of FameCommentary box, aged 51
Flying home from commentating on the Australian Open for BSkyB, he announced a New Year resolution: "I would like to see only one serve in men's tennis." He was careful not to blame the players who lived on the serve: "I am not critical of Pete Sampras because he is a carbon copy of most of the great players of the past."
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