The Open Era
Australia · born Brisbane, 1950 · right-handed · Wimbledon doubles champion 1977 with Ross Case
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1977
Wimbledon doubles title with Ross Case
2
Wimbledon doubles finals in a row, 1976 and 1977
3
Major titles: 1974 Australian Open doubles, 1974 US Open mixed, 1977 Wimbledon doubles
24
Games in the 1977 semi-final, the fewest in a Wimbledon men's doubles semi-final
8-4
Davis Cup record for Australia
Geoff Masters was born in Brisbane in 1950. His parents played social and weekend competition tennis and his father hit with him from the age of four or five. He played on the professional circuit from 1969 to 1980, reaching No. 41 in singles and No. 13 in doubles.
His success came in doubles, most of it with his fellow Queenslander Ross Case. They won the Australian Open in 1974, lost the 1976 Wimbledon final in five sets and won Wimbledon in 1977. In 1974 he also won the US Open mixed doubles at Forest Hills with Pam Teeguarden. He won singles titles in Hobart and at the Sydney Indoor, and played Davis Cup for Australia through the 1970s with a record of eight wins and four defeats.
After retiring he coached, serving as head coach at the Queensland Academy of Sport, where he offered scholarships to Samantha Stosur at 14 and Bernard Tomic at 12, and he became a long-serving television and radio commentator. He lives on the Gold Coast.
| Wimbledon doubles 1976 | Unseeded with Ross Case, lost the final to Brian Gottfried and Raúl RamÃrez 3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 2-6, 7-5 in 2 hours 45 minutes |
|---|---|
| Wimbledon doubles 1977 | Seeded seventh, beat Mark Cox and Cliff Drysdale 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals, the fewest games in a Wimbledon men's doubles semi-final, then John Alexander and Phil Dent 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 8-9, 6-4 in the final |
| Australian Open 1974 | Doubles champion with Case at Kooyong, beating Syd Ball and Bob Giltinan 6-7, 6-3, 6-4; Case and Masters had lost the 1972 final |
| Queen's Club 1980 | Doubles champion with Rod Frawley, beating Paul McNamee and Sherwood Stewart 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 |
| An 83-game defeat | Wimbledon 1971 first round: with Syd Ball lost to Szabolcs Baranyi and Péter Szőke 9-8, 7-9, 9-7, 5-7, 12-10 |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Men's doubles | with Ross Case |
| South Pacific Classic | ||
| 1975 | Men's doubles‡ | with Ross Case |
| 1979 | Men's doubles | with Ross Case |
| Nottingham | ||
| 1972 | Men's singles†| |
| Australian Championships | ||
| 1974 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with Ross Case |
| New South Wales Championships | ||
| 1974 | Men's singles New South Wales Open | |
| US Championships | ||
| 1974 | Mixed doubles US Open | with Pam Teeguarden |
| Queen's Club | ||
| 1980 | Men's doubles | with Rod Frawley |
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
"I started playing tennis because my parents used to play social and weekend competition tennis in Brisbane."
The person behind the player.
Brisbane, 1950s
Both his parents played social tennis in Brisbane, and his father began hitting with him when he was four or five. His sporting idol was Rod Laver, whom he admired for his record and his humility.
Source: Pan Pacific Masters Games, 2016Wimbledon, 1971
In his early Wimbledon days he and Syd Ball lost a first-round doubles 9-8, 7-9, 9-7, 5-7, 12-10 to the Hungarians Szabolcs Baranyi and Péter Szőke, one of the longest matches in the event by games.
Source: Wimbledon Compendium 2025 (AELTC)Centre Court, 1976 to 1977
Case and Masters lost the 1976 final 7-5 in the fifth set to Brian Gottfried and Raúl RamÃrez. A year later they won the title, dropping eight sets over the fortnight, one of the highest totals for a champion pair, and needing five sets again in the final.
Source: Wimbledon Compendium 2025 (AELTC)Queensland Academy of Sport
As head coach at the Queensland Academy of Sport he offered scholarships to Samantha Stosur, then 14, and Bernard Tomic, then 12. "I was fortunate to witness two exceptional talents shining brightly at a young age," he said. He later coached Tomic from late 2009 into 2010.
Source: Pan Pacific Masters Games, 2016; Tennis AustraliaGold Coast
Asked about his golf when he played in the 2014 Pan Pacific Masters Games, he said: "As a tennis player, I make a rather average golfer."
Source: Pan Pacific Masters Games, 2016Free membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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