The Open Era
Australia · born Sydney, 1951 · Wimbledon boys' champion 1968 · Davis Cup winner 1977
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1968
Wimbledon boys' singles title
17
Age at his Davis Cup Challenge Round debut
2
Australian Open doubles titles, 1975 and 1982
11-9
Fifth set against Panatta, 1977 Davis Cup final
No. 8
Career-high singles ranking, December 1975
Born in Sydney in 1951, Alexander won the Wimbledon boys' singles in 1968, was runner-up in 1969 and took the Australian junior title in January 1970. He had already played a Davis Cup Challenge Round at 17, and he represented Australia from 1968 to 1983. As a professional he won seven tour singles titles, reached three Australian Open singles semi-finals and a career-high No. 8 in December 1975, and won the Australian Open doubles in 1975 with Phil Dent and in 1982 with John Fitzgerald. He retired in 1985, called the Australian Open for the Seven Network for 23 years, captained the Fed Cup team, and sat in the House of Representatives as the Liberal member for Bennelong from 2010 to 2022.
| Major singles titles | 2: Wimbledon (1968); Australian (1970) |
|---|---|
| Major singles finals lost | 1: Wimbledon (1969) |
| Wimbledon boys' finals | 1968: beat Jacques Thamin 6-1, 6-2, after beating Adriano Panatta 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in the semi-final. 1969: lost to Byron Bertram 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 |
| Wimbledon as a senior | Singles fourth round 1969 and 1978. Doubles final 1977 with Phil Dent, lost to Ross Case and Geoff Masters 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 9-8, 4-6 |
| Australian Open doubles | Champion 1975 with Phil Dent (Kooyong) and 1982 with John Fitzgerald; runner-up 1970, 1973 and 1977 |
| Other grass titles | Singles: Bristol (beat Tim Mayotte 6-3, 6-4) and Sydney, both 1982. Doubles: Sydney Outdoor 1977 and 1982, Brisbane 1978, Bristol 1983 |
| Davis Cup on grass | 1968 Challenge Round in Adelaide at 17. 1977 final at White City, Sydney: beat Corrado Barazzutti 6-2, 8-6, 4-6, 6-2 and Adriano Panatta 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 8-6, 11-9 for a 3-1 win over Italy |
| New South Wales Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Men's doubles New South Wales Open | with Phil Dent |
| 1982 | Men's doubles New South Wales Open | with John Fitzgerald |
| 1982 | Men's singles New South Wales Open | |
| Australian Championships | ||
| 1975 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with Phil Dent |
| 1982 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with John Fitzgerald |
| Bristol (West of England) | ||
| 1982 | Men's singles Bristol Open | |
| 1983 | Men's doubles Bristol Open | with John Fitzgerald |
| South Pacific Classic | ||
| 1978 | Men's doubles | with Phil Dent |
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
"Tennis is one of those games that teaches you to stay calm in moments of stress."
The person behind the player.
Wimbledon 1968
In the boys' event at the first open Wimbledon, Alexander lost the opening set of his semi-final to the Italian Adriano Panatta, then won 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. He beat Jacques Thamin of France 6-1, 6-2 in the final. He reached the boys' final again in 1969 and lost to Byron Bertram of South Africa in three sets.
Source: WikipediaAdelaide 1968
At seventeen and a half he became the youngest player to compete in a Davis Cup Challenge Round. Australia, the holders, met the United States on the grass of Memorial Drive in December 1968. Alexander partnered Ray Ruffels in the doubles and lost to Bob Lutz and Stan Smith 6-4, 6-4, 6-2, and the Americans took the Cup 4-1.
Source: ATP Tour and WikipediaWhite City, Sydney, 1977
With the Cup at stake against Italy, Alexander trailed Panatta two sets to one. He took the fourth 8-6 and the fifth 11-9, a set that lasted about an hour, and a crowd of about 7,000 stood to applaud. Neale Fraser, the captain, called him one of the greatest Davis Cup players. It was Australia's first Cup since 1973.
Source: The Canberra TimesSydney 2017
Forty years on, Alexander told the broadcaster Alan Jones that when he was down two sets to one against Panatta, Australia were "in a lot of trouble". He said tennis taught him to take responsibility for a bad result and to work out a better strategy, a lesson he carried into politics.
Source: 4BCOff court
The ATP's biography describes him as a model of deportment and professionalism and "a pleasant man to be around", a natural athlete who also enjoyed golf, yachting, cricket and rugby. He came back in 1981 after a back injury and kept playing tour events until 1985.
Source: ATP TourWhite City, 2010
Shortly before his election to Parliament in 2010, Alexander's company, Alexander's Tennis Professionals, won a High Court case for the right to redevelop the White City Tennis Centre in Sydney, the grass ground where he had won the Australian junior title and the 1977 Davis Cup.
Source: WikipediaFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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