The Open Era
Australia · from Tarcutta, New South Wales, born 1945 · left-handed · five times Wimbledon doubles champion with John Newcombe
All playersBack to the rankings
5
Wimbledon doubles titles with John Newcombe
3
Grass major singles finals, 1968 to 1970
4
Davis Cup titles, 1965 to 1977
14-5
Davis Cup win-loss record
33
His age when he won Queen's, 1978
Born in 1945 to a butcher in Tarcutta, New South Wales, Roche joined the Wagga Wagga Tennis Club at 13 and was trained by Harry Hopman. He won the French Championships in 1966 and turned professional in January 1968 as one of World Championship Tennis's Handsome Eight. He reached the Wimbledon final in 1968 and the US final in 1969 and 1970, losing to Rod Laver twice and Ken Rosewall once, and was ranked No. 2 in the world in 1969. With John Newcombe he won 12 major doubles titles. An elbow injury cost him most of 1972 and 1973, but he helped Australia to four Davis Cups between 1965 and 1977. He later coached Ivan Lendl, Patrick Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer, and entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame with Newcombe in 1986.
| Major singles finals lost | 3: Wimbledon 1968, US 1969, US 1970 |
|---|---|
| Other grass singles titles | 9: NSW Championships 4 (1967, 1969, 1974, 1976); Irish Championships 2 (1965, 1970); Auckland (1969); Queen's (1978); Victorian Championships (1967) |
| Major doubles titles | 11 doubles (Wimbledon 5, Australian 5, US 1), 2 mixed (Wimbledon 1, Australian 1) |
| Wimbledon doubles | 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1974 with John Newcombe |
| Wimbledon mixed | 1976 with Françoise Dürr |
| Other grass doubles majors | Australian 1965, 1967, 1971 and 1976 with Newcombe, 1977 with Arthur Ashe; one US title with Newcombe. Australian mixed 1966 with Judy Tegart |
| Finals to remember | Wimbledon 1968: lost to Rod Laver 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. US 1969: took the first set 9-7 from Laver, who won the next three 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to complete the Grand Slam. Queen's 1978: beat John McEnroe 8-6, 9-7 |
| Davis Cup on grass | 1977 final at White City, Sydney: beat Adriano Panatta 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 as Australia beat Italy 3-1 |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Men's doubles | with John Newcombe |
| 1968 | Men's doubles | with John Newcombe |
| 1969 | Men's doubles | with John Newcombe |
| 1970 | Men's doubles | with John Newcombe |
| 1974 | Men's doubles | with John Newcombe |
| 1976 | Mixed doubles | with Françoise Dürr |
| Australian Championships | ||
| 1965 | Men's doubles | with John Newcombe |
| 1966 | Mixed doubles | with Judy Tegart Dalton |
| 1967 | Men's doubles | with John Newcombe |
| 1971 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with John Newcombe |
| 1976 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with John Newcombe |
| 1977 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with Arthur Ashe |
| New South Wales Championships | ||
| 1967 | Men's singles | |
| 1969 | Men's singles New South Wales Open | |
| 1974 | Men's singles New South Wales Open | |
| 1976 | Men's singles New South Wales Open | |
| Eastern Grass Court Championships (South Orange) | ||
| 1966 | Men's singles | |
| Southampton (Meadow Club) | ||
| 1966 | Men's singles Southampton Invitational | |
| Tasmanian Championships | ||
| 1967 | Men's singles | |
| US Championships | ||
| 1967 | Men's doubles | with John Newcombe |
| Victorian Championships | ||
| 1967 | Men's singles | |
| Western Australian Championships | ||
| 1967 | Men's singles | |
| New Zealand Championships | ||
| 1969 | Men's singles New Zealand Open | |
| Irish Championships | ||
| 1970 | Men's singles Irish Open | |
| Queen's Club | ||
| 1978 | Men's singles | |
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
"Roche played a more consistent game, but Laver produced the flashes of genius that won the big points."
The person behind the player.
World Championship Tennis, 1968
In January 1968 he signed with World Championship Tennis alongside Newcombe, Cliff Drysdale, Nikola Pilić and Roger Taylor in the group known as the Handsome Eight. He was guaranteed $125,000 a year. That July he lost the first open Wimbledon final to Rod Laver.
Source: WikipediaAustralian Championships 1969
His semi-final against Rod Laver lasted 4 hours and 45 minutes in searing heat, one of the longest at that stage in the history of the game. Two sets down, he fought back to level the match before Laver took the fifth. Laver went on to win the title, the first leg of his Grand Slam.
Source: WikipediaUS Open 1969
Rain delayed the final against Laver, and a helicopter was brought in to dry the grass enough to play on. Roche took the first set 9-7. Laver won the next three 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and with them the Grand Slam, the only man to complete it in singles in the Open Era.
Source: WikipediaQueen's 1978
At 33, after years of elbow and shoulder trouble, he met the 19-year-old John McEnroe in the Queen's Club final and beat him 8-6, 9-7. The Glasgow Herald called it as good a final as Queen's had had. McEnroe went on to win it four times.
Source: WikipediaOn tour with Lendl, 1980s
Ivan Lendl disliked the calls from Czechoslovakia in which his parents bombarded him with tactical advice. His answer was to excuse himself and hand the receiver to Roche, his Australian mentor. The callers found Roche's English so baffling that after a minute or two they would gently hang up.
Source: Time2005 to 2007
Roger Federer hired him at 59 on a part-time basis, to work with him before each major. There was reportedly no contract, only a handshake agreement, and Roche was paid by the week. Time called him an astute player and classy volleyer in his day. The partnership lasted until May 2007.
Source: WikipediaFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
Join freePage updated 3 November 2026. Spotted an error? Send a correction.
