Eric Clifford Drysdale (born 26 May 1941) is a South African former tennis player. After a career as a highly ranked professional player in the 1960s and early 1970s, he became a well-known tennis announcer.
![]() Drysdale in 2009 | |
Full name | Eric Clifford Drysdale |
---|---|
Country (sports) | ![]() |
Residence | Austin, Texas, United States[1] |
Born | (1941-05-26) 26 May 1941 (age 81) Nelspruit, South Africa |
Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in) |
Turned pro | 1968 (amateur from 1962) |
Retired | 1980 |
Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
Int. Tennis HoF | 2013 (member page) |
Official website | www.cliffdrysdale.com |
Singles | |
Career record | 685-345 (66.5%) in pre Open-Era & Open Era[2] |
Career titles | 23[3] |
Highest ranking | No. 4 (1965, Lance Tingay)[4] |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | QF (1971) |
French Open | SF (1965, 1966) |
Wimbledon | SF (1965, 1966) |
US Open | F (1965) |
Other tournaments | |
WCT Finals | QF (1971, 1972, 1977) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 189–160 (54.15%) |
Career titles | 6 |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | 1R (1971) |
French Open | 3R (1973) |
Wimbledon | SF (1974, 1977) |
US Open | W (1972) |
Drysdale won the singles title at the Dutch Open in Hilversum in 1963 and 1964. In 1965, he reached the singles final of the 1965 U. S. Championships[5] and he won the singles title at the German Championships. He defeated Rod Laver in the fourth round of the first US Open in 1968. During his Open-era career, Drysdale captured five singles titles and six doubles titles, including the 1972 US Open doubles crown with Roger Taylor.[6] He was a pioneer of the two-handed backhand shot, which he used to great effect during his playing career.
Drysdale was included among the Handsome Eight, a group of players signed by Lamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed professional World Championship Tennis group.[7] He became president of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), an association that Drysdale had formed in 1972 with Jack Kramer and Donald Dell.[4][8]
Following retirement, Drysdale became a naturalized American citizen. He is the cofounder of Cliff Drysdale Tennis, which specializes in resort, hotel and club-tennis management.[9]
Drysdale has served as a tennis commentator for ESPN since the network's inception in 1979.[10]
In 1998, the USTA awarded Drysdale the William M. Johnston award for his contribution to men's tennis.[11] In 2013, he was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[12]
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1965 | U.S. Championships | Grass | ![]() | 2–6, 9–7, 5–7, 1–6 |
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1972 | US Open | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 7–6(7–3), 6–3 |
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
Loss | 1971 | Boston WCT | Hard | ![]() | 4–6, 3–6, 0–6 |
Loss | 1972 | Las Vegas | Hard | ![]() | 3–6, 4–6 |
Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1. | Jul 1968 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | ![]() | 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 |
Win | 2. | Apr 1971 | Miami WCT, U. S. | Hard | ![]() | 6–2, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
Win | 3. | May 1971 | Brussels, Belgium | Clay | ![]() | 6–0, 6–1, 7–5 |
Win | 4. | Mar 1974 | Miami WCT (2) | Hard | ![]() | 6–4, 7–5 |
Win | 5. | Jan 1978 | Baltimore, U. S. | Carpet (i) | ![]() | 7–5, 6–3 |
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Tournament | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | SR | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 1 |
French Open | 1R | 2R | QF | SF | SF | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 7 | |
Wimbledon | 1R | 1R | 2R | SF | SF | 4R | 3R | QF | 3R | 1R | A | A | 3R | A | 2R | 3R | A | 1R | 2R | 0 / 15 | |
US Open | 3R | 2R | 3R | F | 3R | 2R | QF | 1R | 2R | A | 4R | 3R | A | 2R | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | 0 / 14 | |
Strike rate | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 37 |
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.