Male Tennis Players

Looking back through history, Australian men, including Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, and Ken Rosewall, were some of the most influential figures in tennis who had a tremendous impact on the sport.

However, there are many more noteworthy players from Australia that you may be less familiar with who are worth exploring. In the following sections, I review each of them, including some of their most significant accomplishments that underscore their impact.

Rod Laver

One of Australia’s best-known tennis players, Rod Laver, established himself as the most dominant tennis player in the 1960s with a powerful serve-and-volley game and aggressive groundstrokes.

He first started playing tennis ahead of the Open Era as an amateur in 1956 before turning pro in 1963. In 1961 he was recognized as the world’s No. 1 tennis player and achieved a career-high of No. 3 as officially recognized by the ATP’s computer rankings in 1974.

His best-known accomplishment is winning a Grand Slam twice during his career, in 1962 and 1969, which requires a player to win all four majors in a year and the only male to accomplish the feat in the Open Era. He claimed eleven Grand Slam singles and six doubles titles and is the second of four players to win each major twice.

It’s worth noting his professional status prohibited him from participating in any of these events for five years of his career. However, during that time, he won eight professional majors.

Throughout his career, he claimed 200 singles and 28 doubles titles, ending his career with a 75% win record in singles and doubles. And from 1959-1962 and again in 1973, he helped lead the Australian Davis Cup Team to victory.

Nicknamed the Rocket by his Davis Cup team captain, Rod is widely celebrated as one of the best tennis players ever. In 2000, Center Court at the National Tennis Center in Melbourne, host to the Australian Open, was renamed Rod Laver Arena, one of many recognitions of his career.

In 1981, the Tennis Hall of Fame inducted him as a member. Fans can spot Rod at many tennis tournaments throughout the year, most notably the Grand Slams.

In 2017, Rod had the Laver Cup named after him, which is an annual team competition that hosts some of the best players from around the world as a team competition.

John Newcombe

One of Australia’s most accomplished tennis players, John Newcombe, a.k.a., Newk, enjoyed massive success during the 60s and 70s.

Famously, he is one of only a handful of players to have achieved a world No. 1 ranking in singles in doubles, accomplishing the feat in 1967 and 1965, respectively.

John started his career as an amateur in 1960 before turning pro in 1967, which lasted until his retirement in 1981. During that time, he won seven Grand Slam titles in singles and seventeen in doubles. In total, he claimed 68 titles in singles and 33 in doubles.

His win-loss record in singles was an impressive 73% (1,072-401) after playing nearly 1,500 matches and 74% in doubles (333-115). John was also an active member of the Australian Davis Cup team, helping lead them to victory for four straight years from 1964-1967 and again in 1973.

In 1968, John famously signed on for a three-year professional contract as part of the Handsom Eight, or the original eight players that participated in the World Championship Tennis. Years later, in 1986, John was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

In 1995 and 2000, John coached the Australian Davis Cup team and, these days, runs the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch & Academy in Texas.

Ken Rosewall

One of Rod Laver’s top rivals, Ken Rosewall, had an illustrious tennis career, achieving success in singles and doubles.

Ken started playing tennis as an amateur in 1950 before eventually turning pro in 1956. Throughout his career, he achieved a world No. 1 ranking and won eight singles and nine doubles Grand Slam titles. He also won fifteen professional majors, during which time he couldn’t participate in Grand Slams due to his professional status.

His career record surpasses 70% in singles, winning 1,811 of his 2,521 matches. In total, he claimed 147 titles.

Ken played on the Australian Davis Cup team throughout his career and helped lead his team to victory in 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1973. In 1980, he became a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and, along with Rod Laver, is widely considered one of the best to play the game.

Roy Emerson

Another of Australia’s most talented tennis players in history, Roy Emerson, was a dominant force during the 60s.

He started playing tennis as an amateur in 1953 before becoming a professional in 1968. He won twelve Grand Slam singles and sixteen doubles titles during his career and, in 1961, reached the No. 1 ranking. In total, he won 77% of his singles matches with a 1,397-416 record and earned himself 110 titles, 6 of which are recognized by the ATP.

Roy helped lead the Australian Davis Cup team to victory on eight occasions. In 1982, the Tennis Hall of Fame honored him with an induction, one of several public recognitions of his achievements.

Lleyton Hewitt

A fixture of Australian tennis, Lleyton Hewitt is well known for his speed, defensive baseline game, and shot selection, which helped propel him to the pinnacle of the sport, including the world’s No. 1 ranking in 2001.

Lleyton turned pro in 1998 and amassed thirty titles during his career, including two Grand Slam victories, one at the US Open in 2001 and another at Wimbledon in 2002. Although he never captured his home slam, he was an Australian Open finalist in 2005, where he fell to Russian tennis player Marat Safin in four sets.

A proficient volleyer, Lleyton also enjoyed success in doubles, including three career titles, a Grand Slam victory in 2000 with partner Max Mirnyi, and a career-high ranking of No. 18.

In 1999 and 2003, Lleyton helped lead Australia to Davis Cup victories. He competed in the 2008 Olympic Games, where he achieved his best Olympic result, losing in the quarterfinals to Rafael Nadal.

Since retiring from singles in 2016 and doubles in 2020, Lleyton has remained active in the world of tennis, including Davis Cup. In 2022, Lleyton was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Patrick Rafter

Before Lleyton Hewitt arrived on the scene, Patrick Rafter had already established himself as a dominant Australian tennis player who is famous for his unrelenting serve and volley game.

Patrick first joined the ATP tour as a professional in 1991, and eight years later, he became the world’s No. 1 player. However, it was short-lived, only lasting a week, the shortest reign of any ATP No. 1 in history.

During his career, Rafter consistently performed as one of the best and earned himself two Grand Slam victories at the US Open in 1997 and 1998. However, he was also a semi-finalist at the Australian Open and the French Open and a finalist twice at Wimbledon.

Patrick also earned himself a doubles Grand Slam victory in 1999, partnering with Jonas Björkman of Sweden. In total, he won 11 singles titles and ten doubles titles.

In 1999, he helped Australia to their Davis Cup victory; in 2000, he represented at the Olympic games, falling in the second round.

Despite his success, Patrick’s career was relatively short, only lasting 11 years, with his retirement coming in 2002. Four years later, in 2006, he was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.

Nick Kyrgios

One of the most talented players to come out of Australia in recent years, Nick Kyrigios, is an intriguing player who’s as well-known for his on-court antics as he is for his tremendous talent.

Nick first joined the pro tour in 2013 and has racked up seven singles and four doubles titles, including a Grand Slam victory in 2022 with fellow countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open.

Over the years, he’s made a name for himself as an incredibly entertaining player who loves to have fun on the court and is famous for hitting otherworldly trick shots that regularly make highlight reels.

One area where Nick has shined includes his performance against the big three, where he defeated each of them the first time he played against them. In total, he owns six victories over them, with one over Federer, three over Nadal, and two over Djokovic.

In 2022, Nick achieved a career-best singles result at Wimbledon, making the finals before eventually falling to Novak Djokovic. Unfortunately for Nick, ranking points did not apply to Wimbledon this year, so for now, his highest ranking stands at No. 13 due to his success in 2016.

Pat Cash

A prominent Australian player who went pro in 1982, Pat Cash established himself as a competitive serve and volleyer. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, seeing him in his trademark checkered headband might.

As an accomplished athlete, Pat won six singles and twelve doubles titles and ranked as high as No. 4 in singles and No. 6 in doubles. His best result came in 1987 when he defeated Ivan Lendl at the Wimbledon finals for his first and only Grand Slam victory. Although he came close to winning the Australian Open in 1987 and 1988, he never managed to get over the finish line, losing in the finals each time.

In 1983 and 1986, Pat Cash was a member of the Australian Davis Cup team, where he helped lead the team to victory. He also participated in the 1984 Olympic Games, falling in the first round.

Little known to many players, Pat started the tradition where players climb to their player’s box to celebrate with their team after winning, which he first did in 1987 after his Wimbledon victory.

Since retiring in 1997, Pat has worked as a TV host and commentator for CNN and the BBC, coached top players, and opened several tennis academies. More recently, he participated in the Masked Singer, a British TV series under the nickname, Bagpipes.

Darren Cahill

Although an accomplished Australian tennis player, who found success in singles and doubles, Darren Cahill is better known these days as a coach who has worked with some of the game’s most talented players, including Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Simona Halep, and Jannik Sinner.

During his pro career in the 80s and 90s, he claimed two singles and thirteen doubles titles and reached a career-high of No. 22 and No. 10, respectively. Darren was a regular participant in Grand Slam events, making ten appearances and landing his best result in 1988 at the US Open. He reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Mats Wilander.

Darren also participated in the 1988 Olympic Games, where he lost in the second round to American Robert Seguso.

Since retiring, Darren has served as a tennis analyst with ESPN covering the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. During the Hopman Cup and Australian Open, he also works for Channel 7 in Australia.

However, some of his crowning achievements have been helping lead three separate tennis players to Grand Slam victories, including Simona Halep at the 2018 French Open, Lleyton Hewitt at the 2001 US Open, and Andre Agassi at the 2003 Australian Open.

Alex de Minaur

Nicknamed the Demon, Alex de Minaur is another highly successful Australian tennis player known for his incredible speed, defensive skills, and the fact that he never backs down or gives up.

Alex joined the pro tour in 2015 and has earned himself six ATP 25 singles and one Masters 1000 doubles title since then. His best Grand Slam results include a quarterfinals appearance at the 2020 US Open and fourth-round appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2022.

In 2022, Alex became the 109th man to represent Australia in the Davis Cup, a moment he memorialized by getting a tattoo of the number on his chest. Although his team didn’t manage to win, they did make it to the finals, where they lost to Canada.

Alex is a relatively young player with plenty of years ahead of him as a pro, so his best is still to come.

Mark Philippoussis

Although Mark never achieved the level of success found by Lleyton and Patrick, he was a highly competitive and successful Australian tennis player who was well known for his big serve.

Mark turned professional in 1994 and represented his country for 14 years on the ATP tour. During that time, he claimed eleven singles and three doubles titles, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 8 in singles and No. 18 in doubles.

His best results in singles came during the 1998 US Open and 2003 at Wimbledon, where he made it to the finals on both occasions. In 1999 and 2003, he played and won the Davis Cup with the Australia team, which included Hewitt in both years, and Rafter in 1999. Mark also competed at the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000, reaching the third round.

Since retiring, Mark has participated in two television shows and started a clothing company, As We Create.

Sam Groth

Although Sam Groth never managed to break into the top 50 in the world, he made a name for himself as the player with the fastest serve on record in 2012 when he hit a 163.4 mph (263 kph) ace.

Sam first joined the ATP tour in 2006 but never managed to win a title or make it to the finals of a singles tournament. Despite that, he was a reasonably consistent performer, posting decent results at the majors, including two third-round appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2015. On the back of these results, he achieved his best-ever ranking of No. 53 that year.

Some of his best results came as a doubles player, where he won two titles, had a winning career record, and reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open twice and the semifinals at the French Open.

Sam also represented his country in the 2015 and 2017 Davis Cup, where Australia lost in the semifinals. In 2018, he retired after competing in the qualifiers of the Australian Open, where he lost to Taylor Fritz.

Since retiring, he’s also become a politician, sitting as a state MP in Victoria and representing the Liberal Party.

Bernard Tomic

Despite achieving a fair amount of success since joining the ATP tour in 2008, Bernard Tomic is, unfortunately, better known for his controversial behavior and legal issues than his talent on the court.

As a pro, Bernard has won four ATP titles and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 17 in 2016. Some of his best performances in singles have come at the Australian Open, where he reached the fourth round three times. He also reached Wimbledon’s quarterfinals in 2011.

Bernard represented Australia during their team’s 2015 semifinal Davis Cup run and the 2012 Olympic Games.

Honorable Mention

Although I’ve covered some of the best-known and most talented male tennis players to come out of Australia, a handful deserve honorable mention, which I’ve included below. If you’re up for it, I suggest you also take some to research and explore them too.