.jpg) Drysdale in 2009 | |
| Full name | Eric Clifford Drysdale |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  South Africa |
| Residence | Austin, Texas, United States[1] |
| Born | (1941-05-26)26 May 1941 (age 84) Nelspruit, South Africa |
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft2+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) |
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Eric Clifford Drysdale (born 26 May 1941) is a South African formertennis player. After a career as a highly ranked professional player in the 1960s and early 1970s, he became a tennis commentator.
Born Eric Clifford 'Cliff' Drysdale in Nelspruit (today known asMbombela, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa) on May 26, 1941 and completed his high school atGrey High School, Port Elizabeth.[5]
Drysdale won the singles title at theDutch Open in 1963 and 1964. In 1965, he reached the singles final of the 1965 U. S. Championships[6] and he won the singles title at theGerman Championships. He defeatedRod 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 1972US Open doubles crown withRoger Taylor.[7] He was a pioneer of the two-handed backhand shot, which he used to great effect during his playing career.
Drysdale was included among theHandsome Eight, a group of players signed byLamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed professionalWorld Championship Tennis group.[8] He became president of theAssociation of Tennis Professionals (ATP), an association that Drysdale had formed in 1972 withJack Kramer andDonald Dell.[4][9]
Following retirement, Drysdale became a naturalized American citizen. He has been a tennis commentator forESPN since the network's inception in 1979.[10] Following the retirement ofBob Ley in 2019, Drysdale became the longest serving commentator at ESPN. He commentated on his last match for ESPN at the US Open on September 4, 2025, calling the semi-final match between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. ESPN did an extensive tribute to his career that aired during his last match.[11] In 1998, theUSTA awarded Drysdale theWilliam M. Johnston award for his contribution to men's tennis.[12] In 2013, he was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[13]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1965 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Manuel Santana | 2–6, 9–7, 5–7, 1–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1972 | US Open | Grass |  Roger Taylor |  Owen DavidsonJohn Newcombe | 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 6–3 |
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1971 | Boston WCT | Hard | Ken Rosewall | 4–6, 3–6, 0–6 |
| Loss | 1972 | Las Vegas | Hard | John Newcombe | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1. | Jul 1968 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay |  Tom Okker | 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 |
| Win | 2. | Apr 1971 | Miami WCT, U. S. | Hard | Rod Laver | 6–2, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Win | 3. | May 1971 | Brussels, Belgium | Clay |  Ilie Năstase | 6–0, 6–1, 7–5 |
| Win | 4. | Mar 1974 | Miami WCT(2) | Hard |  Tom Gorman | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Win | 5. | Jan 1978 | Baltimore, U. S. | Carpet (i) | Tom Gorman | 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.
