 | |
| Full name | Richard Dennis Ralston |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | July 27, 1942 |
| Died | December 6, 2020(2020-12-06) (aged 78) Austin, Texas, US |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Turned pro | 1967 (amateur from 1958) |
| Retired | 1977 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1987(member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 576–251 (69.6%)[1] |
| Career titles | 41[2] |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (1966,Lance Tingay) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1970) |
| French Open | 4R (1966) |
| Wimbledon | F (1966) |
| US Open | SF (1960) |
| Professional majors | |
| US Pro | SF (1968) |
| Wembley Pro | QF (1967,1968) |
| French Pro | 2R (1968) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 125–87 |
| Career titles | 3 (Open Era) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1971) |
| French Open | W (1966) |
| Wimbledon | W (1960) |
| US Open | W (1961, 1962, 1963) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | F (1962,1966) |
| US Open | F (1969) |
Richard Dennis Ralston (July 27, 1942 – December 6, 2020) was an American professionaltennis player whose active career spanned the 1960s and 1970s.[3]
As a young player, he was coached by tennis proPancho Gonzales. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) and won NCAA championships under its coachGeorge Toley. He and partnerBill Bond captured the NCAA doubles title in 1964.[4] He was the highest-ranked American player at the end of three consecutive years in the 1960s; Lance Tingay ofThe Daily Telegraph ranked him as high as world No. 5 in 1966 (Ralston was ranked world no. 3 by the magazineReading Eagle in 1963).[5]
His best result at a Grand Slam singles event came in 1966 when he was seeded sixth and reached thefinal of the Wimbledon Championships, which he lost to fourth-seededManuel Santana in straight sets.[6][7] At the end of that year he turned professional.[8]
Ralston was a member of theHandsome Eight, the initial group of players signed to the professionalWorld Championship Tennis tour.[9][10] He won 27 national doubles and singles titles, including five grand-slam doubles crowns.[11]
Ralston, aDavis Cup winner with theUS Davis Cup team in1963, continued to serve in the team as a coach from 1968 to 1971 and as a captain from 1972 to 1975, winning the title in1972 overRomania.[12]
Ralston was the men's coach atSouthern Methodist University between 1981–89 and 1991–93 (split when he helped Noah in 1989–90), being named the NCAA Coach of the Year in 1983, when SMU finished second nationally.[13]
Ralston was inducted into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.[14] In 2016, he was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame.[15]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1966 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Manuel Santana | 4–6, 9–11, 4–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1960 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Rafael Osuna |  Mike DaviesBobby Wilson | 7–5, 6–3, 10–8 |
| Win | 1961 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Chuck McKinley | Rafael OsunaAntonio Palafox | 6–3, 6–4, 2–6, 13–11 |
| Loss | 1962 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Chuck McKinley | Rafael Osuna Antonio Palafox | 4–6, 12–10, 6–1, 7–9, 3–6 |
| Win | 1963 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Chuck McKinley | Rafael Osuna Antonio Palafox | 9–7, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3, 11–9 |
| Win | 1964 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Chuck McKinley | Mike SangsterGraham Stilwell | 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Win | 1966 | French Championships | Clay | Clark Graebner |  Ilie NăstaseIon Țiriac | 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 |
| Loss | 1966 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Clark Graebner |  Roy EmersonFred Stolle | 4–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1969 | US Open | Grass | Charlie Pasarell | Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle | 6–2, 5–7, 11–13, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1971 | Wimbledon | Grass | Arthur Ashe | Roy EmersonRod Laver | 6–4, 7–9, 8–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1961 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Darlene Hard | Margaret SmithBob Mark | default |
| Loss | 1962 | Wimbledon | Grass | Ann Haydon | Margaret Osborne duPontNeale Fraser | 6–2, 3–6, 11–13 |
| Loss | 1966 | Wimbledon | Grass | Billie Jean King | Margaret Smith CourtKen Fletcher | 6–4, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1969 | US Open | Grass |  Françoise Dürr | Margaret CourtMarty Riessen | 4–6, 5–7 |
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | SF | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 |
| French Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 4R | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 | |
| Wimbledon | A | A | 2R | 3R | 3R | 2R | 1R | SF | F | A | QF | 4R | 4R | 3R | A | A | 1R | A | A | 2R | 0 / 13 | |
| US Open | 1R | 1R | SF | A | 1R | QF | QF | QF | 4R | A | QF | 4R | QF | 2R | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | 0 / 13 | |
| Strike rate | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 30 | |
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
