MELBOURNE, Australia — Neale Fraser, who gained three Grand Slam singles titles and guided Australia to 4 Davis Cup titles throughout a 24-year profession as workforce captain, has died at 91.
Tennis Australia launched a press release Tuesday saying the game “has misplaced one in every of its giants.”
Fraser beat Australian tennis nice Rod Laver to win Wimbledon in 1960, in between sweeps on the US Open the place he gained the singles, males’s doubles and blended titles in 1959 and ’60. He gained 11 main males’s doubles titles, together with at the least two at every of the 4 Grand Slam tournaments.
Laver, the one man to twice win all 4 singles majors in a calendar 12 months, posted a tribute to his “pricey mate and fellow lefty” on social media.
Fraser “was a real gem in a golden period of Australian tennis legends — an unimaginable World No. 1, a Grand Slam champion, and a Davis Cup icon,” Laver wrote on X. “Neale bested me in 2 main finals, pushing me to grow to be a greater participant. I will miss you dearly, buddy.”
I’m deeply saddened to listen to of the passing of my pricey mate and fellow lefty, Neale Fraser. He was a real gem in a golden period of Australian tennis legends – an unimaginable World No.1, a Grand Slam champion, and a Davis Cup icon. Neale bested me in 2 main finals, pushing me to… pic.twitter.com/B4cVLEnRUk
— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) December 3, 2024
Fraser helped Australia win 4 consecutive Davis Cup titles as a participant and rejected profitable presents to show skilled in a quest to succeed Harry Hopman because the nationwide workforce captain.
“That ambition was fulfilled in 1970 and he remained within the place till 1993, helming 24 Davis Cup campaigns throughout which Australia gained the title 4 instances,” Tennis Australia mentioned. “Generations of gamers had been impressed by his management together with John Newcombe, John Fitzgerald and Pat Money.”
Fraser was inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame in 1984. In 2008 Fraser was awarded the Worldwide Tennis Federation’s Philippe Chatrier Award for excellent achievement within the sport.
