Roy Stanley Emerson “Emmo”
Born: November 03, 1936
Hometown: Blackbutt, Queensland, Australia
Citizenship: Australia
Handed: Right
Inducted: 1982
Grand Slam Record
Australian Singles 1961, 1963-67
Singles finalist 1962
Doubles 1962, 1966, 1969
Doubles finalist 58, 60, 61, 64, 65
Mixed finalist 1956
Wimbledon Singles 1964-65
Doubles 1959, 61, 71
Doubles finalist 1964, 67
French Singles 1963, 1967
Singles finalist 1962
Doubles 1960-65
Doubles finalist 1959, 67-69
Mixed finalist 1960
U.S. Singles 1961, 1964
Singles finalist 1962
Doubles 1959-60, 1965-66
Doubles finalist 1970
Tournament Record
Davis Cup Team Member 1959-67
Italian Singles finalist 1962
Doubles 1959, 61, 66
Doubles finalist 1960
Mixed 1961
In the grand days for Australia of domination of the tennis world, nobody played as large a role as the country boy out of Blackbutt in Queensland, Roy Stanley Emerson.
Emerson, a slim, quick, athletic farm kid who strengthened his wrists for tennis by milking innumerable cows on his father’s property, played on eight winning Davis Cup teams between 1959 and 1967, a record. He won 28 of the major singles and doubles championships–a record for men–including two Wimbledon singles in 1964 and 1965 and two U.S. singles at Forest Hills in 1961 and 1964. His accomplishments as a right-court doubles player who could make anybody look good amounted to 16 Big Four titles with five different partners, the last in 1971 at Wimbledon with his old Queensland pal, Rod Laver. His best-known alliance was with Aussie left-hander Neale Fraser, with whom he won Wimbledon in 1959 and 1961, the U.S. title in 1959 and 1960 and the doubles of the Davis Cup triumphs of 1959, 1960 and 1961.
Known as “Emmo” to his wide circle of friends on the circuit, he was a rollicking, gregarious six-foot right-hander who could lead the partying and singing without jeopardizing his high standards of play. Fitness was his hallmark. He trained hard and was always ready for strenuous matches and tournaments. Although primarily a serve-and volleyer, he could adapt to the rigors of slow courts, winning the French singles in 1963 and 1967, and leading the Davis Cup victory over the U.S. on clay in Cleveland in 1964. That year he was unbeaten in eight Davis Cup singles as the Aussies regained the Cup. Emmo had a singles winning streak of 55 matches during the summer and autumn while establishing himself as No. 1 in the amateur game by winning 17 tournaments and 109 of 115 matches. The only prize to elude him in that majestic year of triumphs on three of the majors was a Grand Slam. Nicola Pietrangeli made that an impossibility on the second leg, winning their quarter-final at the French, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
Fate may have intervened to cost him a third straight Wimbledon in 1966 when he was heavily favored. Winning a fourth-rounder against Owen Davidson, he skidded chasing a short ball, crashed into the umpire’s stand, damaging a shoulder, and was unable to do much but finish the match. Between 1961 and 1967, he won a male record six Australian singles titles, the last five in a row.
An outstanding team player who could fire up his teammates, Emerson also took part in two Australian victories in the World Cup, a since disbanded annual competition against the U.S.
He exemplified the Aussie code of sportsmanship and competitiveness, stating it as, “You should never complain about an injury. We believe that if you play, then you aren’t injured, and that’s that.” Emerson was born November 3, 1936, in Blackbutt, a crossroads, and his family moved to Brisbane, where he could get better competition and coaching, when his tennis talent became evident.
After resisting several offers, he turned pro in 1968 just before open tennis began, and was still competing in 1978 as player-coach of the Boston Lobsters in World Team Tennis, directing them to the semifinals of the league playoffs. Of all Australia’s Davis Cup luminaries under captain Harry Hopman, Emerson made the best record. While helping win the eight Cups, he won 22 of 24 singles and 13 of 15 doubles. When the Cup was on the line, the score tied 2-2 with one match to be played in 1964, he beat American Chuck McKinley, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, to ice the 3-2 decision.
Beginning in 1959, he was ranked in the World Top Ten nine straight times, No. 1 in 1964 and 1965.
Emerson was elevated to the Hall of Fame in 1982 after a career that bridged the amateur and open eras and was credited with three pro titles in singles and 30 in doubles, and $400,000 in prize money. His son, Antony, was All-American in tennis at the University of Southern California and played the pro tour briefly. They won the U.S. Hard Court Father-and-Son title in 1978.
Emmo and Laver were often in each other’s way on the grand occasions. He messed up whatever designs Rod had on a Grand Slam in 1961 by winning their final round meetings at the Australian and U.S. When Laver did go all the way in 1962, he had to battle past Emmo in the Australian, French (five sets) finals, and the Slam gate-closing U.S., 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. Seven years later, Laver’s second Slam, Emmo was a thorn again, in a second rounder at the Australian, and a prickly quarterfinal of the U.S., 4-6, 8-6, 13-11, 6-4. Laver said, “My old friend and rival has plagued me every step of the way because he never considers losing.”
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