Tony Roche

Tony Roche is a retired Australian professional tennis player who was born on May 17, 1945, in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. He had a successful career on the ATP tour, winning a total of 15 singles titles and 61 doubles titles.

Roche turned professional in 1968 and quickly established himself as one of the top players on the tour. He reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 2 in 1970. He was known for his strong serve-and-volley game and his excellent touch at the net.

Roche had his most successful year in 1969 when he won 6 singles titles, including the Australian Open, and reached the final of Wimbledon, where he lost to Rod Laver. He also won 6 Grand Slam doubles titles during his career, including 2 Australian Open titles and 2 US Open titles.

After retiring from professional tennis in 1981, Roche became a successful tennis coach, working with some of the top players in the world, including Ivan Lendl, Patrick Rafter, and Roger Federer. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986 in recognition of his contributions to the sport.