Introduction
Frederick Sydney Stolle, AO (8 October 1938 – 5 March 2025) was an Australian amateur world No. 1 tennis player and commentator. He was born in Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia. He was the father of former Australian Davis Cup player Sandon Stolle.
Career
Stolle is notable for being the only male player in history to have lost his first five Grand Slam singles finals, all but one were to Roy Emerson, the fifth of which he led by two sets to love. However, Stolle went on to win two Grand Slam tournament singles titles, the 1965 French Championships and the 1966 US Championships. At Wimbledon and the Australian Championships he finished as runner-up in these tournaments and losing to compatriot Roy Emerson on no fewer than five occasions. World Tennis magazine ranked Stolle world No. 1 amateur in 1966.
Stolle won ten Grand Slam doubles titles, partnering with compatriots Bob Hewitt (4 titles), Roy Emerson (4 titles), and Ken Rosewall (2 titles). In addition Stolle won 7 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
As a member of the Australian Davis Cup team Stolle won the Davis Cup title in 1964, 1965 and 1966. In 1964 Stolle and Emerson were briefly suspended from the Australian Davis Cup team for going on an overseas tour in defiance of a Lawn Tennis Association of Australia order to remain in Australia until April.
Stolle turned professional in 1966, and as a professional, won two singles and 13 doubles titles. He earned about US$500,000 in career prize money.
Stolle coached Vitas Gerulaitis from 1977 until 1983.
Later life and death
For many years, Stolle did television commentary for ESPN and other tennis broadcasts. He provided commentary on Grand Slam tennis tournaments for Australia's Fox Sports and the Nine Network.
Stolle died from cancer in Palm Desert, California, on 5 March 2025, at the age of 86.
Honours
For his contribution to the tennis sport Stolle was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1988 he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. He received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005. In 2020, Stolle was awarded the ITF Philippe Chatrier Award, for his contribution to tennis both during his career and post-retirement.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (2 titles, 6 runners-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1963 | Wimbledon | Grass | Chuck McKinley | 7–9, 1–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1964 | Australian Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | 3–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1964 | Wimbledon | Grass | Roy Emerson | 1–6, 10–12, 6–4, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1964 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | 4–6, 2–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1965 | Australian Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | 9–7, 6–2, 4–6, 5–7, 1–6 |
| Win | 1965 | French Championships | Clay | Tony Roche | 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1965 | Wimbledon | Grass | Roy Emerson | 2–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1966 | U.S. Championships | Grass | John Newcombe | 4–6, 12–10, 6–3, 6–4 |
Doubles (10 titles, 6 runners-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1961 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Roy Emerson Neale Fraser | 4–6, 8–6, 4–6, 8–6, 6–8 |
| Loss | 1962 | Australian Championships | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Roy Emerson Neale Fraser | 6–4, 6–4, 1–6, 4–6, 9–11 |
| Win | 1962 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Boro Jovanović Nikola Pilić | 6–2, 5–7, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Win | 1963 | Australian Championships | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Ken Fletcher John Newcombe | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 1964 | Australian Championships | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Roy Emerson Ken Fletcher | 6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 4–6, 14–12 |
| Win | 1964 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Roy Emerson Ken Fletcher | 7–5, 11–9, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1965 | Australian Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | John Newcombe Tony Roche | 6–3, 6–4, 11–13, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1965 | French Championships | Clay | Roy Emerson | Ken Fletcher Bob Hewitt | 6–8, 6–3, 8–6, 6–2 |
| Win | 1965 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | Frank Froehling Charles Pasarell | 6–4, 10–12, 7–5, 6–3 |
| Win | 1966 | Australian Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | John Newcombe Tony Roche | 7–9, 6–3, 6–8, 14–12, 12–10 |
| Win | 1966 | US Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | Clark Graebner Dennis Ralston | 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 1968 | French Open | Clay | Ken Rosewall | Roy Emerson Rod Laver | 6–3, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1968 | Wimbledon | Grass | Ken Rosewall | John Newcombe Tony Roche | 6–3, 6–8, 7–5, 12–14, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1969 | Australian Open | Grass | Ken Rosewall | Rod Laver Roy Emerson | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1969 | US Open | Grass | Ken Rosewall | Charles Pasarell Dennis Ralston | 2–6, 7–5, 13–11, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1970 | Wimbledon | Grass | Ken Rosewall | John Newcombe Tony Roche | 8–10, 3–6, 1–6 |
Open-era doubles titles (10)
| No | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1968 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Ken Rosewall | Roy Emerson Rod Laver | 6–3, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2. | 1968 | Los Angeles, US | Hard | Ken Rosewall | Cliff Drysdale Roger Taylor | 7–5, 6–1 |
| 3. | 1969 | US Open, New York | Grass | Ken Rosewall | Charlie Pasarell Dennis Ralston | 2–6, 7–5, 13–11, 6–3 |
| 4. | 1971 | Bologna WCT, Italy | Carpet | Ken Rosewall | Robert Maud Frew McMillan | 6–7, 6–2, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 5. | 1972 | Bretton Woods, US | Hard | John Alexander | Nikola Pilić Cliff Richey | 7–6, 7–6 |
| 6. | 1972 | Vancouver WCT, Canada | Outdoor | John Newcombe | Cliff Drysdale Allan Stone | 7–6, 6–0 |
| 7. | 1972 | Johannesburg-2, South Africa | Hard | John Newcombe | Terry Addison Bob Carmichael | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 8. | 1973 | Chicago WCT, US | Carpet | Ken Rosewall | Ismail El Shafei Brian Fairlie | 6–7, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 9. | 1973 | Cleveland WCT, US | Carpet | Ken Rosewall | Ismail El Shafei Brian Fairlie | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 10. | 1973 | Bretton Woods, US | Clay | Rod Laver | Bob Carmichael Frew McMillan | 7–6, 4–6, 7–5 |
Performance timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Singles
| 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | SR | W–L | Win % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | 2 / 41 | 102–39 | 72.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 1R | A | 1R | SF | QF | SF | F | F | SF | A | A | QF | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 10 | 23–10 | 69.7 |
| French Open | A | A | 2R | 3R | 4R | 2R | 4R | W | QF | A | 2R | QF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 9 | 23–8 | 74.2 | |
| Wimbledon | A | A | 1R | 2R | 3R | F | F | F | 2R | A | 4R | 4R | 1R | 4R | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | 0 / 12 | 31–12 | 72.1 | |
| US Open | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | F | 2R | W | A | 2R | QF | 3R | A | QF | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | A | 1 / 10 | 25–9 | 73.5 | |
| Pro Slam tournaments | 0 / 3 | 4–3 | 57.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Pro | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | SF | Not a Major | 0 / 1 | 2–1 | 66.7 | |||||||||||
| French Pro | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | SF | Not a Major | 0 / 1 | 2–1 | 66.7 | |||||||||||
| Wembley Pro | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | Not a Major | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0.0 | |||||||||||
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 0–3 | 6–3 | 8–4 | 9–3 | 19–4 | 18–3 | 15–3 | 4–3 | 4–3 | 13–4 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2 / 41 | 106–42 | 71.6 | |||||
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.