Mervyn Rose

Mervyn Gordon Rose AM (23 January 1930 – 23 July 2017) was an Australian male tennis player who won 7 Grand Slam titles (singles, doubles and mixed doubles).

Rose was born in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and turned professional in 1959. He was ranked inside the world's Top 10 throughout much of his tennis career and represented Australia in the Davis Cup from 1951 to 1957. He was ranked World No. 3 in 1958 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph.

Rose won the singles title at the 1954 Australian Championships in Sydney, defeating compatriot Rex Hartwig in the final in four sets. Four years later, in 1958, he became the French singles champion after a straight-sets victory in the final against Luis Ayala.

He coached numerous female and male players, including Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Ernie Ewart, Michael Fancutt, Brett Prentice, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Eleni Daniilidou, Nadia Petrova, Magdalena Grzybowska and Caroline Schnieder.

Rose was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000, inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2006 for service to tennis, particularly as a competitor at national and international levels and as a coach and mentor to both amateur and professional players. Rose died on 23 July 2017 at the age of 87.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1953	Australian Championships	Grass	Ken Rosewall	0–6, 3–6, 4–6
Winner	1954	Australian Championships	Grass	Rex Hartwig	6–2, 0–6, 6–4, 6–2
Winner	1958	French Championships	Clay	Luis Ayala	6–3, 6–4, 6–4

Doubles (4 titles, 7 runners-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1951	US Championships	Grass	Don Candy	Ken McGregor Frank Sedgman	8–10, 4–6, 6–4, 5–7
Runner-up	1952	Australian Championships	Grass	Don Candy	Ken McGregor Frank Sedgman	4–6, 5–7, 3–6
Winner	1952	US Championships	Grass	Vic Seixas	Ken McGregor Frank Sedgman	3–6, 10–8, 10–8, 6–8, 8–6
Runner-up	1953	Australian Championships	Grass	Don Candy	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	11–9, 4–6, 8–10, 4–6
Runner-up	1953	French Championships	Clay	Clive Wilderspin	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	2–6, 1–6, 1–6
Runner-up	1953	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Rex Hartwig	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	4–6, 5–7, 6–4, 5–7
Winner	1953	US Championships	Grass	Rex Hartwig	Gardnar Mulloy Bill Talbert	6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4
Winner	1954	Australian Championships	Grass	Rex Hartwig	Neale Fraser Clive Wilderspin	6–3, 6–4, 6–2
Winner	1954	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Rex Hartwig	Vic Seixas Tony Trabert	6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Runner-up	1956	Australian Championships	Grass	Don Candy	Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall	8–10, 11–13, 4–6
Runner-up	1957	French Championships	Grass	Don Candy	Malcolm Anderson Ashley Cooper	3–6, 0–6, 3–6

Mixed doubles: 5 (1 title, 4 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1951	French Championships	Clay	Thelma Coyne Long	Doris Hart Frank Sedgman	5–7, 2–6
Runner-up	1951	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Nancye Wynne Bolton	Doris Hart Frank Sedgman	5–7, 2–6
Runner-up	1951	U.S. Championships	Grass	Shirley Fry	Doris Hart Frank Sedgman	3–6, 2–6
Runner-up	1953	French Championships	Clay	Maureen Connolly	Doris Hart Vic Seixas	6–4, 4–6, 0–6
Winner	1957	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Darlene Hard	Althea Gibson Neale Fraser	6–4, 7–5

Other tournament records