Introduction
Christine "Chris" O'Neil (born 19 March 1956) is a former professional female tennis player from Australia.
O'Neil is best known for her singles victory at the 1978 Australian Open, the last Australian female to do so. She also became the first unseeded woman to win the Australian title in the open era. In a relatively weak field she defeated Betsy Nagelsen in the final in straight sets. This feat went unmatched until Serena Williams, unseeded and ranked World No. 81, won the 2007 Australian Open. O'Neil is also one of the few players who have won both the Australian Open Junior (1973) and Senior (1978) championship titles.
In 2007, along with her brothers Keith and William, O'Neil took over the Morisset Sports & Tennis Centre located in Newcastle, New South Wales. The centre was subsequently renamed the O'Neil School of Tennis. She then moved on to operate O'Neil's School of Tennis in Cessnock, New South Wales. She has since moved to Port Macquarie and currently coaches.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1978 | Australian Open | Grass | Betsy Nagelsen | 6–3, 7–6 |
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | NH |
Singles
| Tournament | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | |||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | A | W | A | A | 2R | A | 1 / 7 |
| French Open | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | 1R | 0 / 6 | |
| Wimbledon | A | 3R | 1R | A | 2R | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | 0 / 7 | |
| US Open | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | 2R | 2R | A | A | A | 0 / 3 | |
| Strike Rate | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 23 | |
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.