Mervyn Rose, tennis champ who coached Billie Jean King, dies
Billie Jean King presents former tennis star Mervyn Rose with a certificate after he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 14, 2001. Credit: AFP/Getty Images / JOHN MOTTERN
MELBOURNE, Australia — Mervyn Rose, who won two Grand Slam singles titles and two Davis Cups before going into coaching and working with stars including Billie Jean King and Margaret Court, has died. He was 87.
Tennis Australia issued a statement late Monday confirming the death of Rose, a feisty left-hander who won the Australian Open in 1954 and the French Open in 1958 before turning pro.
Rose also won men’s doubles titles at the Australian and U.S. Opens and at Wimbledon, reached the semifinals in singles at all four majors and peaked at a career-high ranking of No. 3.
He represented Australia in Davis Cup competitions between 1950 and ’57, and was part of the team which beat the United States for the titles in ’51 and ’57.
Tennis Australia paid tribute to Rose as a player and coach, saying he “effortlessly made the transition to coaching (and) worked with some of the greats.”
Rose was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001.
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