Dennis Ralston

Dennis Ralston

Full name	Richard Dennis Ralston
Country	USA
Born	(1942-07-27) July 27, 1942 Bakersfield, California, USA
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	77 kg (170 lb; 12.1 st)
Turned pro	1967 (amateur tour from 1958)
Retired	1977
Plays	Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 3 (1963, Reading Eagle)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	SF (1970)
French Open	4R (1966)
Wimbledon	F (1966)
US Open	SF (1960)
Professional majors
US Pro	SF (1968)
Wembley Pro	QF (1967, 1968)
French Pro	2R (1968)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	SF (1971)
French Open	W (1966)
Wimbledon	W (1960)
US Open	W (1961, 1962, 1963)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon	F (1962, 1966)
US Open	F (1969)
Last updated on: April 18, 2012.

Richard Dennis Ralston (born July 27, 1942 in Bakersfield, California) is an American former professional tennis player. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) and won NCAA championships under their coach, George Toley. He was coached in his earlier years by the tennis player Pancho Gonzales. He was the highest-ranked American player at the end of three consecutive years in the 1960s with his career-high singles ranking of World No. 3 in 1963 (as cited in newspaper Reading Eagle).

He lost in the Wimbledon 1966 Men's Singles Championship Finals to Manuel Santana.

Ralston was a member of the Handsome Eight, the initial group of players signed to the professional World Championship Tennis tour. He won 27 national doubles and singles titles, including five grand-slam doubles crowns.

Grand Slam finals, 13 (5 titles, 8 runner-ups)

Singles, 1 final (1 runner-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-Up	1966	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Manuel Santana	6–4, 11–9, 6–4

Doubles, 9 finals (5 titles, 4 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1960	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Rafael Osuna	Mike Davies Bobby Wilson	7–5, 6–3, 10–8
Winner	1961	US Championships	Grass	Chuck McKinley	Rafael Osuna Antonio Palafox	6–3, 6–4, 2–6, 13–11
Runner-Up	1962	US Championships	Grass	Chuck McKinley	Rafael Osuna Antonio Palafox	6–4, 10–12, 1–6, 9–7, 6–3
Winner	1963	US Championships (2)	Grass	Chuck McKinley	Rafael Osuna Antonio Palafox	9–7, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3, 11–9
Winner	1964	US Championships (3)	Grass	Chuck McKinley	Mike Sangster Graham Stilwell	6–3, 6–2, 6–4
Winner	1966	French Championships	Clay	Clark Graebner	Ilie Năstase Ion Ţiriac	6–3, 6–3, 6–0
Runner-Up	1966	US Championships (2)	Grass	Clark Graebner	Roy Emerson Fred Stolle	6–4, 6–4, 6–4
Runner-Up	1969	US Open (3)	Grass	Clark Graebner	Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle	2–6, 7–5, 13–11, 6–3
Runner-Up	1971	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Arthur Ashe	Roy Emerson Rod Laver	4–6, 9–7, 6–8, 6–4, 6–4

Mixed Doubles, 3 finals (3 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-Up	1962	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Ann Haydon-Jones	Margaret Osborne duPont Neale Fraser	2–6, 6–3, 13–11
Runner-Up	1966	Wimbledon Championships (2)	Grass	Billie Jean King	Margaret Court Ken Fletcher	4–6, 6–3, 6–3
Runner-Up	1969	US Open	Grass	Françoise Dürr	Margaret Court Marty Riessen	6–4, 7–5

External links

• International Tennis Hall of Fame