Cliff Drysdale

Who is Cliff Drysdale?

Eric Clifford 'Cliff' Drysdale is a former top-ranked professional tennis player of the 1960s and early 1970s who became a well-known tennis announcer. He was one of the Handsome Eight, a group of players signed by Lamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed professional World Championship Tennis group. He became President of the Association of Tennis Professionals when it was formed by Jack Kramer, Donald Dell, and himself in 1972. Drysdale was ranked World No. 4 in 1965 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph.

Drysdale won the singles title at the Dutch Open in Hilversum in 1963 and 1964. In 1965 he won the singles title at the German Championships by defeating Boro Jovanović in the final. During his Open era career, Drysdale captured five singles titles and six doubles titles including winning the 1972 U.S. Open doubles crown with Roger Taylor. He defeated Rod Laver in the fourth round of the first US Open in 1968. He became a naturalized United States citizen after retiring as a player. Today, he serves as a tennis commentator on ESPN. He is the founder of Cliff Drysdale Tennis which specializes in resort, hotel, and club tennis management.