Sandy Mayer
American tennis player
Alexander Mayer (born April 5, 1952) is a former tennis player from the United States. He won twelve titles in singles and twenty-four titles in doubles in his professional career, and was part of the winning tennis squad at Stanford University in 1973.
01Early life and college career
Mayer was born in Flushing, New York. He entered Stanford University in 1970 and majored in political science. In 1972, Mayer and Roscoe Tanner won the NCAA doubles championship, and the Stanford team finished second in the NCAA tournament, behind Trinity University.
In 1973, Mayer and Stanford won everything in the NCAA tournament: Mayer won singles, Mayer and Jim Delaney won doubles, and the team won the national championship ahead of USC.
02Professional career
The right-handed Mayer reached his highest singles ATP-ranking in April 1982, when he became world No. 7. He won 11 ATP singles titles and 24 doubles titles.
A strong grass-court player, Mayer reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon on three occasions (1977, 1978, and 1983), losing to eventual or multi-time champions John McEnroe and Björn Borg. Mayer's greatest professional triumphs came in doubles at the Grand Slam level. In 1975, he partnered with Vitas Gerulaitis to capture the men's doubles title at Wimbledon. Four years later, in 1979, he teamed up with his younger brother, Gene Mayer, to win the clay-court doubles crown at the 1979 French Open by defeating Ross Case and Phil Dent in the final.
His younger brother Gene was also a world tour tennis player and reached a career high of world No. 4 in 1980.
03Family
Mayer resided in Atherton, California, and has four sons and a daughter, all of whom had been previously ranked in the United States Tennis Association Junior Tennis League in the Northern California Section. Mayer's former wife, Libby, is a teacher. They filed for divorce on August 5, 2016.
04Career finals
Singles (11 titles, 10 runner-ups)
| Result | W-L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0-1 | Jan 1973 | Baltimore, U.S. | Hard (i) | Jimmy Connors | 4-6, 5-7 |
| Win | 1-1 | Jan 1973 | Birmingham, U.S. | Hard | Charles Owens | 6-4, 7-6 |
| Win | 2-1 | Feb 1974 | Baltimore, U.S. | Carpet | Clark Graebner | 6-2, 6-1 |
| Loss | 2-2 | Feb 1974 | Birmingham, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Jimmy Connors | 5-7, 3-6 |
| Win | 3-2 | Mar 1974 | Paramus, U.S. | Indoor | Jürgen Fassbender | 6-1, 6-3 |
| Win | 4-2 | Mar 1974 | Jackson, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Karl Meiler | 7-6, 7-5 |
| Loss | 4-3 | Oct 1975 | Maui, U.S. | Hard | Jimmy Connors | 1-6, 0-6 |
| Loss | 4-4 | Nov 1975 | Hong Kong | Hard | Tom Gorman | 3-6, 1-6, 1-6 |
| Win | 5-4 | Feb 1977 | Little Rock, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Haroon Rahim | 6-2, 6-4 |
| Loss | 5-5 | Feb 1977 | San Jose, U.S. | Hard | Jiří Hřebec | 6-3, 4-6, 5-7 |
| Win | 6-5 | Mar 1977 | Hampton, U.S. | Hard (i) | Stan Smith | 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 |
| Win | 7-5 | Nov 1977 | Stockholm Open, Sweden | Hard (i) | Raymond Moore | 6-2, 6-4 |
| Win | 8-5 | Feb 1978 | St. Louis WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Eddie Dibbs | 7-6, 6-4 |
| Loss | 8-6 | Jun 1980 | Surbiton, England | Grass | Brian Gottfried | 3-6, 3-6 |
| Loss | 8-7 | Apr 1981 | Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | John McEnroe | 7-6, 3-6, 3-6 |
| Loss | 8-8 | Nov 1981 | Cologne, West Germany | Carpet (i) | Ivan Lendl | 3-6, 3-6 |
| Loss | 8-9 | Nov 1981 | Stockholm Open, Sweden | Hard (i) | Gene Mayer | 4-6, 2-6 |
| Win | 9-9 | Nov 1981 | Bologna, Italy | Carpet (i) | Ilie Năstase | 7-5, 6-3 |
| Loss | 9-10 | Jul 1982 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | Ramesh Krishnan | 7-5, 3-6, 3-6, 6-7 |
| Win | 10-10 | Aug 1982 | Cleveland, U.S. | Hard | Robert Van't Hof | 7-5, 6-3 |
| Win | 11-10 | Jul 1983 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 |
Doubles (24 titles, 16 runner-ups)
| Result | W-L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0-1 | Aug 1971 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | Roscoe Tanner | Stan Smith Erik van Dillen |
1-6, 6-3, 4-6 |
| Loss | 0-2 | Jan 1973 | Baltimore WCT, U.S. | Hard (i) | Paul Gerken | Jimmy Connors Clark Graebner |
6-3, 2-6, 3-6 |
| Win | 1-2 | Jan 1974 | Roanoke, U.S. | Indoors | Vitas Gerulaitis | Ian Crookenden Jeff Simpson |
7-6, 6-1 |
| Win | 2-2 | Feb 1974 | Birmingham, U.S. | Hard | Ian Fletcher | Nicholas Kalogeropoulos Iván Molina |
4-6, 7-6, 6-1 |
| Win | 3-2 | Feb 1975 | Roanoke, U.S. | Indoors | Vitas Gerulaitis | Juan Gisbert Ion Țiriac |
7-6, 1-6, 6-3 |
| Win | 4-2 | Jul 1975 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Vitas Gerulaitis | Colin Dowdeswell Allan Stone |
7-5, 8-6, 6-4 |
| Loss | 4-3 | Nov 1975 | Hong Kong | Hard | Bob Carmichael | Tom Okker Ken Rosewall |
3-6, 4-6 |
| Win | 5-3 | Feb 1976 | Fort Worth WCT, U.S. | Hard | Vitas Gerulaitis | Eddie Dibbs Harold Solomon |
6-4, 7-5 |
| Win | 6-3 | Mar 1976 | Palm Springs, U.S. | Hard | Colin Dibley | Raymond Moore Erik van Dillen |
6-4, 6-7, 7-6 |
| Win | 7-3 | Mar 1977 | Hampton, U.S. | Hard (i) | Stan Smith | Paul Kronk Cliff Letcher |
6-4, 6-3 |
| Win | 8-3 | Sep 1977 | Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Frew McMillan | Tom Leonard Mike Machette |
6-2, 6-3 |
| Win | 9-3 | Nov 1977 | Wembley, England | Hard | Frew McMillan | Brian Gottfried Raul Ramírez |
6-3, 7-6 |
| Win | 10-3 | Jan 1978 | Birmingham WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Vitas Gerulaitis | Frew McMillan Dick Stockton |
3-6, 6-1, 7-6 |
| Loss | 10-4 | Jan 1978 | Philadelphia WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Vitas Gerulaitis | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan |
4-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 10-5 | Feb 1978 | Richmond WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Vitas Gerulaitis | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan |
3-6, 5-7 |
| Win | 11-5 | Apr 1978 | Guadalajara, Mexico | Clay | Sherwood Stewart | Gene Mayer Sashi Menon |
4-6, 7-6, 6-3 |
| Win | 12-5 | Apr 1978 | San Jose, U.S. | Carpet | Gene Mayer | Hank Pfister Brad Rowe |
6-3, 6-4 |
| Win | 13-5 | Feb 1979 | Rancho Mirage, U.S. | Hard | Gene Mayer | Cliff Drysdale Bruce Manson |
6-4, 7-6 |
| Win | 14-5 | Jun 1979 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Gene Mayer | Ross Case Phil Dent |
6-4, 6-4, 6-4 |
| Loss | 14-6 | Jul 1979 | Forest Hills WCT, U.S. | Clay | Gene Mayer | Peter Fleming John McEnroe |
7-6, 6-7, 3-6 |
| Win | 15-6 | Jul 1980 | Boston, U.S. | Clay | Gene Mayer | Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez |
1-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| Loss | 15-7 | Jul 1980 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | Clay | Gene Mayer | Hans Gildemeister Andrés Gómez |
4-6, 5-7 |
| Win | 16-7 | Aug 1980 | Columbus, U.S. | Hard | Brian Gottfried | Peter Fleming Eliot Teltscher |
6-4, 6-2 |
| Loss | 16-8 | Aug 1980 | Toronto, Canada | Hard | Heinz Günthardt | Bruce Manson Brian Teacher |
3-6, 6-3, 4-6 |
| Loss | 16-9 | Sep 1980 | San Francisco, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Gene Mayer | Peter Fleming John McEnroe |
1-6, 4-6 |
| Win | 17-9 | Mar 1981 | Memphis, U.S. | Hard (i) | Gene Mayer | Mike Cahill Tom Gullikson |
7-6, 6-7, 7-6 |
| Win | 18-9 | Mar 1981 | Brussels, Belgium | Carpet (i) | Frew McMillan | Kevin Curren Steve Denton |
4-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| Loss | 18-10 | Mar 1981 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Carpet (i) | Gene Mayer | Fritz Buehning Ferdi Taygan |
6-7, 6-1, 4-6 |
| Loss | 18-11 | Mar 1982 | Strasbourg WCT, France | Carpet (i) | Frew McMillan | Wojciech Fibak John Fitzgerald |
4-6, 3-6 |
| Win | 19-11 | Jul 1982 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Ferdi Taygan | Heinz Günthardt Markus Günthardt |
6-2, 6-3 |
| Loss | 19-12 | Apr 1983 | Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Ferdi Taygan | Peter Fleming John McEnroe |
1-6, 2-6 |
| Win | 20-12 | Aug 1983 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Ferdi Taygan | Tim Gullikson Tom Gullikson |
6-3, 6-4 |
| Win | 21-12 | Jul 1984 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | Andreas Maurer | Fritz Buehning Ferdi Taygan |
7-6, 6-4 |
| Win | 22-12 | Aug 1984 | Columbus, U.S. | Hard | Stan Smith | Charles Bud Cox Terry Moor |
6-4, 6-7, 7-5 |
| Loss | 22-13 | Aug 1984 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | Balázs Taróczy | Francisco González Matt Mitchell |
6-4, 3-6, 6-7 |
| Loss | 22-14 | Sep 1984 | Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Wojciech Fibak | Ken Flach Robert Seguso |
6-4, 4-6, 3-6 |
| Win | 23-14 | Oct 1984 | Cologne, Germany | Carpet (i) | Wojciech Fibak | Jan Gunnarsson Joakim Nyström |
6-1, 6-3 |
| Win | 24-14 | Oct 1984 | Vienna, Austria | Carpet (i) | Wojciech Fibak | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy |
6-4, 6-4 |
| Loss | 24-15 | Jan 1985 | Philadelphia, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Wojciech Fibak | Joakim Nyström Mats Wilander |
6-3, 2-6, 2-6 |
| Loss | 24-16 | Sep 1985 | San Francisco, U.S. | Hard (i) | Brad Gilbert | Paul Annacone Christo van Rensburg |
6-3, 3-6, 4-6 |
Sources and credits
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