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Roscoe Tanner Career Stats, News, Records, Matches, Titles, Ranking, Bio, Awards, Net Worth

With his powerful left-handed serve, retired American player Leonard Roscoe Tanner, nicknamed "The Rocket", used to make life difficult for any opponent. Tanner, who turned professional in 1972, peaked at No. 4 in the world singles rankings in July 1979. The 69-year-old is most remembered for winning the first of two Australian Open tournaments in 1977, where he won the men's singles title. Tanner won the January competition, while Vitas Gerulaitis clinched the...Read More

With his powerful left-handed serve, retired American player Leonard Roscoe Tanner, nicknamed "The Rocket", used to make life difficult for any opponent. Tanner, who turned professional in 1972, peaked at No. 4 in the world singles rankings in July 1979. The 69-year-old is most remembered for winning the first of two Australian Open tournaments in 1977, where he won the men's singles title. Tanner won the January competition, while Vitas Gerulaitis clinched the December tournament. In addition, in 1979, the American also reached the Wimbledon final. However, he was defeated in five sets by tennis legend Bjorn Borg. Known for his big left-handed serve, Tanner used to get out of trouble with his service games. Notably, his serve was clocked at a reported 153 mph at Palm Springs in 1978 during the final against Raul Ramirez. Post retirement, the American garnered the attention of media in the 2000s for legal problems. 

Earlier, Tanner and Sandy Mayer won the NCAA doubles championship in 1972, and the Stanford team finished second behind Trinity (TX) in the NCAA tournament. Chico Hagey, Rick Fisher, Jim Delaney, Gery Groslimond, Chip Fisher, Paul Sidone, and Tim Noonan were also on the team. Tanner used to be a promising young player and it did not take much time for others to notice his ability. He was soon able to showcase his potential at the highest level.

Tanner won the 1970 United States Amateur Championships by incredibly defeating Haroon Rahim 10-8 in the fifth set. In no time, he began climbing the ladder. Possessing immense potential, the young Tanner, who turned professional in 1972, was able to live up to the demands of the highest level of tennis. He gradually began to deliver significant victories consistently and soon created a name for himself among the tennis fans across the world. Tanner won his first and only grand slam title in 1977, when he defeated Guillermo Vilas in three sets in the Australian Open (January) final.

Buoyed by the Grand Slam victory, the American player started producing important results, as he continued his progress at the pro tour. His good form of late saw him reach another Grand Slam final couple of years later. Tanner, however, was defeated by Bjorn Borg in a five-set battle in the 1979 Wimbledon final. Notably, it was the first Wimbledon final to be broadcast live in the United States as part of NBC's Breakfast at Wimbledon. Tanner avenged his loss to Borg couple of months later, defeating him in four sets in the US Open quarterfinals. In that match, Tanner's 140 mph serve brought the net down in the fourth set. 

Tanner, however, was not able to build on this momentum after being beaten in the semifinals by Vitas Gerulaitis. Later, Tanner described the entire ordeal in his autobiography. His win against Borg and defeat to Gerulaitis at the 1979 US Open were "the highest of my highs and the lowest of my lows on a tennis court within two days of each other," according to his autobiography.

In 1981, he won the Davis Cup with John McEnroe, Eliot Teltscher, and Peter Fleming on an Arthur Ashe-captained team. They defeated Argentina in the final at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum. Tanner's unorthodox but strong left-handed serve earned him the nickname - "The Rocket". His serve used to be his main weapon in difficult situations. He retired from the game in 1985.

Grand Slam Singles results

Australian Open: W (1977 Jan)

French Open: 4R (1978)

Wimbledon: F (1979)

US Open: SF (1974, 1979)

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Abbie Anker

Update: 2024-05-22