Australian tennis is mourning the loss of former Davis Cup and Grand Slam champion Mal Anderson MBE.
The 91-year-old boasted an impressive professional career that featured the 1957 US Open singles title, and the 1957 French Open and 1973 Australian Open doubles titles.
Anderson made his breakthrough in the tennis scene when he reached the 1956 Australian Open, losing in the semi-final to Ken Rosewall.
And he would not have to wait much longer to claim his maiden and only singles title when he beat Ashley Cooper in New York the following year.
In that US Open, Anderson was imperious, he beat three seeded opponents and dropped just two sets on his way to lifting the trophy.
He would go on to run a tennis and squash centre in Brisbane during a break in his career, eventually making a return to the court.
Following his retirement from tennis, Anderson took up the role of mentor to a number of Australian tennis stars including Pat Rafter, Scott Draper and John Fitzgerald.
The tennis world has been mourning the death of Mal Anderson who died at 91
He also mentored a number of top Australian tennis players following his retirement from the sport
The Aussie tennis icon claimed one singles Grand Slam title to go with four doubles triumphs
Pat Rafter spoke glowingly of his former mentor Anderson, saying he helped shape Rafters’ tennis early in his career
And Rafter couldn’t speak highly enough of Anderson following his death, ‘I was really sad to hear of Mal’s passing,’ he told tennis.com.au.
‘He was one of the people who helped me shape my tennis from very early on.
‘He took me overseas for the first time, over to Wimbledon, and introduced me to what the professional game looked like and what it meant to carry yourself properly around it.
‘For a young Aussie kid coming through, that was a pretty special thing to have someone like Mal do for you.
‘I still remember being at Queen’s Club in London and hearing the reception he got when his name was announced – the whole place stood up for him. That told you everything about the respect people had for him, not just here in Australia but around the world.
‘He was a true legend of the game, but more importantly he was a terrific bloke – humble, generous with his time and always happy to help younger players along.
‘Tennis in Australia has lost one of its greats, and a lot of us have lost a mate and mentor. I feel very lucky to have known him.’
Scott Draper also recounted the impact of Anderson and his desire to give back to the sport.
‘Mal was someone I looked up to from a very young age. I had my first tennis lesson from Mal at five. Our family spent every weekend playing tennis at his centre, it was a home away from home,’ Draper said.
‘In my teens, I was part of the Mal Anderson high-performance squad with my brother Mark. Mal was the epitome of fitness and professionalism and role-modelled the highest standards, inspiring all of us to be better.
‘I was lucky to travel with him on his Mal Anderson Exhibition tours, which are an incredible legacy. He took tennis to the regions and took young wannabes like me with him.
‘We learned how to coach and play exhibition matches. Mal was a joy to be around, humility personified and always took genuine interest in your life. A great bloke and his legacy will definitely live on in me.’
Wally Masur credited Mal Anderson with teaching him what it meant to be a professional
And Wally Masur credited Anderson with teaching him what it meant to be a professional on the tour.
‘I first met Mal when he took 10 youngsters on a satellite circuit around country NSW in about 1979,’ Masur said.
‘If you were out of the tournament he made you run at 6.30am, punishing runs that usually brought up the contents of my stomach. He did every one of those runs with us and did them easily.
‘Then it was four or five hours on the practice court, and he hit for every minute of those hours. Never a critical word, just encouragement and he was with you every step of the way.
‘I’ll leave it to his peers to judge where he sits in the pantheon of Australian tennis greats, but what a gentleman and an inspiration he was to a young player trying to make the tour.’
During his life, Anderson described himself as ‘addicted.’
