Barry MacKay facts for kids
MacKay in Michigan, 1957
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| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Born | August 31, 1935 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Died | June 15, 2012 (aged 76) San Francisco, United States |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Turned pro | 1961 (#1 US amateur 1960) |
| Retired | 1970 (#9 US ranking) |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Career titles | 29 |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (1959, Lance Tingay) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1959) |
| French Open | QF (1960) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1959) |
| US Open | QF (1959) |
| Professional majors | |
| US Pro | SF (1961, 1962) |
| Wembley Pro | QF (1961, 1962, 1967) |
| French Pro | QF (1961, 1963, 1967) |
| Doubles | |
| Career titles | 11 |
Barry MacKay (born August 31, 1935 – died June 15, 2012) was an American tennis star. He was a great player, a person who organized big tennis tournaments, and a sports commentator on TV. In 1960, he was even ranked as the best tennis player in the U.S.!
While playing tennis for the University of Michigan, he won the Singles title at the 1957 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship. This big win helped his team, Michigan, beat Tulane 10 to 9 to become the national champions. He also reached the finals in the 1957 NCAA Doubles competition. He won five titles in the Big Ten Conference during his college years.
Barry MacKay was very successful in major tournaments. He reached the Quarterfinals (last eight players) at Wimbledon in 1958 and 1960. He made it to the Semifinals (last four players) at Wimbledon in 1959. He was also a Doubles finalist at the U.S. Open in 1958.
In 1959, he played in the Semifinals of the Australian Championships and Wimbledon. At the Australian event, he lost a close five-set match to Alex Olmedo. At Wimbledon, he also lost in five sets to the famous player Rod Laver. Later that year, he reached the Quarterfinals of the U.S. Championships.
His best year was 1960. He was the top-ranked amateur player in the U.S. He won ten other tournaments that year. He also reached the Quarterfinals of the U.S. Championships. He was even the top seed at the French Championships, reaching the Quarterfinals. Before that, he won the Italian Championships, beating the defending champion. MacKay also won the Pacific Coast Championships twice, in 1959 and 1960.
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Early Life and School Tennis
Barry MacKay was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Dayton, Ohio. He went to Oakwood High School. When he was young, he showed great talent in tennis.
In 1950, he won a national championship for boys in indoor doubles. He was also the Ohio State High School Tennis Champion in both 1952 and 1953. He was ranked among the top junior players in the country.
Amazing Playing Career
Barry MacKay had a long and successful tennis career that lasted 17 years. He played as both an amateur and a professional. During this time, he won 29 singles titles and 11 doubles titles.
He started his college tennis journey at the University of Michigan in 1953. He joined a strong team and practiced a lot, becoming a much better player. He won five Big Ten Conference championships while at Michigan. These included two Singles Championships and three Doubles Championships with his partner, Dick Potter.
In June 1957, MacKay won the Singles title at the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship. This victory helped the Michigan Wolverines win their first and only NCAA Team Championship. He was the first player from the Big Ten Conference to win the NCAA Singles Title. He was also named an All-American, which is a big honor for college athletes.
MacKay played for the United States Davis Cup team five times between 1956 and 1960. The Davis Cup is a major international team tennis event. In 1958, his team, which included Alex Olmedo and Ham Richardson, beat Australia to win the championship. In 1959, he famously beat Rod Laver in the Davis Cup Finals. He is the only American player to ever beat Laver in a Davis Cup match.
After his college success, MacKay continued to play amateur tennis. In 1958, he reached the Quarterfinals of Wimbledon. In 1959, he had tough five-set losses in the Semifinals of the Australian Championships and Wimbledon.
In 1960, he was ranked as the No. 1 amateur player in the U.S. He won 11 tournaments that year, including the Italian Championship (which was considered a very important tournament). He turned professional in 1961. He played on the Jack Kramer Professional Tennis Tour for three years. He described it as playing matches almost every night in different cities around the world.
Grand Slam Doubles Final
Barry MacKay reached one Grand Slam final in doubles.
1958 U.S. Championships Doubles Final
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1958 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Sam Giammalva |
Alex Olmedo Ham Richardson |
6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
Organizing Tennis Tournaments
In 1964, MacKay moved to California and started working for Jack Kramer on the Professional Tennis Tour. In 1970, he bought a major share in the Pacific Coast Championships tennis tournament in Berkeley, California. He helped get a bank to sponsor the tournament, and it became known as the Redwood Bank Pacific Coast Open.
In 1973, he started his own company called BMK Sports. This company ran his big tennis event, which later became known as the SAP Open. He sold the company in 1995. Barry played his last tournament in 1973. He was known for giving "wild cards" to famous players like Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, and Bjorn Borg. A wild card allows a player to enter a tournament even if they didn't officially qualify. He was very important in the tennis community in the Bay Area of California.
Broadcasting Tennis Matches
Starting in the 1970s, Barry MacKay became a well-known tennis broadcaster. He helped launch Tennis Channel in 2001 as one of their broadcasters. Over his 30-year career, he worked with many famous tennis players and commentators.
He was the voice for American TV broadcasts of major tournaments like the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, French Open, and Australian Open. He also covered many other tournaments for both men's (ATP) and women's (WTA) tennis. He worked for channels like HBO, USA Network, Fox Sports Network, and NBC Sports. He even provided commentary for the tennis events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.
Death
Barry MacKay passed away in San Francisco, California, on June 15, 2012. He was 76 years old and had been ill for a long time. He was survived by his wife, Michele, and his daughter, Kelly.
Honors and Awards
Barry MacKay received many honors for his contributions to tennis:
- He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1980.
- He was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.
- In 2003, he was inducted into the Cincinnati Tennis Hall of Fame.
- He received the Bob Hope Award for "Amateur Athlete of the Year" in 1960.
- In 2005, he was inducted into the Los Angeles Open Hall of Fame.
- The Indian Wells Masters tournament honored him in 2013 for his lifetime contributions to tennis.
