John Alexander (Australian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Alexander
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Alexander in 2010
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| Member of the Australian Parliament for Bennelong |
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| In office 16 December 2017 – 11 April 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Jerome Laxale |
| In office 21 August 2010 – 11 November 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Maxine McKew |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Gilbert Alexander
4 July 1951 Sydney, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian British (1951–2017) |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
| Spouse | Rosemary Brown (div.) |
| Occupation | Politician, tennis player, businessman |
| Nickname | J.A. |
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Tennis career |
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| Country (sports) | Australia |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Turned pro | 1969 (amateur tour 1967) |
| Retired | 1985 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $1,214,079 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 579–428 (57.5%) |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 8 (15 December 1975) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1974, 1977Jan, 1977Dec) |
| French Open | 4R (1975, 1978, 1983) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1969, 1978) |
| US Open | 4R (1971, 1973) |
| Other tournaments | |
| WCT Finals | SF (1975) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 451–300 |
| Career titles | 28 |
| Highest ranking | No. 15 (23 August 1977) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1975, 1982) |
| French Open | F (1975) |
| Wimbledon | F (1977) |
| US Open | QF (1972, 1973, 1974) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1977) |
John Gilbert Alexander (born 4 July 1951), known as JA, is an Australian who was a professional tennis player, a sports commentator, and a politician.
As a tennis player, John Alexander was ranked as high as No. 8 in the world in 1975. He reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open three times. He also won the doubles title at the Australian Open in 1975 and 1982. He was part of the Australian team that won the 1977 Davis Cup. After his tennis career, he became a tennis commentator and managed sports businesses.
He worked as a commentator for the Australian Open for over 20 years. He was the main commentator for men's singles matches for many years. In 2010, he stopped commenting on tennis to start his political career.
John Alexander was elected to the Australian Parliament in 2010. He represented the Division of Bennelong for the Liberal Party. He won his seat again in 2013 and 2016. In 2017, he had to resign because he was also a citizen of the United Kingdom, which was not allowed for Australian politicians. He gave up his UK citizenship and won the special election held later that year. In November 2021, he announced he would retire from politics.
Contents
Early Life and Background
John Alexander was born in Sydney, Australia. His father, Gilbert Alexander, was born in England in 1907. He moved to Australia when he was three years old.
Tennis Career Highlights
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John Alexander had a tennis career from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s. He won seven singles titles and 27 doubles titles. He earned over $1.2 million in prize money. His highest singles ranking was World No. 8 in December 1975.
He was the youngest player ever to represent Australia in the Davis Cup. He played for his country in the Davis Cup from 1968 to 1983, making him one of Australia's longest-serving players.
After playing, Alexander became the captain of Australia's Fed Cup team. He also worked as a sports commentator for Australian and British TV for more than 20 years. He covered the Australian Open for 23 years, providing commentary and appearing on other sports shows.
Grand Slam Singles Performance
This table shows how John Alexander performed in the major tennis tournaments, called Grand Slams, each year.
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | A | NH |
| Tournament | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 1R | A | 2R | 3R | 3R | 1R | 2R | SF | QF | A | SF | SF | QF | 1R | 1R | 3R | 4R | 2R | 1R | 1R |
| French Open | A | 3R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | 1R | A | 4R | A | A | 4R | A | A | A | 1R | 4R | 2R | A | |
| Wimbledon | A | 2R | 4R | 2R | 2R | A | A | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 4R | 3R | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | A | |
| US Open | A | A | 2R | A | 4R | 2R | 4R | 3R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | |
Business Ventures
As the managing director of Next Generation Clubs Australia, John Alexander helped design and build sports and fitness centers. This included the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre in Sydney. This center was used for the water polo event during the 2000 Summer Olympics. He also helped develop other sports facilities.
In 1995, Alexander was a referee on the Australian TV show Gladiators.
Before he became a politician in 2010, his company, Tennis Professionals, won a court case. This allowed them to redevelop the White City Tennis Centre in Sydney. He also managed other small businesses in retail and sports.
Political Career
John Alexander was a member of the Liberal Party. He was known for being part of the "Moderate" group within the party.
In the 2010 Australian federal election, he won the seat of Division of Bennelong for the Liberal Party. He took the seat from the Australian Labor Party.
He gave his first speech in Parliament on 28 October 2010. He talked about his interest in health, infrastructure, transport, and sustainable growth. During his first term, he led several policy committees. He focused on regional development and reducing traffic in cities.
In 2011, Alexander started the Bennelong Cup Table Tennis Test match. This event brought together players from China, Korea, and Australia. The opening games in 2012 were even played in the Great Hall of Parliament House, Canberra. This was the first sports event ever held there. The Bennelong Cup encourages social interaction and healthy activity among students from different backgrounds.
Alexander also started other local programs. These included Bennelong Gardens, which provides jobs for people with disabilities. He also created the Bennelong Village Business program to help local small businesses. He gained attention for a 100 km charity walk around Bennelong. He did this to raise money and awareness for motor neurone disease, after two friends passed away from it.
He was re-elected in the 2013 Australian federal election. His support in Bennelong grew even stronger.
In September 2013, Alexander became the chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Tax & Revenue. He worked on making tax returns simpler for individuals. Later, he chaired the House Standing Committee on Economics. Here, he looked into home ownership and tax reform. When Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister, Alexander chaired the new House Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport & Cities. He started an inquiry into transport, regional development, high-speed rail, and new ways to fund projects.
He also chaired other important committees. These included committees on Infrastructure & Regional Development, and Tourism. He was also involved with the Sydney Airport Community Forum.
Alexander strongly supported building high-speed rail along Australia's eastern coast. He gave a key speech in 2014 about how this would help regional areas and reduce city traffic.
He was re-elected again in the 2016 Australian federal election. He won his seat despite a general shift towards the Labor Party in the state and country. Many believed his strong personal popularity in the area helped him win.
In November 2017, it was reported that Alexander might also be a British citizen. This meant he might not have been allowed to be a Member of Parliament. On 11 November 2017, he resigned from Parliament. He admitted he was likely a dual citizen. He then gave up his UK citizenship. He ran again as the Liberal Party candidate in the special election held on 16 December 2017.
During his campaign, an old video from the 1990s resurfaced. In the video, Alexander made some inappropriate comments. He quickly apologized, saying his comments were "completely unacceptable." The Prime Minister at the time, Malcolm Turnbull, supported Alexander's apology. Despite this, Alexander was re-elected. However, his winning margin was smaller than before.
Before the 2019 Australian federal election, Alexander faced criticism for comments he made about climate change. The Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama, asked Australia to stop burning coal because rising sea levels threatened his country. Alexander suggested that people should "move to higher ground." This comment caused controversy. Alexander later clarified his remarks, saying that adapting to climate change was important, but also that action was needed to prevent further damage to the planet. Despite the controversy, he won his seat again, though with a slightly reduced margin.
In November 2021, John Alexander announced he would not run in the next election. He decided to retire from politics. He later shared his thoughts on his time in office. He criticized the way politicians interacted, saying "people are tired of the way we engage with each other." He felt that if the Labor Party won, policies might better serve the national interest. The Labor Party did win the seat of Bennelong in the 2022 Australian federal election.
Personal Life
John Alexander was briefly married to a Canadian model while living in the United States. He later married Rosemary Brown, who was an Olympic swimmer. They were married for almost ten years and have three children: Emily (born 1990), Georgia (born 1991), and Charles (born 1994).
Awards and Recognition
- On 26 January 1992, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia.
- On 30 August 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal.
See also
In Spanish: John Alexander para niños
