Mal Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mal Anderson
MBE

Mal Anderson (1972)
Country (sports)	Australia
Born	(1935-03-03) 3 March 1935 (age 90) Theodore, Queensland
Turned pro	1958 (amateur from 1952)
Retired	1977
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	2000 (member page)
Singles
Career record	646-446 (59.1%)
Career titles	17
Highest ranking	No. 2 (1957, Adrian Quist)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (1958, 1972)
French Open	2R (1957)
Wimbledon	QF (1956, 1958)
US Open	W (1957)
Other tournaments
Professional majors
US Pro	QF (1959, 1965, 1966)
Wembley Pro	W (1959)
French Pro	SF (1962, 1965)
Other pro events
TOC	SF (1959AUS)
Doubles
Career record	53–28
Career titles	4

Malcolm James Anderson (born on March 3, 1935) is an Australian former tennis player. He played tennis from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. Mal Anderson is famous for winning the singles title at the 1957 U.S. National Championships. In 1957, he was ranked as the world's No. 2 amateur player. After 1958, he became a professional player and won the Wembley World Professional Tennis Championships in 1959. Later, in the Open Era of tennis, he was a runner-up at the 1972 Australian Open.

Early Life and Family

Mal Anderson started playing tennis when he was eight years old. He became very serious about the sport by the time he was 16. He played with his right hand and used a one-handed backhand shot.

Mal Anderson is also related to another famous Australian tennis player, Roy Emerson. Roy Emerson is his brother-in-law.

Tennis Career Highlights

Amateur Years (Before 1958)

Mal Anderson had his best years as an amateur player in 1957 and 1958. During these years, he was ranked as the world's No. 2 player twice.

In 1957, Anderson won the US Championships. He was not expected to win, as he was an "unseeded" player. This means he was not among the top players chosen to have an easier path in the tournament. Earlier that year, he reached the semifinals of the Australian Championships. He also won the French Championship doubles with his partner, Ashley Cooper. Interestingly, he later beat Ashley Cooper in the final of the 1957 US Championships.

In 1958, Anderson reached the finals of both the Australian Championships and the US Championships. However, he lost both times to Ashley Cooper.

Professional Years (After 1958)

Mal Anderson became a professional tennis player in late 1958. This meant he could earn money from playing. In 1959, he finished fourth in a major 4-player World Championship tour. He also won the Wembley Championships. To win, he beat defending champion Frank Sedgman and then had tough five-set wins against Ken Rosewall and Pancho Segura. He even saved a match point against Segura before winning.

After this big win, Anderson said he wanted to retire from professional tennis. He planned to save enough money to buy a farm in Australia. He later announced his retirement from the professional tour in 1963. He mentioned having problems with his eyesight.

Return to the Game (Open Era)

Anderson made a big return to tennis in 1972. Even at 36 years old, he reached the final of the Australian Open. He won a long five-set match against John Newcombe in the quarterfinals. He then beat Metreveli in the semifinal before losing the final to Ken Rosewall. In the same year, he won the Hong Kong Hardcourt title.

In 1973, he won the Australian Open doubles title with John Newcombe. His last important tournament win was the 1973 New South Wales Championships. There, he beat several strong players, including Newcombe and Rosewall, to win the title.

Anderson also played for the Australian Davis Cup team four times (in 1957, 1958, 1972, and 1973). His team won the Davis Cup twice, in 1957 and 1973.

Major Tournament Finals

Mal Anderson played in many important finals during his career. Here are his results in the biggest tournaments, known as Grand Slams and Pro Slams.

Singles Finals: 4 (1 Title, 3 Runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1957	U.S. Championships	Grass	Ashley Cooper	10–8, 7–5, 6–4
Loss	1958	Australian Championships	Grass	Ashley Cooper	5–7, 3–6, 4–6
Loss	1958	U.S. Championships	Grass	Ashley Cooper	2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 8–10, 6–8
Loss	1972	Australian Open	Grass	Ken Rosewall	6–7(2–7), 3–6, 5–7

Doubles Finals: 3 (2 Titles, 1 Runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1957	Australian Championships	Grass	Ashley Cooper	Lew Hoad Neale Fraser	3–6, 6–8, 4–6
Win	1957	French Championships	Clay	Ashley Cooper	Don Candy Mervyn Rose	6–3, 6–0, 6–3
Win	1973	Australian Open	Grass	John Newcombe	John Alexander Phil Dent	6–3, 6–4, 7–6

Mixed Doubles Finals: 1 (1 Title)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1957	Australian Championships	Grass	Fay Muller	Jill Langley Billy Knight	7–5, 3–6, 6–1

Pro Slam Finals: 1 (1 Title)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1959	Wembley Pro	Indoor	Pancho Segura	4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6

Awards and Recognition

Mal Anderson has received many honors for his contributions to tennis:

• In 1972, he was given the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was "for his contribution to lawn tennis."
• In 2000, he was welcomed into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the greatest tennis players.
• On August 23, 2000, he received the Australian Sports Medal for his achievements in tennis.
• In 2001, Anderson was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.
• In 2009, he was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.
• In 2016, he was named an "Icon of Queensland Tennis."
• In 2017, a bench was placed in Tennis Avenue Park in Ashgrove, Australia, in his honor.

In 2022, Mal Anderson gave the champion cup he won as the 1957 US Open men's singles champion to the Theodore Tennis Club. This is the club where he first started playing tennis. He did this as part of the town's 100-year celebration.

See also

In Spanish: Malcolm Anderson para niños