The world of tennis has paid tribute to two-time grand slam champion Mervyn Rose, who has passed away at the age of 87.
Rose was a prominent fixture in the tennis world throughout the 1950s, winning the Australian Open (1954) and French Championships (1958). He was also a highly successful doubles player, claiming a total of five grand slam trophies (four in doubles and one in mixed doubles).
“The tennis family is mourning the passing of seven-time Grand Slam champion Mervyn Rose and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” said Tennis Australia.
Unlike the modern game, Rose played during a time where prize money earning was near to nothing. He once spoke about the difference between the eras during an interview with The Off Coast Advocate in 2012. Providing a fascinating insight into what it was like to play before the Open Era.
“Players these days get paid $50,000 just for turning up to a major tournament. In my day there was no money,” he said.
“We played for fun, and the locker room was full of card games. Now it’s just agents making big money deals.”
Rose’s account of his career includes one scenario that would never happen in today’s game. At the 1958 Italian Open he was chased off the court after defeating the formidable Nicola Pietrangeli, who is regarded as one of Italy’s best tennis players of all time.
“Of all the grand slams and tournaments I have won in my career, nothing stands out more than the 1958 Italian Open,” Rose once recounted. “I beat the hometown favourite (5-7, 8-6, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2) and got chased off the court with a barrage of items thrown from the crowd.”
From player to Supercoach
After retiring from the sport, Rose became one of the most prominent coaches on the tour. Some the players he mentored include Billie Jean King, Arantxa Sanchez, Margaret Court and Nadia Petrova.
Multiple grand slam champion King believes her rise to world No.1 wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Rose. They two started working together after King managed to get funding from a sponsor to travel to Australia in 1964.
”He changed my game,” King said. ”He taught me to believe in myself. Mervyn is the one coach in my life that allowed me to be No. 1 in the world. Without him I never would have made it.”
Rose’s love for coaching was evident. He didn’t use coaching tactics from books, but built on things based on his own experience. He learnt from playing against the world’s best and in return educated those that sought his guidance.
“My secret was that I had learnt skills from the best players in the world while I was a player and I would just show my students exactly what I had been taught.”
In 2001 Rose was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame alongside Ivan Lendl for his service to the sport. It was one of a series of honours Rose received in his later life. He also received a Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and was introduced into Tennis Australia’s Hall of Fame in 2002.
Rose was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 for his service to tennis.
A man that dedicated his life to tennis, Rose will be remembered for many things. He was far from ordinary and was once described as the ‘John McEnroe of his day.’ Perhaps the best way to remember him is by listening to those that played on the tour at the same time.
“He didn’t conform. Rosey was just different,” according to former player Cedric Mason. “If something struck him as wrong, he’d have a go. That was all.”
