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Wendy Turnbull |
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Nick-named ‘Rabbit’ for her lightning-quick footwork, Wendy Turnbull tore up the world’s tennis courts during a career that spanned 14 years, pausing just long enough to capture 13 singles titles, 55 women’s doubles titles and five mixed doubles titles.
Born on 26 November 1952, Turnbull learned to play tennis at the age of five and, inspired by watching the stars of the pre-professional era play local country tournaments, contested her first junior event aged 10.
In an era when sponsorship was difficult, if not impossible, for female players to come by, Turnbull left school at 15 to work in the Commonwealth Bank, using her earnings to finance her fledgling competitive career.
Turnbull turned professional in 1975 – a golden era for the women’s game – and was a contemporary of Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals. She won her first doubles title in 1975, partnering Evonne Goolagong Cawley in Auckland. And, with slightly more than one professional year on the clock, won her first singles titles in Kitzbuhel and Tokyo.
She reached a Grand Slam singles final for the first time at the US Open in 1977, and again in 1979, conceding the title to Chris Evert on both occasions. Her only other singles final at a major came at Australian Open 1980, where she lost to Hana Mandlikova, also in straight sets.
While Grand Slam doubles finals proved fruitful for Turnbull, a home Grand Slam title eluded her throughout her career, two further near-misses occurring in the finals of the 1983 and 1988 Australian Open doubles events, partnering Anne Hobbs and Chris Evert respectively.
The Brisbane-born star did, however, win four Grand Slam women’s doubles titles and five Grand Slam mixed doubles titles during her career. Three of these were clinched with John Lloyd, with whom she had a particularly productive partnership.
Turnbull was runner-up in Grand Slam doubles finals a further 15 times, and it’s noteworthy that of the 11 women’s doubles finals in this number, nine of the losses were to teams that included the dominant Martina Navratilova.
Famed for her twinkle-toed court coverage, Turnbull was also quick-tongued with a reputation for conducting entertaining post-match press conferences. In 1977, tiring of Virginia Wade’s claims that she shouldn’t lose to a player of Turnbull’s calibre, she retorted: “Virginia doesn’t think anybody should beat her – including God.”
With consistency her hallmark, Turnbull held a top 10 ranking for eight consecutive years between 1977 and 1984, and was a Fed Cup team stalwart, holding Australian records for the most ties played (45), most doubles rubber wins (29), most rubber wins in total (46) and most successful doubles partnership, boasting an 11-4 win-loss record with Kerry Reid.
Recognition followed records and in 1984 Queen Elizabeth made her a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. In 1988 Turnbull capped off her career by winning an Olympic bronze medal for women’s doubles in partnership with Liz Smylie. She was particularly amused by this achievement saying, “I'm very good friends with Chris Evert and Chrissie's never won an Olympic medal so sometimes she'll say: 'Rabbit's got something that I haven't got'.”
In 1999 Turnbull retired from professional tennis, her tongue firmly in her cheek when she explained, “I just got sick of looking at these 18 year olds across the net.”
Today a keen golfer, she splits her time between Sandgate in Brisbane and Boca Raton in Florida, playing occasional masters and veterans’ tennis events.
Wendy Turnbull achievements:
• Runner-up in three Grand Slam singles finals:
1997 – US Open (l Chris Evert )
1979 – French Open (l Evert)
1980 - Australian Open (l Hana Mandlikova)
• Won four Grand Slam women’s doubles titles:
1978 - Wimbledon (w/Kerry Melville Reid)
1979 - French Open (w/Betty Stove)
1979 - US Open (w/Stove)
1982 - US Open (w/Rosie Casals)
• Won five Grand Slam mixed doubles titles:
1979 – French Open (w/Bob Hewitt)
1980 - US Open (w/Marty Riessen)
1982 – French Open (w/John Lloyd)
1983 - Wimbledon (w/Lloyd)
1984 – Wimbledon (w/Lloyd)
• Amassed 13 singles titles, 55 doubles titles and five mixed doubles titles.
• Won 478 tour-level singles matches and 653 doubles matches during her 14-year career as a professional player.
• Represented Australia in five Fed Cup finals:
1984 (l Czechoslovakia)
1980 (l USA)
1979 (l USA)
1978 (l USA)
1977 (l USA)
• Captained or coached Australia’s Fed Cup team between 1985 and 1993.
• 1988 Seoul Olympics women’s doubles bronze medallist (w/Liz Smylie).
• Honoured by the City of Brisbane in 1993 with a public park named after her.
