Dennis Ralston
 |
|
| Full name | Richard Dennis Ralston |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 United States
|
| Born |
July 27, 1942 Bakersfield, California |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Turned pro | 1967 (amateur tour from 1958) |
| Retired | 1977 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1987 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 138–100 |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (1966, Lance Tingay) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1970) |
| French Open | 4R (1966) |
| Wimbledon | F (1966) |
| US Open | SF (1960) |
| Professional majors | |
| US Pro | SF (1968) |
| Wembley Pro | QF (1967, 1968) |
| French Pro | 2R (1968) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 125–87 |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1971) |
| French Open | W (1966) |
| Wimbledon | W (1960) |
| US Open | W (1961, 1962, 1963) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | F (1962, 1966) |
| US Open | F (1969) |
Richard Dennis Ralston (born July 27, 1942) is an American former professional tennis player whose active career spanned the 1960s and 1970s..
As a young player he was coached by tennis pro Pancho Gonzales. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) and won NCAA championships under their coach, George Toley. He and partner Bill Bond captured the NCAA doubles title in 1964. He was the highest-ranked American player at the end of three consecutive years in the 1960s; Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph ranked him as high as World No. 5 in 1966 (Ralston was also ranked World No. 3 by the magazine Reading Eagle in 1963).
His best result at a Grand Slam singles event came in 1966 when he was seeded sixth and reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships which he lost to fourth-seeded Manuel Santana in straight sets. At the end of that year he turned professional.
Ralston was a member of the Handsome Eight, the initial group of players signed to the professional World Championship Tennis tour. He won 27 national doubles and singles titles, including five grand-slam doubles crowns.
Ralston, Davis Cup winner with the US Davis Cup team in 1963, continued to serve in the team as a coach in 1968-1971 and as a captain in 1972-1975, winning with it the trophy in 1972 over Romania.
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