Gene Mayer

Gene Mayer (born May 11, 1956) is a former tennis player from the United States who won 14 professional singles titles during his career.

Gene Mayer
Gene Mayer at the 1979 ABN Tennis Tournament
Country (sports) United States
ResidenceMill Neck, New York
Born (1956-05-11) May 11, 1956
Flushing, Queens
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Turned pro1973
Retired1986 (brief comeback in 2001)
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed both sides)
Prize money$1,382,422
Singles
Career record317–158
Career titles14
Highest rankingNo. 4 (October 6, 1980)
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open4R (1979)
WimbledonQF (1980, 1982)
US OpenQF (1982, 1984)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsSF (1980)
WCT FinalsQF (1979)
Doubles
Career record167–91
Career titles15
Highest rankingNo. 5 (July 9, 1979)
Grand Slam Doubles results
French OpenW (1978, 1979)

Mayer was born in Flushing, Queens, New York. He grew up in Wayne, New Jersey,[1] and played tennis at Wayne Valley High School, where he went unbeaten in his two years on the tennis team.[2] He was a double hander on both forehand and backhand.

The right-hander Mayer reached his highest ranking on the ATP Tour on October 6, 1980, when he reached the rank of World No. 4.

Mayer has been a resident of Woodmere, New York.[3] In 2005, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.[4]

Gene's older brother Sandy was also a tour player. He achieved the rank of World No. 7 in 1982. They met each other in the Stockholm Open final 1981 and won 5 doubles tournaments together, including 1979 French Open.

Career finals

Singles: 26 (14 wins, 12 losses)
Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1. 1976 Hamilton, Bermuda Clay Cliff Richey 6–7, 2–6
Win 1. 1978 Guadalajara, Mexico Clay John Newcombe 6–3, 6–4
Loss 2. 1979 Houston, U.S. Clay José Higueras 3–6, 6–2, 6–7
Win 2. 1979 Cologne, Germany Hard (i) Wojtek Fibak 6–3, 3–6, 6–1
Loss 3. 1979 Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) John McEnroe 7–6, 3–6, 3–6
Win 3. 1980 Denver, U.S. Carpet Victor Amaya 6–2, 6–2
Loss 4. 1980 Rotterdam, Netherlands Carpet Heinz Günthardt 2–6, 4–6
Win 4. 1980 Metz, France Carpet Gianni Ocleppo 6–3, 6–3, 6–0
Win 5. 1980 Los Angeles Hard Brian Teacher 6–3, 6–2
Loss 5. 1980 Boston, U.S. Clay Eddie Dibbs 2–6, 1–6
Win 6. 1980 Cleveland, U.S. Hard Victor Amaya 6–2, 6–1
Win 7. 1980 San Francisco, U.S. Carpet Eliot Teltscher 6–2, 2–6, 6–1
Loss 6. 1980 Wembley, United Kingdom Carpet John McEnroe 4–6, 3–6, 3–6
Win 8. 1981 Memphis, U.S. Carpet Roscoe Tanner 6–2, 6–4
Win 9. 1981 Denver, U.S. Carpet John Sadri 6–4, 6–4
Loss 7. 1981 Rotterdam, Netherlands Hard (i) Jimmy Connors 1–6, 6–2, 2–6
Win 10. 1981 Cleveland, U.S. Hard Dave Siegler 6–1, 6–4
Win 11. 1981 Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) Sandy Mayer 6–4, 6–2
Loss 8. 1982 Las Vegas, U.S. Hard Jimmy Connors 2–5, retired
Win 12. 1982 Munich, Germany Clay Peter Elter 3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–1
Loss 9. 1982 Sydney Indoor, Australia Hard (i) John McEnroe 4–6, 1–6, 4–6
Loss 10. 1983 Memphis, U.S. Carpet Jimmy Connors 5–7, 0–6
Win 13. 1983 Rotterdam, Netherlands Hard (i) Guillermo Vilas 6–1, 7–6
Win 14. 1983 Los Angeles Hard Johan Kriek 7–6, 6–1
Loss 11. 1984 Munich, Germany Clay Libor Pimek 4–6, 6–4, 6–7, 4–6
Loss 12. 1984 Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany Clay Henri Leconte 6–7, 0–6, 6–1, 1–6

Doubles: 24 (15 wins, 9 losses)
Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. 1976 La Costa, U.S. Hard Peter Fleming Marty Riessen
Roscoe Tanner		 6–7, 6–7
Loss 2. 1976 Charlotte WCT, U.S. Carpet Vitas Gerulaitis John Newcombe
Tony Roche		 3–6, 5–7
Loss 3. 1977 Columbus, U.S. Clay Peter Fleming Robert Lutz
Stan Smith		 6–4, 5–7, 2–6
Win 1. 1978 Mexico City WCT, Mexico Hard Sashi Menon Marcello Lara
Raúl Ramírez		 6–3, 7–6
Win 2. 1978 Miami, Florida, U.S. Carpet Tom Gullikson Bob Carmichael
Brian Teacher		 7–6, 6–3
Loss 4. 1978 Guadalajara, Mexico Clay Sashi Menon Sandy Mayer
Sherwood Stewart		 6–4, 6–7, 3–6
Win 3. 1978 San Jose, California, U.S. Carpet Sandy Mayer Hank Pfister
Brad Rowe		 6–3, 6–4
Win 4. 1978 French Open, Paris Clay Hank Pfister Manuel Orantes
José Higueras		 6–3, 6–2, 6–2
Win 5. 1978 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. Clay Raúl Ramírez Ismail El Shafei
Brian Fairlie		 6–3, 6–3
Win 6. 1978 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. Clay Hank Pfister Jeff Borowiak
Chris Lewis		 6–3, 6–1
Win 7. 1979 Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. Hard Sandy Mayer Cliff Drysdale
Bruce Manson		 6–4, 7–6
Win 8. 1979 Houston, U.S. Clay Sherwood Stewart John Alexander
Geoff Masters		 6–1, 5–7, 6–4
Win 9. 1979 French Open, Paris Clay Sandy Mayer Ross Case
Phil Dent		 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
Loss 5. 1979 Forest Hills WCT, U.S. Clay Sandy Mayer Peter Fleming
John McEnroe		 7–6, 6–7, 3–6
Win 10. 1979 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. Clay John McEnroe Jan Kodeš
Tomáš Šmíd		 6–4, 7–6
Win 11. 1979 Cologne, Germany Hard (i) Stan Smith Heinz Günthardt
Pavel Složil		 6–3, 6–4
Win 12. 1980 Metz, France Carpet Colin Dibley Chris Delaney
Kim Warwick		 7–6, 7–5
Loss 6. 1980 Las Vegas, U.S. Hard Wojtek Fibak Robert Lutz
Stan Smith		 2–6, 5–7
Win 13. 1980 Florence, Italy Clay Raúl Ramírez Paolo Bertolucci
Adriano Panatta		 6–1, 6–4
Win 14. 1980 Boston, U.S. Clay Sandy Mayer Hans Gildemeister
Andrés Gómez		 1–6, 6–4, 6–4
Loss 7. 1980 Washington, D.C., U.S. Clay Sandy Mayer Hans Gildemeister
Andrés Gómez		 4–6, 5–7
Loss 8. 1980 San Francisco, U.S. Carpet Sandy Mayer Peter Fleming
John McEnroe		 1–6, 4–6
Win 15. 1981 Memphis, U.S. Carpet Sandy Mayer Mike Cahill
Tom Gullikson		 7–6, 6–7, 7–6
Loss 9. 1981 Rotterdam, Netherlands Hard (i) Sandy Mayer Fritz Buehning
Ferdi Taygan		 6–7, 6–1, 4–6

References
  1. "Vilas Extended by Mayer", The New York Times, February 13, 1977. Accessed December 10, 2007. "Guillermo Vilas, the Argentine left hander, had unexpectedly strong opposition, but ousted young Gene Mayer of Wayne, N.J., 7–6, 7–6, 6–1, in the semifinals of the $50,000 Springfield International, a Grand Prix tennis tournament."
  2. Best Boys Tennis Team of the Century, The Star-Ledger. Accessed December 10, 2007.
  3. Cavanaugh, Jack. "A TENNIS TOURNAMENT SERVES SOME ACES", The New York Times, August 23, 1987. Accessed September 16, 2008. "Most of what rooting interest developed focused on the closest thing to a homegrown product in the competition, Gene Mayer of Woodmere."
  4. "NC Sports Commission Invites Athlete and Coach Nominations From Community" Archived September 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Three Village Times, January 28, 2005. Accessed December 22, 2007. "The NCSC is privileged to announce that four-time Track and Field Gold Medallist Al Oerter and former world ranked tennis professional Gene Mayer are scheduled, among others, to accept their induction into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame on April 11."
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