Wendy Turnbull

Australian tennis player Wendy Turnbull excelled in the doubles winning nine Grand Slam titles, 55 WTA titles, and an Olympic bronze medal. Turnbull’s professional career spanned from 1975 to 1989, where she was ranked the world number three in singles in January 1985, and the world number five in doubles in January 1987. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1984 and was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.

Turnbull won 11 WTA singles titles from May 1973 to March 1983 but it was in the doubles that she had the most success. On the WTA Tour she won 55 doubles titles, forming successful partnerships with multiple players including Kerry Melville, Betty Stöve, Rosie Casals, Chris Evert, and Hana Mandlíková.

Turnbull finished as the runner-up at three Grand Slam singles finals, losing at the 1977 US Open and the 1979 French Open to Evert, and at the 1980 Australian Open to Mandlíková. Turnbull won four doubles titles; the first at Wimbledon in 1978 with Melville, the French and US Opens in 1979 with Stöve, and the 1982 US Open with Casals. Turnbull was also a runner-up in the doubles at the US Open (1978, 1981, 1984, 1986), Wimbledon (1979, 1980, 1983, 1986), the French Open (1982), and the Australian Open (1983, 1988). Turnbull reached the mixed doubles finals on six occasions, going on to win five titles. She won the 1979 French Open with Bob Hewitt and the 1980 US Open with Marty Riessen. Turnbull had the most success with Great Britain’s John Lloyd, with the pair winning the 1982 French Open and Wimbledon in 1983 and 1984. She and Lloyd also finished as runners-up at Wimbledon in 1982.

Turnbull competed in the singles and doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. In the singles she beat Clare Wood in straight sets in the first round before losing to Tine Scheuer-Larsen in the next round. In the doubles Turnbull partnered with Liz Smylie with the pair winning the bronze medal.