Mark Cox (tennis)


Mark Cox is a former tennis player from England, who played professional and amateur tennis in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He was ranked as high as World No. 13 on the ATP rankings. Cox was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School in Leicester and Millfield School in Somerset.
Cox obtained an economics undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge, where he was a member of the Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club.

Career

He played his first tournament on 3 November 1958 at the Torquay Indoor. During his career, he won twenty singles titles and three doubles titles spanning both the pre-open era and open era, reached the quarterfinals at the US Nationals, and the final at the event in Cincinnati. He also played on Great Britain's Davis Cup team, and was on the team that reached the 1978 final against the United States. He has also gone down in tennis history as the first amateur player to beat a professional.
In May 1968, at the British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth, he beat the American Pancho Gonzales in five sets in two and a quarter hours. Cox also achieved big upset wins over No. 1 seed, Rod Laver, at the 1971 Australian Open, and over No. 2 seed, Ken Rosewall, at the 1972 US Open. Cox defeated future World #1 Jimmy Connors in his debut grand slam match at the 1970 US Open. Cox retired from playing in 1981. During his latter playing years and after his retirement, Cox has worked as a coach, and also as a television commentator for the BBC.

Personal life

Cox is a Patron of a charity "CRY" and an ambassador for the Win Tennis Academy at Bisham. He lives with his wife Susie in London.

Career finals

Singles (21 titles, 14 runner-ups)

Doubles (3 titles, 8 runner-ups)

ResultNo.YearTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1.1973Copenhagen WCT, DenmarkCarpet Graham Stilwell Erik van Dillen
Tom Gorman
4–6, 4–6
Win1.1973Cologne WCT, GermanyCarpet Graham Stilwell Tom Okker
Marty Riessen
7–6, 6–3
Win2.1973London, EnglandCarpet Owen Davidson Gerald Battrick
Graham Stilwell
6–4, 8–6
Loss2.1974Denver WCT, USCarpet Jun Kamiwazumi Arthur Ashe
Roscoe Tanner
3–6, 6–7
Loss3.1975San Antonio WCT, USHard Cliff Drysdale John Alexander
Phil Dent
6–7, 6–4, 4–6
Loss4.1975Memphis, USCarpet Cliff Drysdale Erik van Dillen
Dick Stockton
6–1, 5–7, 4–6
Loss5.1975Atlanta WCT, USCarpet Cliff Drysdale Anand Amritraj
Vijay Amritraj
3–6, 2–6
Loss6.1975World Doubles WCT, MexicoCarpet Cliff Drysdale Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
6–7, 7–6, 2–6, 6–7
Loss7.1976Washington WCT, USCarpet Cliff Drysdale Eddie Dibbs
Harold Solomon
4–6, 5–7
Loss8.1977London WCTHard Eddie Dibbs Ilie Năstase
Adriano Panatta
6–7, 7–6, 3–6
Win3.1977Basel, SwitzerlandCarpet Buster Mottram John Feaver
John James
7–5, 6–4, 6–3