Kevin Curren

Kevin Curren (b. March 2 1958, in Durban, South Africa) is a former professional tennis player. Tall and lanky with a hard, flat serve, Curren played in two Grand Slam singles finals (both on grass courts, his preferred surface), and won four Grand Slam doubles titles.

Related Topics:
March 2 - 1958 - Durban - South Africa - Tennis - Grand Slam - Grass court

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Curren played college tennis for the University of Texas at Austin in the United States and won the NCAA singles title in 1979. He turned professional later that year, and won his first top-level singles title in 1981 in Johannesburg.

Related Topics:
University of Texas at Austin - United States - NCAA - 1979 - 1981 - Johannesburg

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In 1983, Curren reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon, losing to unseeded New Zealander Chris Lewis in a dramatic five-set match 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 8-6, that was noteworthy for allowing Lewis to become only the seventh unseeded player to ever reach the Wimbledon final.

Related Topics:
1983 - Wimbledon - New Zealander - Chris Lewis

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In 1984, Curren powered his way through the draw and played Mats Wilander in the final of the Australian Open, after making a comeback from two sets down to defeat Ben Testerman in the semi-finals. Wilander eventually won the match, played on the grass courts at Kooyong, in four sets 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-2.

Related Topics:
1984 - Mats Wilander - Australian Open

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In 1985, Curren reached the final at Wimbledon. En route to the final, he comprehensively defeated future six-time Grand Slam winner (and a future two-time Wimbledon champion) Stefan Edberg in the fourth round 7-6, 6-3, 7-6, the then-World No. 1 John McEnroe in the quarter-finals 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, and World No. 3 Jimmy Connors in the semi-finals 6-2, 6-2, 6-1. In the final he lost in four sets to Boris Becker 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 in a match best remembered for making the 17 year-old Becker the youngest-ever male Grand Slam champion (a record which would later be eclipsed by Michael Chang in 1989 at the French Open). The match was very heated and intense, and Becker sent several hostile glares to Curren before and after points. On one of the final change-overs, Becker even bumped Curren's shoulder as they passed one another. After his defeat, Curren was noted as saying that he thought the game would see an increase in the number of successful young players, and predicted they would have more intense, but shorter, careers.

Related Topics:
1985 - Stefan Edberg - John McEnroe - Jimmy Connors - Boris Becker - Michael Chang - 1989 - French Open

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In another notable match, Curren would also reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in1990, falling to Goran Ivanisevic in five sets 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.

Related Topics:
1990 - Goran Ivanisevic

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Though he never won a Grand Slam singles title, Curren did win four Grand Slam doubles titles. In 1981 he won the US Open mixed doubles, and in 1982 he won the Wimbledon mixed doubles, and both men's doubles and mixed doubles at the US Open.

Related Topics:
1981 - US Open - 1982

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During his career, Curren won 5 top-level singles titles and 26 doubles titles. His career-high world rankings were World No. 5 in singles and World No. 3 in doubles. His career prize-money earnings totalled US$3,055,510. His final career singles title came in 1989 at Frankfurt, and his last doubles title was won in 1992 in Seoul. Curren retired from the professional tour in 1993.

Related Topics:
1989 - Frankfurt - 1992 - Seoul - 1993

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Curren changed his nationality from South African to American in the mid-1980s.

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Since retiring from the tour, Curren has served as Captain of South Africa's Davis Cup team.

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