John Fitzgerald
The former tennis champion turned professional coach
Known for his athletic ability on the court, former professional tennis player John Fitzgerald continues to inspire the next generation of athletes as a coach and captain.
Raised on a farm in South Australia, John quickly developed a love of tennis and began practicing at four years old. Before long, he was competing on the global stage, scoring six singles titles and reaching a singles ranking of No. 25 by 1989.
However, John was better known for his ability to dominate the court during doubles matches. He was the No. 1 doubles player in 1991, and regularly scored victories alongside Swede Anders Jarryd. John has won 30 doubles titles, including seven Grand Slam crowns from two French Opens, two Wimbledons, two US Opens and one Australian Open.
John also represented Australia in the Davis Cup for ten years, during which he compiled a 19-14 win-loss record. He was also a member of the 1983 and 1986 championship teams.
More recently, John mentors younger athletes to reach peak performance on the court. He was the captain of the Australian Davis Cup team between 2001 and 2010, and was instrumental in leading the team to victory in the 2003 Melbourne match against Spain.