Charles McKinley

Charles McKinley was an American former amateur tennis champion of the 1960s. He won the 1963 Men's Singles Championship at Wimbledon. McKinley is remembered as an undersized, hard-working dynamo whose competitive spirit helped interrupt eight unbroken years of Australian dominance in the Davis Cup.

Player Profile

Charles Robert McKinley Jr. was born on January 5, 1941, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America. He stood 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) tall and played right-handed with a one-handed backhand.

A graduate of Yale University, where he studied English and Latin, McKinley achieved the World No. 1 amateur ranking at the end of 1963, based on assessments by Ned Potter and an expert panel. He died in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 45, in 1986.

Professional Career

McKinley began his amateur tennis career in 1956 and retired from competition in 1969.

He compiled a singles career record of 358 wins and 130 losses, capturing 28 career titles. His most significant title was the 1963 Wimbledon singles championship, which he famously won without losing a single set.

Partnering with Dennis Ralston, he won the U.S. Men's Doubles championships three times, in 1961, 1963, and 1964.

Career Record

Singles

• Career record: 358–130
• Career titles: 28
• Highest ranking: No. 1 (1963)

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Wimbledon: W (1963)
• US Open: SF (1962, 1963, 1964)

Doubles

• Career record: 4–12

Best Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• Wimbledon: QF (1961, 1962, 1964)
• US Open: W (1961, 1963, 1964)

Team competitions

• Davis Cup: W (1963)