Pierre Darmon (born 14 January 1934) is a French former tennis player. He was ranked No.8 in the world in 1963, and also reached the top ten in 1958 and 1964.[1][2]
 Darmon (right) | |
| Country (sports) |  France |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 January 1934 Tunis, Tunisia |
| Turned pro | 1950 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | 1968 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Career titles | 92 |
| Highest ranking | No. 8 (1963, World's Top 10)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1965) |
| French Open | F (1963) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1958, 1960, 1962, 1966) |
| US Open | 4R (1963) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | F (1963) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | SF – 3rd (1968, demonstration) |
Early life
editDarmon was born in Tunis, Tunisia.[3] He moved to France at 17 years of age.[3]
Tennis career
editDarmon was French national junior champion in 1950.[citation needed] He was France's top-ranked tennis player from 1957 to 1969, and won the national title nine times in that period.[1][4] He also won the French national doubles championship in 1957 (with Paul Rémy), 1958 (with Robert Haillet), 1961 (with Gérard Pilet), and 1966 (with François Jauffret).
In 1963, Darmon was the runner-up in singles at the French Open, where he beat Manuel Santana in five sets in the semi-finals before losing to Roy Emerson in the final in four sets.[5][6] Also in 1963, he reached the finals at Wimbledon in doubles, along with partner Jean Claude Barclay.[1]
He was international veterans mixed doubles champion with his wife Rosie Darmon in 1961, and in 1968 and 1975 with Gail Chanfreau.
Davis Cup
editDarmon was a member of France's Davis Cup Team from 1956 to 1967, winning 44 of the 68 matches in which he participated.[1] Darmon holds France's record for the most wins and most singles victories. He played in 34 Davis Cup ties for France, second only to compatriot François Jauffret who played one more. He holds the record for most singles victories by a French Davis Cup player, having had a record of 44-17.[4]
Honors
editIn 1997, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[7] In 2002, he received the Davis Cup Award of Excellence.[8] In 2019, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation presented Darmon with The Golden Achievement Award.[4]
Grand Slam finals
editSingles (1 runner-up)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1963 | French Championships | Clay |  Roy Emerson |
6–3, 1–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
Doubles (1 runner-up)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1963 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass |  Jean-Claude Barclay |
 Antonio Palafox Rafael Osuna |
6–4, 2–6, 2–6, 2–6 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Pierre Darmon". International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 10 October 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ "Pierre Darmon". Jews in Sports. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Pierre Darmon – The Frenchman Who Helped Tennis Grow Into The Open Era".
- ^ a b c "International Tennis Hall of Fame". www.tennisfame.com.
- ^ Collins, Bud (2016). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (3rd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press. p. 414. ISBN 978-1-937559-38-0.
- ^ "Emerson On Way To Slam". The Canberra Times. 28 May 1963. p. 24 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Pierre Darmon". www.jewishsports.net.
- ^ "The Davis Cup Award of Excellence". www.tennisfame.com. International Tennis Hall of Fame.
