Kevin Curren

Kevin Melvyn Curren (born 2 March 1958) is a South African former

Kevin Curren
professional tennis player. He played in two Grand Slam singles finals and won
four Grand Slam doubles titles, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world
No. 5 in July 1985. During his career he won 5 singles and 16 doubles titles.

Personal life
Curren was born in South Africa, and he became a naturalized American citizen
in April 1985.[1]

Tennis career
Curren played both tennis and cricket at Glenwood High School in Durban. He
also quickly rose among the ranks as a junior at Montclair Lawn Tennis Club in
Montclair, Durban. At college he played tennis for the University of Texas at
Austin in the United States and won the NCAA singles title in 1979. He turned
Curren in 1982
professional later that year, and won his first top-level singles title in 1981 in
Johannesburg. Country (sports) South Africa
United States (1985-)
In 1983, Curren reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, beating Residence Austin, Texas
defending champion, Jimmy Connors in the fourth round, snapping Connors'
Born 2 March 1958
streak of 27 consecutive major quarterfinals appearances. It went on to be his
Durban, Natal, South Africa
only 4th round loss in 35 Grand Slam tournaments appearances. Curren lost to
unseeded New Zealander Chris Lewis in a five-set semifinal match which Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
allowed Lewis to become only the seventh unseeded player to reach the Turned pro 1979
Wimbledon final. In 1984, Curren played Mats Wilander in the final of the Retired 1993
Australian Open, after making a comeback from two sets down to defeat Ben Plays Right-handed (one-handed
Testerman in the semifinals. Wilander won the match, played on the grass courts backhand)
at Kooyong, in four sets.
Prize money $3,055,510
In 1985, after becoming an American citizen, Curren reached the final at Singles
Wimbledon with the help of coaching from Tony Roche. After defeating Larry Career record 339–234
Stefanki, Mike De Palmer, David Mustard and then future champion Stefan
Career titles 5
Edberg in the fourth round in straight sets, he eliminated the then-world No. 1,
John McEnroe, in the quarterfinals, and world No. 3 Jimmy Connors, in the Highest ranking No. 5 (22 July 1985)
semifinals. Curren was the first player to beat both American players in the same Grand Slam singles results
Grand Slam event. McEnroe commented that he felt overpowered[2] and later Australian Open F (1984)
that he had difficulty in dealing with Curren's highly individualistic and very fast French Open 2R (1992)
serving, which, in its low toss, was hard to read and tended to produce low balls
Wimbledon F (1985)
that skipped on the grass courts of the time. In the final, he lost in four sets to
Boris Becker, in a match best remembered for making the 17-year-old Becker the US Open 4R (1981, 1990)
youngest male Grand Slam champion (a record which was later eclipsed by Other tournaments
Michael Chang in 1989 at the French Open). The final was intense, and Becker Grand Slam Cup 1R (1990)
sent several hostile glares to Curren before and after points. On one of the final
WCT Finals SF (1984)
change-overs, Becker bumped Curren's shoulder as they passed one another.[3]
After his defeat, Curren was noted as saying that he thought the game would see Doubles
an increase in the number of successful young players and predicted that they Career record 430–249
would have more intense, but shorter careers.[4] Curren was the last American Career titles 26
man to reach the final at Wimbledon until Andre Agassi did so seven years later Highest ranking No. 3 (3 January 1983)
in 1992.
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open SF (1981)
He followed his second Grand Slam singles finals appearance by being upset in French Open QF (1984)
straight sets by Guy Forget 7–6, 6–1, 6–2 on Grandstand court in the first round Wimbledon SF (1982, 1983)
of the US Open on August 28, 1985. Frustration got the best of the fifth-seeded
US Open W (1982)
Curren at the post-match press conference when he commented, "I hate the city,
the environment and Flushing Meadows. There is noise, the people in the Mixed doubles

grandstand are never seated and it takes an hour and a half in traffic to get here. Career titles 3
It's sickening that with all the money they get from TV, the USTA doesn't build a Grand Slam mixed doubles results
better facility. The USTA should be shot. And they should drop an A-bomb on
Wimbledon W (1982)
the place."[5]
US Open W (1981, 1982)
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. During his career, Curren won five top-level singles titles and 26 doubles titles. His
career-high rankings were world No. 5 in singles and world No. 3 in doubles. 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.

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

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 2 (2 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score

(7–5)
Loss 1984 Australian Open Grass Mats Wilander 7–6 , 4–6, 6–7(3–7), 2–6

Loss 1985 Wimbledon Grass Boris Becker 3–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–7(3–7), 4–6

Doubles: 1 (1 title)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score

Victor Amaya
Win 1982 US Open Hard Steve Denton
Hank Pfister 6–2, 6–7(4–7), 5–7, 6–2, 6–4

Mixed doubles: 3 (3 titles)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score

JoAnne Russell
Win 1981 US Open Hard Anne Smith 6–4, 7–6
Steve Denton

Wendy Turnbull
Win 1982 Wimbledon Grass Anne Smith 2–6, 6–3, 7–5
John Lloyd

Barbara Potter
Win 1982 US Open Hard Anne Smith
Ferdi Taygan 6–7, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–5)

ATP career finals

Singles: 13 (5 titles, 8 runner-ups)

Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score

Apr
Win 1–0 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard Bernard Mitton 6–4, 6–4
1981

Sep Carpet
Loss 1–1
1982
Los Angeles-2 WCT, U.S.
(i)
Ivan Lendl 6–7(5–7), 5–7, 1–6

Oct Carpet
Loss 1–2 Amsterdam WCT, Netherlands Wojtek Fibak 5–7, 6–3, 4–6, 3–6
1982 (i)
 Nov Carpet
Win 2–2 Cologne, West Germany Shlomo Glickstein 2–6, 6–2, 6–3
1982 (i)
Mar Carpet
Loss 2–3
1983
Milan, Italy
(i)
Ivan Lendl 7–5, 3–6, 6–7(4–7)

Dec
Loss 2–4
1984
Australian Open, Melbourne Grass Mats Wilander 7–6(7–5), 4–6, 6–7(3–7), 2–6

Feb Carpet
Win 3–4
1985
Toronto, Canada
(i)
Anders Järryd 7–6(8–6), 6–3

Mar Carpet
Loss 3–5
1985
Houston WCT, U.S.
(i)
John McEnroe 5–7, 1–6, 6–7(4–7)

Jul
Loss 3–6
1985
Wimbledon, U.K. Grass Boris Becker 3–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–7(3–7), 4–6

Apr Carpet
Win 4–6
1986
Atlanta, U.S.
(i)
Tim Wilkison 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–2)

Oct
Loss 4–7 Scottsdale, U.S. Hard John McEnroe 3–6, 6–3, 2–6
1986

Aug
Loss 4–8
1988
Toronto, Canada Hard Ivan Lendl 6–7(10–12), 2–6

Oct Carpet
Win 5–8 Frankfurt, West Germany Petr Korda 6–2, 7–5
1989 (i)

Doubles: 53 (26 titles, 27 runner-ups)

Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score

Carpet Wojtek Fibak

Win 1. 1980 Denver, U.S. Steve Denton 7–5, 6–2
(i) Heinz Günthardt

Carpet Ferdi Taygan

Loss 1. 1980 Washington D.C., U.S. Steve Denton 6–4, 3–6, 6–7
(i) Brian Teacher
Jimmy Connors
Loss 2. 1980 North Conway, U.S. Clay Steve Denton 6–7, 3–6
Brian Gottfried

Wojtek Fibak
Win 2. 1980 Indianapolis, U.S. Clay Steve Denton 3–6, 7–6, 6–4
Ivan Lendl

Bob Hewitt
Win 3. 1980 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Steve Denton 6–7, 6–4, 6–4
Frew McMillan

Carpet Johan Kriek

Win 4. 1981 Monterrey WCT, Mexico Steve Denton 7–6, 6–3
(i) Russell Simpson

Carpet Sandy Mayer

Loss 3. 1981 Brussels, Belgium Steve Denton 6–4, 3–6, 3–6
(i) Frew McMillan

Pat DuPré
Loss 4. 1981 Queen's Club, U.K. Grass Steve Denton 6–3, 6–7, 9–11
Brian Teacher

Brad Drewett
Loss 5. 1981 Newport, U.S. Grass Billy Martin 2–6, 4–6
Erik van Dillen
Raúl Ramírez
Win 5. 1981 Indianapolis, U.S. Clay Steve Denton 6–3, 5–7, 7–5
Van Winitsky

Sherwood Stewart
Win 6. 1981 Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) Steve Denton 6–7, 6–4, 6–0
Ferdi Taygan

Masters Doubles WCT, Carpet Heinz Günthardt

Loss 6. 1982 Steve Denton 7–6, 3–6, 5–7, 4–6
London (i) Balázs Taróczy

Carpet Phil Dent

Win 7. 1982 Denver, U.S. Steve Denton 6–4, 6–4
(i) Kim Warwick
Peter Fleming
Win 8. 1982 Memphis, U.S. Hard (i) Steve Denton 7–6, 4–6, 6–2
John McEnroe

Munich WCT, West Carpet Mark Edmondson

Loss 7. 1982 Steve Denton 6–4, 5–7, 2–6
Germany (i) Tomáš Šmíd

Carpet Mark Edmondson

Loss 8. 1982 Rotterdam, Netherlands Fritz Buehning 5–7, 2–6
(i) Sherwood Stewart
Mark Edmondson
Win 9. 1982 Houston, U.S. Clay Steve Denton 7–5, 6–4
Peter McNamara
 Victor Amaya 6–2, 6–7, 5–7, 6–2,
Win 10. 1982 US Open, New York Hard Steve Denton
Hank Pfister 6–4
Carpet Andy Andrews
Win 11. 1982 Los Angeles-2 WCT, U.S. Hank Pfister 4–6, 6–2, 7–5
(i) Drew Gitlin

Amsterdam WCT, Carpet Fritz Buehning

Loss 9. 1982 Buster Mottram 6–4, 3–6, 0–6
Netherlands (i) Tomáš Šmíd

Carpet Peter Fleming

Win 12. 1983 Philadelphia, U.S. Steve Denton 6–4, 7–6
(i) John McEnroe

Munich WCT, West Carpet Heinz Günthardt

Win 13. 1983 Steve Denton 7–5, 2–6, 6–1
Germany (i) Balázs Taróczy

Mark Dickson
Win 14. 1983 Houston WCT, U.S. Clay Steve Denton 7–6, 6–7, 6–1
Tomáš Šmíd

Tracy Delatte
Win 15. 1983 Las Vegas, U.S. Hard Steve Denton 6–3, 7–5
Johan Kriek

Tracy Delatte
Loss 10. 1983 Forest Hills WCT, U.S. Clay Steve Denton 7–6, 5–7, 3–6
Johan Kriek

Brian Gottfried
Loss 11. 1983 Queen's Club, U.K. Grass Steve Denton 4–6, 3–6
Paul McNamee
Carpet John McEnroe
Loss 12. 1984 Richmond WCT, U.S. Steve Denton 6–7, 2–6
(i) Patrick McEnroe

Carpet Tim Gullikson

Loss 13. 1984 Brussels, Belgium Steve Denton 4–6, 7–6, 6–7
(i) Tom Gullikson

Carpet Fritz Buehning

Win 16. 1984 Rotterdam, Netherlands Wojtek Fibak 6–4, 6–4
(i) Ferdi Taygan

Carpet Pavel Složil

Loss 14. 1984 Milan, Italy Steve Denton 4–6, 3–6
(i) Tomáš Šmíd

Pavel Složil
Loss 15. 1985 Memphis, U.S. Hard (i) Steve Denton 6–1, 3–6, 4–6
Tomáš Šmíd

Carpet Stefan Edberg

Loss 16. 1985 Brussels, Belgium Wojtek Fibak 3–6, 6–7
(i) Anders Järryd

Darren Cahill
Win 17. 1986 Queen's Club, U.K. Grass Guy Forget 6–2, 7–6
Mark Kratzmann

Andrés Gómez
Win 18. 1987 Tokyo Outdoor, Japan Hard Paul Annacone 6–4, 7–6
Anders Järryd

Brad Gilbert
Win 19. 1987 Los Angeles, U.S. Hard David Pate 6–3, 6–4
Tim Wilkison
Johannesburg, South Eric Korita
Win 20. 1987 Hard (i) David Pate 6–4, 6–4
Africa Brad Pearce

Peter Lundgren
Win 21. 1988 Memphis, U.S. Hard (i) David Pate 6–2, 6–2
Mikael Pernfors

Carpet Kelly Evernden

Loss 17. 1988 Philadelphia, U.S. Danie Visser 6–7, 3–6
(i) Johan Kriek

Carpet Alex Antonitsch

Loss 18. 1988 Vienna, Austria Tomáš Šmíd 6–4, 3–6, 6–7
(i) Balázs Taróczy

Paul Annacone
Win 22. 1988 Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) Jim Grabb 7–5, 7–5
John Fitzgerald

Johannesburg, South Gary Muller

Win 23. 1988 Hard (i) David Pate 7–6, 6–4
Africa Tim Wilkison
Boris Becker
Loss 19. 1989 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard David Pate 6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Jakob Hlasek

Ken Flach
Loss 20. 1989 Tokyo Outdoor, Japan Hard David Pate 4–6, 4–6
Robert Seguso

Andrés Gómez
Carpet
Win 24. 1989 Tokyo Indoor, Japan David Pate Slobodan 4–6, 6–3, 7–6
(i)
Živojinović

Carpet Pieter Aldrich

Loss 21. 1989 Frankfurt, West Germany Eric Jelen 6–7, 7–6, 3–6
(i) Danie Visser

Carpet Jakob Hlasek

Loss 22. 1989 Wembley, U.K. Jeremy Bates 1–6, 6–7
(i) John McEnroe
 Carpet Patrick Galbraith
Loss 23. 1990 Toronto Indoor, Canada Neil Broad 6–2, 4–6, 3–6
(i) David Macpherson
Pat Cash
Loss 24. 1990 Hong Kong, UK Hard Joey Rive 3–6, 3–6
Wally Masur

Henri Leconte
Win 25. 1990 Queen's Club, U.K. Grass Jeremy Bates 6–2, 7–6
Ivan Lendl

West Berlin, West Carpet Pieter Aldrich

Loss 25. 1990 Patrick Galbraith 6–7, 6–7
Germany (i) Danie Visser

Steve DeVries
Loss 26. 1991 Lyon, France Hard (i) Jeremy Bates 6–7, 6–3, 3–6
David Macpherson

Todd Woodbridge
Loss 27. 1992 Memphis, U.S. Hard (i) Gary Muller 5–7, 6–4, 6–7
Mark Woodforde

Kelly Evernden
Win 26. 1992 Seoul, South Korea Hard Gary Muller 7–6, 6–4
Brad Pearce

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key
W F SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification
round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

South Africa United States

W–
Tournament 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 SR
L

Australian 0/
A A A 2R A A F A NH 3R A A A A A 9–3
Open 3
French 0/
A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 2R 1–1
Open 1

0/ 28–
Wimbledon A A 4R 2R 3R SF 4R F 1R 2R 1R 3R QF 2R 1R
13 13

0/ 12–
US Open 2R 2R A 4R 1R A 2R 1R 2R A 2R A 4R 2R 1R
11 11
0/ 50–
Win–loss 1–1 1–1 3–1 5–3 2–2 5–1 10–3 6–2 1–2 3–2 1–2 2–1 7–2 2–2 1–3
28 28

References
1. "ITF Tennis – Mens Circuit – Player Biography" (https://web.archive.org/web/20220125010641/https://www.itftennis.co
m/procircuit/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=10000310). Archived from the original (http://www.itftennis.com/proci
rcuit/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=10000310) on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
2. "McEnroe Gets What He Had Coming: a Loss" (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-04-sp-9221-story.h
tml), Los Angeles Times, 4 July 1985.
3. Robert Armstrong (8 July 2020). "Boris Becker wins Wimbledon - archive, 1985" (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2
020/jul/08/boris-becker-wins-wimbledon-archive-1985). The Guardian.
4. "1985: Boris Becker wins Wimbledon at 17" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/7/newsid_4493000/4
493643.stm). BBC. 7 July 1985. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
5. Alfano, Peter. "Sports of The Times: Unhappy Time for Kevin Curren," The New York Times, Thursday, August 29,
1985. (https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/29/sports/sports-of-the-times-unhappy-time-for-kevin-curren.html) Retrieved
February 1, 2025.

External links
Kevin Curren (https://www.atptour.com/en/players/-/C057/overview) at the Association of Tennis Professionals
Kevin Curren (https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/kevin-curren/800176811/usa) at the International Tennis
Federation
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