Owen Davidson, the Australian tennis player who won a total of 13 Grand Slam titles in doubles, has passed away at the age of 79. His death was confirmed by the International Tennis Hall of Fame, stating that he passed away in Conroe, Texas on Friday.
In mixed doubles, Davidson won 11 major titles, while he won 2 in men’s doubles. Collaboration with Billie Jean King earned him eight of his Grand Slam awards that he had won in his career, which lasted from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s.
In 1967, Davidson became one of only three players to have won all four grand slam mixed doubles titles in the same year, winning three of them with King.
After the victory with Ken Rosewall in the Australian Open in 1972 and with John Newcombe in the US Open in 1973, Davidson is known for his strong left-handed serve. Davidson also upset Roy Emerson twice to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1966.
He also played in the first match of the Open Era in 1968 , beating John Clifton in the first round of the British Hard Court Championships.
Davidson was coached by Hall of Famer Mervyn Rose, which led him to work with Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman as a member of the Australian Davis Cup team. He was also the coach for the British Davis Cup team from 1967-70.
In regards to his death, Billie Jean King said on Twitter, “Our hearts are broken, but we find peace in the lifetime of wonderful memories we shared with our friend Davo.”
Owing to his remarkable achievements, Owen Davidson was inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010. He is survived by his brother Trevor Davidson and son, Cameron.