Tom Okker
| Country (sports) |  Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Residence | Hazerswoude-Dorp |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) |
| Turned pro | 1968 |
| Retired | 1980 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Prize money | $1,257,200 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 520–216 |
| Career titles | 31 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (March 2, 1974) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1971), QF (1970) |
| French Open | SF (1969), QF (1973) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1978), QF (1968), QF (1969), QF (1979) |
| US Open | F (1968), SF (1971) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 550–152 |
| Career titles | 69 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1969) |
| Last updated on: May 31, 2007. | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing the Netherlands
| ||
| Maccabiah Games | ||
| Men's tennis | ||
 |
1965 Israel | Men's Singles |
|
1965 Israel | Mixed Doubles |
Tom Okker (born February 22 1944), nicknamed The Flying Dutchman and Tom the Twitch, is a former Dutch tennis player.
Okker was ranked (ATP) among the World's Top 10 Singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968 through 1974. He reached # 3 in singles in 1969 (ATP rankings began in 1968.) In 1969 he was ranked # 1 in doubles.
Tennis career
Okker was Dutch champion from 1964 to 1968, when he turned professional and won his first major tournament at the Italian singles and doubles championship (with Marty Riessen).
In 1968 Okker then reached the quarter final of Wimbledon, and in 1978 he reached the semifinals. He achieved his best result in a grand slam tournament in 1968, when he lost the five-set final of the US Open against Arthur Ashe(14-12, 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3).
Okker won 31 singles titles. At the millennium (year 2000), 20 years after his retirement, Okker’s 31 career “open tennis” Singles victories (combined ATP Tour, Grand Prix, and WCT tournaments) still ranked 20th all-time. Among Okker’s singles titles: 1968 Italian Open, 1970 German Open and Belgian Open, 1973 Dewar Cup and Canadian Open, and 1974 WCT Rothmans. He was also a runner-up in 24 singles events.
Despite his success in singles, Tom Okker is mostly remembered as one of the most successful doubles player of all times, winning 78 doubles titles. Okker won two grand slam doubles titles, the U.S. Open in 1976 (with Marty Riessen) and Roland Garros in 1973. In total, Okker triumphed at 69 doubles events. This record was only broken by Todd Woodbridge in 2005. Okker’s doubles titles include: both the 1973 Italian Open and French Open Doubles (with John Newcombe); 1973 London Grass Court Doubles (Marty Riessen); 1973 Spanish Open Doubles (Ilie Nastase); 1975 Opel International ( Arthur Ashe); 1976 U.S. Open Doubles (Reissen); and 1978 WCT World Doubles (Wojtek Fibak).
One of pro-tennis’ first millionaire winners, his WTC career earnings stood at $1,257,200 when he retired in 1980.
Davis Cup
Between 1964 and 1981, Okker represented The Netherlands in Davis Cup play, where he was 15-20.[1]
Maccabiah Games
In 1965 Okker won both the singles and the mixed doubles titles at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.
Style of play
Okker was a fan favorite with his animated, quick-footed play. He was a slight but canny player who often defeated larger, more powerful opponents.
Grand Slam singles final
Runner-up (1)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1968 | U.S. Open |  Arthur Ashe |
14-12, 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 |
Open-era singles titles (22)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | 1969 | Rome, Italy | Clay |  Bob Hewitt
|
10-8, 6-8, 6-1, 1-6, 6-0 |
| 2. | 1969 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay |  John Newcombe
|
8-10, 6-1, 7-5, 6-3 |
| 3. | 1969 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Hard | Tom Gorman
|
6-3, 4-6, 7-6 |
| 4. | 1969 | Paris Indoor, France | Carpet | Earl Butch Buchholz
|
8-6, 6-2, 6-1 |
| 5. | 1970 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Hard |  Roger Taylor
|
4-6, 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 |
| 6. | 1970 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay |  Ilie Năstase
|
4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 7. | 1971 | Louisville WCT, U.S. | Clay | Cliff Drysdale
|
3-6, 6-4, 6-1 |
| 8. | 1971 | Quebec WCT, Canada | Indoor | Rod Laver
|
6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 |
| 9. | 1972 | Chicago WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Arthur Ashe
|
4-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 10. | 1973 | Washington WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Arthur Ashe
|
6-3, 6-7, 7-6 |
| 11. | 1973 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Clay |  Andrés Gimeno
|
2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 12. | 1973 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Manuel Orantes
|
6-3, 6-2, 6-1 |
| 13. | 1973 | Seattle, U.S. | Other | John Alexander
|
7-5, 6-4 |
| 14. | 1973 | Chicago, U.S. | Carpet | John Newcombe
|
3-6, 7-6, 6-3 |
| 15. | 1973 | Madrid, Spain | Clay |  Jaime Fillol
|
4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 |
| 16. | 1973 | London, United Kingdom | Carpet | Ilie Năstase
|
6-3, 6-4 |
| 17. | 1974 | Toronto WCT, Canada | Carpet | Ilie Năstase
|
6-3, 6-4 |
| 18. | 1974 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Carpet | Tom Gorman
|
4-6, 7-6, 6-1 |
| 19. | 1975 | Nottingham, United Kingdom | Grass | Tony Roche
|
6-1, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 20. | 1975 | Paris Indoor]], France | Hard (i) | Arthur Ashe
|
6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 21. | 1977 | Richmond WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Vitas Gerulaitis
|
3-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 22. | 1979 | Tel-Aviv, Israel | Hard |  Per Hjertquist
|
6-4, 6-3 |
Open era singles runner-ups (23)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | 1968 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Cliff Drysdale
|
6-3, 6-3, 6-0 |
| 2. | 1968 | U.S. Open, New York City | Grass | Arthur Ashe
|
14-12, 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 3. | 1969 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Roy Emerson
|
6-1, 12-14, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 4. | 1969 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Tony Roche
|
6-1, 5-7, 7-5, 8-6 |
| 5. | 1970 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Tony Roche
|
7-5, 7-5, 6-3 |
| 6. | 1971 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Ilie Năstase
|
3-6, 8-6, 6-1, 6-1 |
| 7. | 1971 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | John Newcombe
|
6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 |
| 8. | 1971 | Montreal, Canada | Clay | John Newcombe
|
7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 |
| 9. | 1971 | Toronto WCT, Canada | Carpet | John Newcombe
|
7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 |
| 10. | 1971 | Vancouver WCT, Canada | Outdoor | Ken Rosewall
|
6-2, 6-2, 6-4 |
| 11. | 1972 | Boston WCT, U.S. | Hard | Robert Lutz
|
6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 12. | 1972 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Stan Smith
|
6-4, 6-3 |
| 13. | 1972 | Rotterdam WCT, Netherlands | Carpet | Arthur Ashe
|
3-6, 6-2, 6-1 |
| 14. | 1973 | Washington D.C., U.S. | Clay | Arthur Ashe
|
6-4, 6-2 |
| 15. | 1973 | Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Jimmy Connors
|
7-5, 7-6 |
| 16. | 1973 | Masters, Boston | Carpet | Ilie Năstase
|
6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 17. | 1974 | Washington WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Ilie Năstase
|
6-3, 6-3 |
| 18. | 1974 | Boston, U.S. | Clay | Björn Borg
|
7-6, 6-1, 6-1 |
| 19. | 1974 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Arthur Ashe
|
6-2, 6-2 |
| 20. | 1975 | Rotterdam WCT, Netherlands | Carpet | Arthur Ashe
|
3-6, 6-2, 6-4 |
| 21. | 1975 | Johannesburg WCT, South Africa | Hard | Buster Mottram
|
6-4, 6-2 |
| 22. | 1975 | Stockholm WCT, Sweden | Carpet | Arthur Ashe
|
6-4, 6-2 |
| 23. | 1978 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Clay |  Balázs Taróczy
|
2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 |
Hall of Fame
Okker, who is Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Miscellaneous
Although officially retired, Okker continues to play in senior tennis tournaments, and owns an art gallery in Hazerswoude-Dorp, Netherlands.
Links