Mark Cox (born 5 July 1943) is a former tennis player from England, who played professional and amateur tennis in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He was ranked as high as world No. 12 on the ATP rankings, achieving that ranking in October 1977.

Education

Cox was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School in Leicester and Millfield School in Somerset. He obtained an economics undergraduate degree from Downing College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club.

Career

Cox played his first tournament on 3 November 1958 at the Torquay Indoor Championship. During his career, he won twenty-four singles titles and three doubles titles spanning both the pre-Open Era and Open Era, and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. National Championships (in 1966) and the Australian Open (in 1971). He also played for Great Britain's Davis Cup team, and was on the team that reached the 1978 final against the United States. Following the establishment of the Open Era in men's tennis in 1968, Cox went down in history as the first amateur player to beat a professional when he defeated the American Pancho Gonzales in the first round of the British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth in May of that year, in a match that went to five sets and lasted two and a quarter hours. Cox also achieved big upset wins over No. 1 seed, Rod Laver, at the 1971 Australian Open, and over No. 2 seed, Ken Rosewall, at the 1972 US Open. Cox also defeated future world No. 1 Jimmy Connors in his debut Grand Slam match at the 1970 US Open. Some of Cox's finest victories came late in his career; a notable moment was at the 1976 Stockholm Open, when at the age of 33 he won the title after knocking out Connors and Manuel Orantes (respectively the reigning and previous US Open champions) in succession. Although able to win on all surfaces he was especially adept at playing on indoor carpet courts, and was the last British player to win back-to-back professional titles (at the Washington Indoor WCT and London WCT events in 1975) until Andy Murray repeated the feat in 2008. To date, Cox is also the last English-born male to win a top level UK tournament on grass (Eastbourne in 1973). After his final title in 1977 it would take another 17 years for a British player to win a top-level tour title (Jeremy Bates at Seoul in 1994). Cox retired from playing in 1981, losing to Yannick Noah in his last ever competitive match at that year's Paris Indoor Open. During his latter playing years and after his retirement, he worked as a coach and also as a television commentator for the BBC.

Personal life

Cox is a Patron of a charity "CRY" (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and an ambassador for the Win Tennis Academy at Bisham. He lives with his wife Susie in London.

Career finals

Singles: 42 (24 titles, 18 runner-ups)

Doubles: 11 (3 titles, 8 runner-ups)