Fred Alexander

Frederick Beasley Alexander (August 14, 1880 – March 3, 1969) was an American tennis player in the early 20th century. He won the singles title at the 1908 Australasian Championships and six double titles at Grand Slam events.

Career In 1908, Alexander became the first foreigner to win the singles title at the Australasian/Australian Championships, the amateur precursor to the Australian Open. He then teamed with Alfred Dunlop, the man he defeated in the final, to win the doubles.

Alexander attended Princeton University and won the Intercollegiate doubles championship in 1900 and the singles in 1901. Between 1904 and 1918, he was a U.S. top 10 player six times. He was a finalist in doubles at the U.S. Championships, precursor to the US Open, seven straight times beginning in 1905. He and partner Harold Hackett won the U.S. doubles each year from 1907 to 1910. At age 37, Alexander won again in 1917, partnering with Harold Throckmorton. In the singles, Alexander reached the all comers final in 1908, beating William Clothier, then losing to Beals Wright in straight sets.

He competed in the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1908, which lost the final against Australia at the Albert Ground. Alexander lost both his singles matches against Norman Brookes and Anthony Wilding as well as the doubles match against these two with his partner Beals Wright.

In 1915, he wrote How to Play Lawn Tennis, part of the Spalding's athletic library series.

Alexander was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1961.

U.S. Indoor Championships Men's Doubles champion: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1917

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScoreWin 1908 Australasian Championships Grass Alfred Dunlop 3–6, 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3

Doubles (6 titles, 5 runner-ups)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1900 U.S. Championships Grass Raymond Little Dwight Davis Holcombe Ward 4–6, 7–9, 10–12Loss 1905 U.S. Championships Grass Harold Hackett Holcombe Ward Beals Wright 4–6, 4–6, 1–6Loss 1906 U.S. Championships Grass Harold Hackett Holcombe Ward Beals Wright 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 3–6Win 1907 U.S. Championships Grass Harold Hackett Nat Thornton Bryan M. Grant 6–2, 6–1, 6–1Win 1908 Australasian Championships Grass Alfred Dunlop G. G. Sharp Anthony Wilding 6–3, 6–2, 6–1Win 1908 U.S. Championships Grass Harold Hackett Raymond Little Beals Wright 6–1, 7–5, 6–2Win 1909 U.S. Championships Grass Harold Hackett George Janes Maurice McLoughlin 6–4, 6–4, 6–0Win 1910 U.S. Championships Grass Harold Hackett Tom Bundy Trowridge Hendrick 6–1, 8–6, 6–3Loss 1911 U.S. Championships Grass Harold Hackett Raymond Little Gustav Touchard 5–7, 15–13, 2–6, 4–6Win 1917 U.S. Championships Grass Harold Throckmorton Harry Johnson Irving Wright 11–9, 6–4, 6–4Loss 1918 U.S. Championships Grass Beals Wright Vincent Richards Bill Tilden 3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 2–6