Inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998; inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1986; inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985.
As a player, John Newcombe was strong, athletic and a great competitor. His serve, volley and forehand were his most formidable weapons and he used them to devastating effect. He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, winning all bar the French.
John Newcombe and Tony Roche won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles together – which at the time was more than any other men's team in tennis history. Newcombe would eventually claim 17 doubles majors by the end of his career.
He was part of four winning Davis Cup teams, four of which were successive victories between 1964 and 1967. In 1994 he was named Davis Cup captain and led Australia to a 3-2 win over France in the 1999 Davis Cup final. The Newcombe Medal is now awarded to the Australian player considered the highest performing each year.