Jan Kodeš (born 1 March 1946) is a Czech former professional tennis player. A three-time major singles champion, Kodeš was one of the premier players in the early 1970s.
Country (sports) | ![]() |
---|---|
Residence | Prague, Czech Republic |
Born | Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) | 1 March 1946
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Turned pro | 1968 (amateur from 1966) |
Retired | 1983 |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Prize money | $693,197 |
Int. Tennis HoF | 1990 (member page) |
Singles | |
Career record | 630–341 in pre Open-Era & Open Era |
Career titles | 9 |
Highest ranking | No. 5 (13 September 1973) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
French Open | W (1970, 1971) |
Wimbledon | W (1973) |
US Open | F (1971, 1973) |
Other tournaments | |
Tour Finals | RR (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973) |
WCT Finals | SF (1974) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 313-183 |
Career titles | 17 |
Highest ranking | No. 12 (21 May 1979) |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
French Open | F (1977) |
Kodeš's greatest success was achieved on the clay courts of the French Open, where he won the singles title in 1970 and 1971. However, he also won Wimbledon on grass courts in 1973, although the tournament was largely boycotted by top players that year over the ban of Nikola Pilić by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF).[1][2][3]
Kodeš never played at the Australian Open, but was twice the runner-up at the US Open, in 1971 and 1973.[4][3] Kodeš reached his highest ATP ranking of world No. 5 in September 1973.[3] During the Open Era, he won nine top-level singles titles and 17 doubles titles.
Kodeš was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2013, he received the Czech Fair Play Award from the Czech Olympic Committee. He is an economics graduate of the Prague University.[3]
Career statistics
editThe tables do not include victories and final participation in tournaments from 1966 to 1969, such as victories in international championships and tournaments in Santiago, Viña del Mar, Sao Paulo, Lyon, Cannes, Luxembourg, St. Petersburg (USA), Beirut, Zaragoza, Split, Varna, Plovdiv, Paris (Racing Club) and three times in the MM CSSR in Bratislava. In doubles with Javorsky in Bratislava, then with Jan Kukal, he won tournaments in Lyon, Hilversum, Macon (USA), Pittsburgh, Caracas, Istanbul, Bratislava, Beirut and Split. With Pala in Luxembourg and Zaragoza. With Rodriguez in Viña del Mar, Chile. In all these tournaments or championships, the starting field was always at least 32 players, like today's ATP tour tournaments, but they are not listed in the ATP Tour yearbooks because the ATP Tour did not exist at that time and did not publish publications.
In the book written by Petr Kolar and Jan Kodes, "A Journey to Glory from behind the Iron Curtain", there are 25 singles wins, 27 appearances in finals, 32 doubles wins and 29 appearances in doubles finals. He participated in the final Grand Prix "Masters" tournaments (now ATP Finals) from 1970-1974 (Tokyo 1970, Paris 1971, Barcelona 1972, Boston 1973 and Dallas 1974).
Grand Slam finals: 5 (3 titles, 2 runner-ups)
editResult | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1970 | French Open | Clay | Željko Franulović | 6–2, 6–4, 6–0 |
Win | 1971 | French Open (2) | Clay | Ilie Năstase | 8–6, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5 |
Loss | 1971 | US Open | Grass | Stan Smith | 6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 6–7(3–5) |
Win | 1973 | Wimbledon | Grass | Alex Metreveli | 6–1, 9–8(7–5), 6–3 |
Loss | 1973 | US Open (2) | Grass | John Newcombe | 4–6, 6–1, 6–4, 2–6, 3–6 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
editW | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Tournament | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | SR | W–L | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | Absent | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | |||||||||||||||
French Open | 2R | 4R | 1R[a] | 4R | W | W | QF | QF | 4R | 4R | 3R | 4R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2 / 16 | 43–13 | 76.79 |
Wimbledon | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | SF | W | QF | 2R | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1 / 15 | 19–14 | 57.58 |
US Open | A | A | A | 2R | A | F | 2R | F | 4R | 4R | QF | 3R | A | 2R | A | A | 0 / 9 | 27–9 | 75.00 |
Win–loss | 1–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 5–3 | 7–1 | 13–2 | 9–3 | 17–2 | 10–3 | 7–3 | 6–2 | 5–3 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 3 / 40 | 89–36 | 71.20 |
a 1968 French Open counts as 0 wins, 0 losses. Fernando Gentil received a walkover in the first round, after Kodeš withdrew, does not count as a Kodeš loss (nor a Gentil win).
Open era finals
editSingles (9 titles, 19 runner-ups)
editResult | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1. | 1970 | St. Petersburg, U.S. | Clay | Joaquín Loyo-Mayo | 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 |
Win | 2. | 1970 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Željko Franulović | 6–2, 6–4, 6–0 |
Loss | 1. | 1970 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Ilie Năstase | 3–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–8 |
Loss | 2. | 1971 | Nice, France | Clay | Ilie Năstase | 8–10, 9–11, 1–6 |
Win | 3. | 1971 | Catania, Italy | Clay | Georges Goven | 6–3, 6–0, 6–2 |
Loss | 3. | 1971 | Rome WCT, Italy | Clay | Rod Laver | 5–7, 3–6, 3–6 |
Win | 4. | 1971 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Ilie Năstase | 8–6, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5 |
Loss | 4. | 1971 | US Open, New York | Grass | Stan Smith | 6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 5. | 1971 | Stockholm WCT, Sweden | Hard (i) | Arthur Ashe | 1–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–1, 4–6 |
Loss | 6. | 1972 | Nice, France | Clay | Ilie Năstase | 0–6, 4–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 7. | 1972 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 6–4, 1–6, 5–7, 2–6 |
Win | 5. | 1972 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 |
Win | 6. | 1973 | Cologne, West Germany | Carpet (i) | Brian Fairlie | 6–1, 6–3, 6–1 |
Loss | 8. | 1973 | Vancouver, Canada | Carpet (i) | Tom Gorman | 6–3, 2–6, 5–7 |
Win | 7. | 1973 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Alex Metreveli | 6–1, 9–8, 6–3 |
Loss | 9. | 1973 | US Open, New York | Grass | John Newcombe | 4–6, 6–1, 6–4, 2–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 10. | 1973 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Carpet (i) | Jiří Hřebec | 6–4, 1–6, 6–3, 0–6, 5–7 |
Loss | 11. | 1974 | Acapulco, Mexico | Carpet (i) | Tom Okker | 2–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 12. | 1975 | Hampton, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Jimmy Connors | 6–3, 3–6, 0–6 |
Loss | 13. | 1975 | Hamburg, West Germany | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 6–3, 2–6, 2–6, 6–4, 1–6 |
Loss | 14. | 1975 | Düsseldorf, West Germany | Clay | Jaime Fillol | 4–6, 6–1, 0–6, 5–7 |
Loss | 15. | 1975 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Adriano Panatta | 6–2, 2–6, 5–7, 4–6 |
Win | 8. | 1975 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Adriano Panatta | 6–2, 3–6, 7–6, 6–2 |
Win | 9. | 1976 | Basel, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Jiří Hřebec | 6–4, 6–2, 6–3 |
Loss | 16. | 1976 | Nice, France | Clay | Corrado Barazzutti | 2–6, 6–2, 7–5, 6–7, 6–8 |
Loss | 17. | 1976 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 6–7, 2–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 18. | 1976 | Aviles, Spain | Clay | Željko Franulović | 6–7, 1–6, 7–5, 6–7 |
Loss | 19. | 1977 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | 7–5, 2–6, 6–4, 3–6, 2–6 |
Doubles (17 titles, 24 runner-ups)
editResult | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1. | 1970 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Željko Franulović | Dick Crealy Allan Stone |
2–6, 6–2, 12–12 ret. |
Loss | 2. | 1970 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Željko Franulović | John Alexander Phil Dent |
8–10, 2–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 3. | 1970 | Phoenix, U.S. | Hard | Charlie Pasarell | Dick Crealy Ray Ruffels |
6–7, 3–6 |
Loss | 4. | 1970 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Željko Franulović | Bob Carmichael Ray Ruffels |
5–7, 2–6, 7–5, 7–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 5. | 1971 | Macon, U.S. | Carpet | Željko Franulović | Clark Graebner Thomaz Koch |
3–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 6. | 1971 | Catania, Italy | Clay | Jan Kukal | Pierre Barthès François Jauffret |
6–7, 6–2, 3–6 |
Win | 1. | 1971 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Clay | Željko Franulović | Clark Graebner Erik van Dillen |
7–6, 5–7, 6–3 |
Win | 2. | 1972 | Nice, France | Clay | Stan Smith | Frew McMillan Ilie Năstase |
6–3, 3–6, 7–5 |
Win | 3. | 1972 | Hamburg, West Germany | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Bob Hewitt Ion Țiriac |
4–6, 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
Loss | 7. | 1972 | Montreal, Canada | Clay | Jan Kukal | Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac |
6–7, 3–6 |
Win | 4. | 1973 | Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Vladimír Zedník | Jimmy Connors Ilie Năstase |
6–2, 6–4 |
Win | 5. | 1973 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Mateflex | Vladimír Zedník | Róbert Machán Balázs Taróczy |
7–6, 7–6 |
Win | 6. | 1974 | Palm Desert, U.S. | Hard | Vladimír Zedník | Raymond Moore Onny Parun |
6–4, 6–4 |
Win | 7. | 1974 | Düsseldorf, West Germany | Clay | Jiří Hřebec | Kenichi Hirai Toshiro Sakai |
6–1, 6–4 |
Loss | 8. | 1975 | Salisbury, U.S. | Carpet | Roger Taylor | Jimmy Connors Ilie Năstase |
6–7, 2–6 |
Win | 8. | 1975 | Munich, West Germany | Clay | Wojciech Fibak | Milan Holeček Karl Meiler |
7–5, 6–3 |
Loss | 9. | 1975 | Hamburg, West Germany | Clay | Wojciech Fibak | Juan Gisbert Sr. Manuel Orantes |
3–6, 6–7 |
Win | 9. | 1975 | Düsseldorf, West Germany | Clay | François Jauffret | Harald Elschenbroich Hans Kary |
6–2, 6–3 |
Loss | 10. | 1975 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Ilie Năstase | Cliff Drysdale Raymond Moore |
4–6, 7–5, 6–7 |
Win | 10. | 1975 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Juan Gisbert Sr. Manuel Orantes |
6–4, 3–6, 9–7 |
Win | 11. | 1976 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Jiří Hřebec | Jürgen Fassbender Hans-Jürgen Pohmann |
6–7, 6–2, 6–4 |
Loss | 12. | 1977 | Baltimore, U.S. | Carpet | Ross Case | Ion Țiriac Guillermo Vilas |
3–6, 7–6, 4–6 |
Win | 12. | 1977 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | François Jauffret | Wojciech Fibak Tom Okker |
2–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
Loss | 13. | 1977 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Wojciech Fibak | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez |
6–7, 6–4, 3–6, 4–6 |
Win | 13. | 1977 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Wojciech Fibak | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan |
6–0, 6–4 |
Loss | 14. | 1977 | Vienna, Austria | Carpet | Wojciech Fibak | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan |
4–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 15. | 1977 | Oviedo, Spain | Carpet | Raúl Ramírez | Fred McNair Sherwood Stewart |
3–6, 1–6 |
Loss | 16. | 1978 | Springfield, U.S. | Carpet | Marty Riessen | Robert Lutz Stan Smith |
3–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 17. | 1978 | Nice, France | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Patrice Dominguez François Jauffret |
4–6, 0–6 |
Loss | 18. | 1978 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Víctor Pecci Belus Prajoux |
7–6, 6–7, 1–6 |
Win | 14. | 1978 | Stuttgart, West Germany | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Carlos Kirmayr Belus Prajoux |
6–3, 7–6 |
Loss | 19. | 1978 | Aix-en-Provence, France | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Ion Țiriac Guillermo Vilas |
6–7, 1–6 |
Win | 15. | 1978 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Wojciech Fibak | Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd |
6–7, 6–1, 6–2 |
Win | 16. | 1979 | Hamburg, West Germany | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Mark Edmondson John Marks |
6–3, 6–1, 7–6 |
Loss | 20. | 1979 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Tom Okker Balázs Taróczy |
1–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 21. | 1979 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Gene Mayer John McEnroe |
4–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 22. | 1980 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Balázs Taróczy | Steve Denton Ivan Lendl |
2–6, 7–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 23. | 1980 | Cologne, West Germany | Carpet | Tomáš Šmíd | Bernard Mitton Andrew Pattison |
4–6, 1–6 |
Win | 17. | 1982 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Balázs Taróczy Heinz Günthardt |
7–6, 6–4 |
Loss | 24. | 1983 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy |
6–3, 2–6, 3–6 |
At results above are not shown wins and runner-ups from 1965 to 1969, such as tournaments in Santiago, Viňa del Mar, São Paulo, Lyon, Cannes, Luxembourg, Split, Varna, Plovdiv, Paris (Racing Club) or International championships of Czechoslovakia in Bratislava. The draws of players were always minimum 32 players, same as at contemporary ATP Tour events, but they are not listed in ATP Annuals, since ATP was founded at 1972.
References
edit- ^ Wimbledon: The Official History of the Championships. Barrett, John. Collins Willow 2011 ISBN 0-00-711707-8
- ^ "Wimbledon Singles Titles Captured by King, Kodeš". No. The Spokesman-Review. AP. 8 July 1973.
- ^ a b c d John Barrett, ed. (1974). World of Tennis '74 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 268–269. ISBN 9780362001686.
- ^ "Newcombe cops U.S. net Open". No. Star–News. UPI. 10 September 1973. p. Fifteen.
Further reading
editJan Kodeš, with Petr Kolar, A Journey to Glory from behind the Iron Curtain, New Chapter Press, Chicago, 2010, ISBN 978-0942257687