Dennis Ralston

Richard Dennis Ralston (July 27, 1942 – December 6, 2020) was an American professional tennis player whose active career spanned the 1960s and 1970s.

He attended the University of Southern California (USC) and won NCAA championships under its coach George Toley.

[4] He was the highest-ranked American player at the end of three consecutive years in the 1960s; Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph ranked him as high as world No.

[5] His best result at a Grand Slam singles event came in 1966 when he was seeded sixth and reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships, which he lost to fourth-seeded Manuel Santana in straight sets.

[8] Ralston was a member of the Handsome Eight, the initial group of players signed to the professional World Championship Tennis tour.

Dennis Ralston, Wimbledon, circa 1987