Quick Facts
Biography
Frew Donald McMillan (born 20 May 1942) is a former professional male tennis player from South Africa who won five major doubles championships including three Wimbledons with Bob Hewitt. Altogether, he won 63 doubles titles, surpassed only by the Bryan brothers, Todd Woodbridge, John McEnroe and Tom Okker. He was also ranked No.1 in Doubles on the ATP Computer for a significant period from 1977 to 1979 when he was aged 37.
Biography
McMillan was born in Springs, South Africa. Aside from his success as a doubles player, he had a less distinguished singles career which is not well recorded although he did have some good results over the years, many of which occurred in South Africa. He played in 38 Grand Slam singles events with a 28 to 38 win loss record, first playing in 1961 at Wimbledon and his last being at the first US Open at Flushing Meadows in 1978. His best results in both came at the US Open reaching the quarter finals in 1972 and the last 16 in 1976. Arguably his greatest result was reaching the final of the 1970 South African Open held at Ellis Park. He beat a raging Pancho Gonzales in the semi-final before losing to world no.1 Rod Laver in four sets in the final. At the time the South African Open with Italian and German Opens were rated the top three tournaments beneath the Grand Slams. As late as 1979 McMillan reached the quarter-finals of the Fischer Open in Vienna.
McMillan continued to play the tour for many years in doubles he played his last Wimbledon with Bob Hewitt in 1979 reaching the semi-finals and they made a last appearance together in the main draw at Flushing Meadows in 1980 reaching the quarterfinals with a nostalgic victory over fellow veteran Americans Clark Graebner and Charlie Pasarell. McMillan won his last tour title at the 1982 South African Open with Brian Gottfried.
McMillan played for many years on the seniors tours and was Runner-up at the inaugural Wimbledon over 35's to John Newcombe in 1982 after good wins over Tony Roche, Mark Cox and Ismail El Shafei. In 1988 he and Hewitt gave away 20 years between them to beat the Gullikson twins Tim and Tom in the 35's doubles final at Wimbledon.
The most notable aspect of his game was that he had both a two-handed backhand and forehand, which simultaneously increased his power while restricting his mobility. In the 1967 Wimbledon, he and Hewitt did not lose a set, and McMillan did not once lose a service game.
McMillan was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1992. Later he worked as a tennis commentator for Eurosport and on BBC Radio 5 during Wimbledon.
Grand Prix Championship Series singles finals
Runner-up (1)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1970 | Johannesburg |  Rod Laver | 6–4, 2–6, 1–6, 2–6 |
Singles titles (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1 | 1974 | Munich WCT | Carpet |  Nikola Pilić | 5–7, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–4) |
| 2 | 1976 | Nuremberg | Carpet |  Thomaz Koch | 2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Doubles titles (63)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | 1970 | Washington, D.C., US | Hard |  Bob Hewitt |  Ilie Năstase Ion Ţiriac | 7–5, 6–0 |
| 2. | 1970 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Bob Hewitt |  Tom Okker Nikola Pilić | 6–3, 7–5, 6–2 |
| 3. | 1972 | Bournemouth, United Kingdom | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Ilie Năstase Ion Ţiriac | 7–5, 6–2 |
| 4. | 1972 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Bob Hewitt |  Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol | 6–3, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 5. | 1972 | Bristol, United Kingdom | Grass | Bob Hewitt |  Clark Graebner Lew Hoad | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 6. | 1972 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Stan Smith Erik Van Dillen | 6–2, 6–2, 9–7 |
| 7. | 1972 | Cincinnati, Ohio, US | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Paul Gerken Humphrey Hose | 7–6, 6–4 |
| 8. | 1972 | Indianapolis, Indiana, US | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 9. | 1972 | Albany, New York, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt |  Ove Nils Bengtson Björn Borg | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 10. | 1973 | Jackson, US | Hard (i) | Zan Guerry | Jaime Pinto-Bravo Tito Vázquez | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 11. | 1973 | Tanglewood, US | Other | Bob Carmichael |  Ismail El Shafei Brian Fairlie | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 12. | 1973 | Indianapolis, Indiana, US | Clay | Bob Carmichael |  Manuel Orantes Ion Ţiriac | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 13. | 1973 | Quebec City, Canada | Other | Bob Carmichael | Jimmy Connors Marty Riessen | 6–2, 7–6 |
| 14. | 1974 | Salisbury, Maryland, US | Carpet | Jimmy Connors | Byron Bertram Andrew Pattison | 3–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| 15. | 1974 | Washington WCT, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Tom Okker Marty Riessen | 7–6, 6–3 |
| 16. | 1974 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Carpet | Bob Hewitt |  Pierre Barthès Ilie Năstase | 3–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 17. | 1974 | Munich WCT, Germany | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Pierre Barthès Ilie Năstase | 6–2, 7–6 |
| 18. | 1974 | Johannesburg WCT, South Africa | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Jim McManus Andrew Pattison | 6–2, 6–4, 7–6 |
| 19. | 1974 | World Doubles WCT, Montreal | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Owen Davidson John Newcombe | 6–2, 6–7, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 20. | 1974 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Tom Okker Marty Riessen | 7–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 21. | 1975 | Rotterdam WCT, Netherlands | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | José Higueras Balázs Taróczy | 6–2, 6–2 |
| 22. | 1975 | Munich, Germany | Carpet | Bob Hewitt |  Corrado Barazzutti Antonio Zugarelli | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 23. | 1975 | Monte Carlo WCT, Monaco | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Arthur Ashe Tom Okker | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 24. | 1975 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Bob Hewitt | Charlie Pasarell Roscoe Tanner | 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 25. | 1976 | Columbus WCT, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Arthur Ashe Tom Okker | 7–6, 6–4 |
| 26. | 1976 | Baltimore WCT, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Ilie Năstase Cliff Richey | 3–6, 7–6, 6–4 |
| 27. | 1976 | Toronto Indoor WCT, Canada | Carpet | Jaime Fillol |  Alex Metreveli Ilie Năstase | 6–7, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 28. | 1976 | Rotterdam WCT, Netherlands | Carpet | Rod Laver | Arthur Ashe Tom Okker | 6–1, 6–7, 7–6 |
| 29. | 1976 | Basel, Switzerland | Carpet | Tom Okker |  Jiří Hřebec Jan Kodeš | 6–4, 7–6, 6–4 |
| 30. | 1976 | Nuremberg, Germany | Carpet |  Karl Meiler | Colin Dowdeswell Paul Kronk | 7–6, 6–4 |
| 31. | 1976 | Vienna, Austria | Hard (i) | Bob Hewitt | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez | 6–4, 4–0 retired |
| 32. | 1976 | Cologne, Germany | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Colin Dowdeswell Mike Estep | 6–1, 3–6, 7–6 |
| 33. | 1976 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Bob Hewitt | Tom Okker Marty Riessen | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 |
| 34. | 1977 | Philadelphia WCT, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt |  Wojtek Fibak Tom Okker | 6–1, 1–6, 6–3 |
| 35. | 1977 | Springfield, Massachusetts, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Ion Ţiriac Guillermo Vilas | 7–6, 6–2 |
| 36. | 1977 | San Jose, California, US | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Tom Gorman Geoff Masters | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 37. | 1977 | Palm Springs, California, US | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Marty Riessen Roscoe Tanner | 7–6, 7–6 |
| 38. | 1977 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Charlie Pasarell Erik Van Dillen | 6–2, 6–0 |
| 39. | 1977 | La Costa, California, US | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Ray Ruffels Allan Stone | 6–4, 6–2 |
| 40. | 1977 | Pacific Southwest Championships, Los Angeles | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Robert Lutz Stan Smith | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 41. | 1977 | Jackson, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Phil Dent Ken Rosewall | 6–2, 7–6 |
| 42. | 1977 | US Open, New York City | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez | 6–4, 6–0 |
| 43. | 1977 | Los Angeles | Hard | Sandy Mayer | Tom Leonard Mike Machette | 6–2, 6–3 |
| 44. | 1977 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Bob Hewitt |  Antonio Muñoz Manuel Orantes | 6–7, 7–6, 6–3, 6–1 |
| 45. | 1977 | Vienna, Austria | Hard (i) | Bob Hewitt | Wojtek Fibak Jan Kodeš | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 46. | 1977 | Cologne, Germany | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Fred McNair Sherwood Stewart | 6–3, 7–5 |
| 47. | 1977 | Wembley, United Kingdom | Hard (i) | Sandy Mayer | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez | 6–3, 7–6 |
| 48. | 1978 | Baltimore, Maryland, US | Carpet | Fred McNair |  Roger Taylor Antonio Zugarelli | 6–3, 7–5 |
| 49. | 1978 | Philadelphia WCT, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Vitas Gerulaitis Sandy Mayer | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 50. | 1978 | Richmond WCT, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Vitas Gerulaitis Sandy Mayer | 6–3, 7–5 |
| 51. | 1978 | St. Louis WCT, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Wojtek Fibak Tom Okker | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 52. | 1978 | Denver, Colorado, US | Carpet | Bob Hewitt | Fred McNair Sherwood Stewart | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 53. | 1978 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Colin Dibley Geoff Masters | 7–5, 7–6 |
| 54. | 1978 | Queen's Club Championships, London | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Fred McNair Raúl Ramírez | 6–2, 7–5 |
| 55. | 1978 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 56. | 1979 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay |  Colin Dowdeswell | Wojtek Fibak Pavel Složil | 6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 |
| 57. | 1979 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Bob Hewitt | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 58. | 1979 | Vienna, Austria | Hard (i) | Bob Hewitt | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez | 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 59. | 1979 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Mike Cahill Buster Mottram | 1–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 60. | 1980 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Colin Dowdeswell Heinz Günthardt | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 61. | 1980 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | Colin Dowdeswell | Chris Lewis John Yuill | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 62. | 1981 | Brussels, Belgium | Carpet | Sandy Mayer | Kevin Curren Steve Denton | 4–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 63. | 1982 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Brian Gottfried |  Shlomo Glickstein Andrew Pattison | 6–2, 6–2 |
Grand Slam Doubles finals
Men's Doubles (5 wins)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1967 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Roy Emerson Ken Fletcher | 6–2, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1972 | French Open | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol | 6–3, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1 |
| Winner | 1972 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Stan Smith Erik Van Dillen | 6–2, 6–2, 9–7 |
| Winner | 1977 | US Open | Hard | Bob Hewitt | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez | 6–4, 6–0 |
| Winner | 1978 | Wimbledon (3) | Grass | Bob Hewitt | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 |
Mixed Doubles (5 wins, 6 losses)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1966 | French Championships | Clay | Annette Van Zyl | Ann Haydon Jones Clark Graebner | 1–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 1970 | US Open | Grass | Judy Tegart Dalton | Margaret Court Marty Riessen | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 1976 | US Open (2) | Grass | Betty Stöve | Billie Jean King Phil Dent | 6–3, 2–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 1977 | Wimbledon | Grass | Betty Stöve | Greer Stevens Bob Hewitt | 6–3, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1977 | US Open | Grass | Betty Stöve | Billie Jean King Vitas Gerulaitis | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 1978 | Wimbledon | Grass | Betty Stöve | Billie Jean King Ray Ruffels | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1978 | US Open (2) | Hard | Betty Stöve | Billie Jean King Ray Ruffels | 6–3, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 1979 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | Betty Stöve | Greer Stevens Bob Hewitt | 5–7, 6–7(7–9) |
| Runner-up | 1979 | US Open (3) | Hard | Betty Stöve | Greer Stevens Bob Hewitt | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 1980 | US Open (4) | Hard | Betty Stöve | Wendy Turnbull Marty Riessen | 5–7, 2–6 |
| Winner | 1981 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | Betty Stöve | Tracy Austin John Austin | 4–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–3 |