Neil Broad

Neil Broad started playing tennis at the age of 10. After two years at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, from where he got a major in business studies, he became a tennis professional in 1986. He had little success as a singles player but won seven ATP doubles titles (with six different partners) between 1989-98, and in 1990 reached a career high of ninth on the ATP doubles rankings. His highest singles ranking was 84th in 1989.

In Grand Slam events, Broad reached the semi-final of the men’s doubles at the 1990 Australian Open with fellow South African Gary Muller, but lost in straight sets to another South African pair of Pieter Aldrich and Danie Visser. Broad’s finest moment came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, however, when he reached the final of the men’s doubles with Tim Henman, only to lose in three straight sets to the Australian pair of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.

Despite being born in South Africa, Broad made his Davis Cup début for Great Britain against France in 1992 and played in a total of 11 ties between then and 2000, with a doubles record of four wins and seven losses. Broad retired in June 2000. In addition to tennis, Broad also enjoyed playing cricket and rugby as a youngster, and as a golfer had a single-figure handicap at one time.