A State Funeral to honour the life of Australian great Neale Fraser will be held in Melbourne on Wednesday 18 December.

Melbourne, Australia, 11 December 2024 | Tennis Australia

A State Funeral Service to honour the life of tennis great Neale Fraser AO MBE will be held at 10.30am on Wednesday, 18 December at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne.

Neale Fraser was one of Australia’s tennis greats, winning 19 Grand Slams and leading Australia to four Davis Cup titles over his 24-year captaincy.

Learning to play tennis at 11 years old on the clay courts next door to his childhood home in Melbourne, Fraser went on to win his first tournament at just 12 years old before becoming an Australian National Junior Champion at 17.

During his acclaimed career, he won 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles across Australian, French, Wimbledon and US championships between 1956 and 1962, and is the most recent man in history to have completed the triple crown, which he achieved in 1959 and 1960 at the US Open.

For many, Neale Fraser’s captaincy of Australia in the Davis Cup is his greatest legacy, where he was a much-respected coach and teacher of the game for 24 years – inspiring generations of Australian players.

Neale Fraser was inducted to the International Hall of Fame in 1984, the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994, and was honoured with the Philippe Chatrier Award for outstanding achievements in tennis in 2008.

“Neale Fraser was a true icon of our sport, both as a competitor and as a leader,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said.

“His passion for tennis and dedication to representing Australia inspired generations of players and fans.

“I’ve been truly fortunate to work closely with Frase and he was never afraid to voice his opinion and offer his extraordinary insight on the players and the sport, particularly the Davis Cup – he was a force to be reckoned with.

“We will forever remember his extraordinary contributions on and off the court and pass on our sincere condolences to Thea, his family and friends,” Tiley continued.

The funeral will be open to the public and live streamed online.

> Tribute: Remembering Neale Fraser 

To make a donation in lieu of flowers – please visit Neale Fraser Scholarship | Australian Sports Foundation.

Further details about the service, including how to attend or to view the live stream can be found at vic.gov.au/NealeFraser.