Tom_Gullikson
Tom Gullikson
American tennis player and coach
Tom Gullikson (born September 8, 1951) is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player born in La Crosse, Wisconsin and raised in Onalaska, Wisconsin in the United States.[2]
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Born | (1951-09-08) September 8, 1951 (age 72) La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Turned pro | 1976 |
| Retired | 1987 |
| Plays | Left-handed (1-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $889,492 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 217–225 |
| Career titles | 1 |
| Highest ranking | No. 34 (April 30, 1984)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1983, 1984) |
| French Open | 3R (1977) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1978, 1979, 1984, 1985) |
| US Open | QF (1982) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 293–226 |
| Career titles | 15 |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (September 12, 1983) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1983) |
| French Open | 3R (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980) |
| Wimbledon | F (1983) |
| US Open | SF (1982) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | W (1984) |
During his career as a player, Gullikson won 15 ATP recognized doubles titles, ten of them partnering with his identical twin brother, Tim Gullikson, who was also a noted coach. Tim coached the then number one player in the world Pete Sampras before Tim was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1995, and died in 1996. The brothers were runners-up in the men's doubles competition at Wimbledon in 1983. Gullikson also won the mixed doubles title at the US Open in 1984, with Manuela Maleeva.
Gullikson's best performance at a Grand Slam came when he got to the quarter-finals of the 1982 US Open, defeating John Alexander, Jérôme Potier, Chip Hooper and Jaime Fillol before losing to Guillermo Vilas.
Gullikson played compatriot John McEnroe during the first round of the 1981 Wimbledon championships, when the latter got into a verbal altercation with the umpire, during which he uttered his infamous “You cannot be serious!” exclamation.
Gullikson won one top-level singles title (at Newport in 1985). His career-high rankings were World No. 34 in singles and World No. 4 in doubles (in 1984 and 1983 respectively). He retired from the professional tour in 1987.
After retiring as a player, he became one of the original members of the United States Tennis Association Player Development Program, coaching players such as Todd Martin, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick. He served as Director of Coaching for the program from 1997 to 2001.
Gullikson was the United States Davis Cup Captain from 1994 to 1999. He captained the teams that won the Davis Cup in 1995 and were runners-up in 1997. In 1996, Gullikson was coach of the US men's Olympic tennis team, and guided Andre Agassi to winning the Olympic Gold Medal in Atlanta.
From December 2001 to February 2002, Gullikson briefly coached Pete Sampras.
Doubles (1 runner-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1983 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass |  Tim Gullikson | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 4–6, 3–6, 4–6 |
Mixed doubles (1 title)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1984 | US Open | Hard |  Manuela Maleeva |  Elizabeth Sayers John Fitzgerald | 2–6, 7–5, 6–4 |
