Ray Ruffels

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title: "Ray Ruffels" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["australian-male-tennis-players", "australian-open-(tennis)-champions", "tennis-players-from-sydney", "1946-births", "living-people", "grand-slam-(tennis)-champions-in-men's-doubles", "australian-institute-of-sport-coaches", "australian-tennis-coaches", "sportsmen-from-new-south-wales", "20th-century-australian-sportsmen"] description: "Australian tennis player and coach" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Ruffels" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian tennis player and coach ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox tennis biography"]

Field	Value
name	Ray Ruffels
fullname	Raymond Owen Ruffels
image	Australian Institute of Sport coaches - Ray Ruffels.jpg
caption	AIS Head Tennis Coach Ray Ruffels in 1981
country	Australia
birth_date
birth_place	Sydney, Australia
turnedpro	1968 (amateur from 1964)
retired	1980
plays	Left-handed (one-handed backhand)
singlesrecord	452-316
singlestitles	13
highestsinglesranking	No. 27 (12 December 1976)
AustralianOpenresult	SF (1968, 1969, 1976)
FrenchOpenresult	4R (1968)
Wimbledonresult	QF (1967)
USOpenresult	4R (1966)
doublesrecord	219–137
doublestitles	16
AustralianOpenDoublesresult	W (1977)
Mixed	yes
WimbledonMixedresult	F (1978)
USOpenMixedresult	F (1978)
::

| name = Ray Ruffels | fullname = Raymond Owen Ruffels | image = Australian Institute of Sport coaches - Ray Ruffels.jpg | caption = AIS Head Tennis Coach Ray Ruffels in 1981 | country = Australia | residence = | birth_date = | birth_place = Sydney, Australia | height = | turnedpro = 1968 (amateur from 1964) | retired = 1980 | plays = Left-handed (one-handed backhand) | careerprizemoney = | singlesrecord = 452-316 | singlestitles = 13 | highestsinglesranking = No. 27 (12 December 1976) | AustralianOpenresult = SF (1968, 1969, 1976) | FrenchOpenresult = 4R (1968) | Wimbledonresult = QF (1967) | USOpenresult = 4R (1966) | doublesrecord = 219–137 | doublestitles = 16 | AustralianOpenDoublesresult = W (1977) | FrenchOpenDoublesresult = | WimbledonDoublesresult = | USOpenDoublesresult = | updated = | Mixed = yes | AustralianOpenMixedresult = | FrenchOpenMixedresult = | WimbledonMixedresult = F (1978) | USOpenMixedresult = F (1978) | awards = Raymond Owen "Ray" Ruffels (born 23 March 1946) is an Australian former professional tennis player and coach.

Playing career

Ruffels was an Australian Open semi-finalist in 1968, 1969 and 1976, and a quarter-finalist in 1970 and 1977. In 1978, partnering with Billie Jean King in mixed doubles competition, Ruffels reached the final at Wimbledon and the US Open. Ruffels beat newly crowned US Open champion Stan Smith at the Wembley tournament in 1971. He had two wins over Ken Rosewall and one over John Newcombe in ATP events. He won five open era ATP singles titles at Hobart in 1968, Brisbane in 1969, Haverford in 1970, Auckland in 1972 and Perth indoors in 1976.

He was a member of the Australian Davis Cup team in 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1977.

Career finals

Doubles (16 titles, 7 runner-ups)

::data[format=table]

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0	1970	Merion, US	Hard	AUS Bill Bowrey	USA Jim McManus
USA Jim Osborne	3–6, 6–2, 7–5
Win	2–0	1970	Phoenix, US	Hard	AUS Dick Crealy	TCH Jan Kodeš
USA Charlie Pasarell	7–6, 6–3
Win	3–0	1970	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	AUS Bob Carmichael	YUG Željko Franulović
TCH Jan Kodeš	7–5, 6–2, 5–7, 6–7, 6–3
Win	4–0	1971	Auckland, New Zealand	Grass	AUS Bob Carmichael	NZL Brian Fairlie
RSA Raymond Moore	6–3, 6–7, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
Loss	4–1	1971	Tehran WCT, Iran	Clay	AUS Bob Carmichael	AUS John Newcombe
AUS Tony Roche	4–6, 7–6, 1–6
Loss	4–2	1971	Washington WCT, US	Clay	AUS Bob Carmichael	NED Tom Okker
USA Marty Riessen	6–7, 2–6
Win	5–2	1972	Toronto WCT, Canada	Carpet	AUS Bob Carmichael	AUS Roy Emerson
AUS Rod Laver	6–4, 4–6, 6–4
Win	6–2	1972	Quebec WCT, Canada	Indoor	AUS Bob Carmichael	AUS John Alexander
AUS Terry Addison	4–6, 6–3, 7–5
Loss	6–3	1974	Christchurch, New Zealand		AUS Syd Ball	EGY Ismail El Shafei
USA Roscoe Tanner	W/O
Win	7–3	1975	Auckland, New Zealand	Grass	AUS Bob Carmichael	NZL Brian Fairlie
NZL Onny Parun	7–6, RET.
Win	8–3	1975	Baltimore WCT, US	Carpet	AUS Dick Crealy	EGY Ismail El Shafei
RSA Frew McMillan	6–4, 6–3
Win	9–3	1975	Dayton Indoor, US	Carpet	AUS Allan Stone	USA Paul Gerken
USA Brian Gottfried	7–6, 7–5
Loss	9–4	1975	Orlando WCT, US	Hard	AUS Colin Dibley	USA Brian Gottfried
MEX Raúl Ramírez	4–6, 4–6
Win	10–4	1975	St. Louis, US	Clay	AUS Colin Dibley	AUS Ross Case
AUS Geoff Masters	6–4, 6–4
Win	11–4	1976	Dayton, US	Carpet	USA Sherwood Stewart	CHI Jaime Fillol
USA Charlie Pasarell	6–2, 3–6, 7–5
Win	12–4	1976	Little Rock, US	Carpet	AUS Syd Ball	PAR Giuliano Pecci
PAK Haroon Rahim	6–3, 6–7, 6–3
Win	13–4	1976	Boston, US	Clay	AUS Allan Stone	USA Mike Cahill
USA John Whitlinger	3–6, 6–3, 7–6
Loss	13–5	1976	Bermuda	Clay	AUS Dick Crealy	USA Mike Cahill
USA John Whitlinger	4–6, 6–4, 6–7
Win	14–5	1976	Bangalore, India	Clay	AUS Bob Carmichael	IND Chiradip Mukerjea
IND Bhanu Nunna	6–2, 7–6
Loss	14–6	1977	La Costa WCT, US	Hard	AUS Allan Stone	RSA Bob Hewitt
RSA Frew McMillan	4–6, 2–6
Win	15–6	1977	Perth, Australia	Hard	AUS Allan Stone	USA Nick Saviano
USA John Whitlinger	6–2, 6–1
Loss	15–7	1977	Sydney Outdoor, Australia	Grass	AUS Allan Stone	AUS John Alexander
AUS Phil Dent	6–7, 6–2, 3–6
Win	16–7	1977	Australian Open-2, Melbourne	Grass	AUS Allan Stone	AUS John Alexander
AUS Phil Dent	7–6, 7–6
::

Coaching career

Ruffels was appointed head national tennis coach of Tennis Australia in 1980. He was appointed the inaugural Head Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) tennis program in 1981. He held this position until his retirement in January 1990. Whilst at the AIS, Ruffels coached many young players that would have successful professional careers including: Pat Cash, Wally Masur, Darren Cahill, Todd Woodbridge, Richard Fromberg, Simon Youl and Johan Anderson. After leaving the AIS, he coached Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who as a doubles team won many major titles including the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

In 2009, he returned to Australia to work at the AIS after being a national coach for the United States Tennis Association player development program in California.

In November 2016, he was awarded The President's Spirit of Tennis by Tennis Australia.

Personal

Ruffels married professional tennis player Anna-Maria Fernandez and they have two children, Ryan and Gabriela; both have taken up golf as a career.

References

References

1. (27 October 1971). "Smith ousted By Ruffels". [[The Canberra Times]].
2. (21 October 1976). "Tennis player, umpire argue over out call". [[The Canberra Times]].
3. "Ray Ruffels".
4. "Ray Ruffels". Tennis Australia.
5. (4 August 1989). "Ruffels to vacate AIS". [[The Canberra Times]].
6. "Annual report 1989-1990".
7. "Tennis at the Australian Institute of Sport".
8. "Ray Ruffels wins The President's Spirit of Tennis Award".
9. (24 July 2009). "Ruffels returns to coach Aussie youngsters". ABC News.
10. "The Inside Story: Ryan Ruffels".
11. "Little sister steals limelight".

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