Peter Fleming

Blond-haired and blue-eyed Peter Fleming, known on tour as "Flam", won 57 doubles titles – including four at Wimbledon in 1979, 1981, 1983-84 and three at the US Open 1979, 1981 and 1983 – with John McEnroe, a contrasting personality, who he nicknamed "Junior", to become one of the greatest teams in tennis history.

Fleming, the second of four sons to Alan, a portfolio manager on Wall Street, first played tennis aged five at the Short Hills Racquets Club in Millburn, New Jersey, overcoming mononucleosis before coming under the wing of Warren Woodcock, a former Australian player.

Choosing tennis over basketball, Fleming enrolled at the University of Michigan before transferring at UCLA. He partnered Ferdi Taygan to the 1976 NCAA doubles title, the same year he finished runner-up in the singles. He didn’t stop growing until he was 21 and had reached 6’5”.

Right-handed Fleming possessed a punishing serve, ironing out a tendency to hit double faults early in his career, and hit powerful returns – particularly off the backhand side from the deuce court – that complimented left-hander McEnroe, his partner from 1977, who would terrorize opponents by crossing for volley winners.

Fleming partnered McEnroe to seven straight Masters titles from 1978-84, never losing a match at Madison Square Garden in New York. The pair was named ATP Doubles Team of the Year in 1979, 1981, 1983-84.

They made the perfect team, reaching 68 doubles finals and compiled a 351-42 record. On Davis Cup duty for the United States, the duo had a 14-1 record and picked up three titles in 1979, 1981-82. Their only loss came in the 1984 Davis Cup final versus Sweden. In 1990, Fleming humbly said: "The best doubles pair in the world is John McEnroe and anyone."

Fleming attained a career-high World No. 1 doubles ranking on 11 June 1984, had a 60-21 record in finals and a 507-177 match record. He finished No. 2 in the year-end doubles rankings in 1979-84.

A former World No. 8 singles player (7 July 1980), he won three titles – including 1978-Bologna and 1979-Los Angeles, Cincinnati) – from eight finals. He earned a career-high $302,226 in 1983, when he became the Grand Prix bonus pool doubles champion.

Since retiring in 1988, Fleming has become a keen golfer and a leading commentator for Sky Sports. He lives in London with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children. Bio: James Buddell