Perfect 10: Lenoir went from Wildcat to Wimbledon

Lenoir tops UA men's tennis list 

The men’s tennis program at Arizona was in its prime in the 1960s and 70s.

In that stretch, the Wildcats won five Western Athletic Conference titles. 

Some of Arizona's best teams were led by Brian Cheney, a 1967 and 1968 WAC individual champion, a 1969 runner-up and a three-time All-American.

Rand Evett had an impressive career, winning the 1972 and 1973 WAC singles titles, along with the 1973 and 1974 doubles crowns. 

But they don’t hold a candle to Bill Lenoir, who is not only the greatest men’s tennis player in UA history but possibly Tucson’s all-time best, too. 

Lenoir's accomplishments nothing short of impressive 

At Tucson High School, Lenoir won the state singles title in 1959 and 1960. He starred at the UA from 1962-64. 

After his college career, he went on to compete twice at the Wimbledon and once at the U.S. Open.

Lenoir told the Star in 1995 that he regretted not playing in "five or six French Opens," because "I could have reached the semifinals there."

In between, he had quite the collegiate career, too, which is why he’s our pick for the No. 1 men’s tennis player in UA history. 

Why Lenoir? 

Even without his pre- and post-college achievements — which aren’t a factor here — Lenoir, who died in 2007 at age 64, deserves the honor.

Lenoir won the WAC singles title in 1963 and 1964, also winning the doubles title in both years, and was a three-time All-American. In 1961 and 1963, he made it to the NCAA tournament’s quarterfinals. In between, he advanced to the NCAA semifinals. 

"Back then, people couldn't understand how I could hit with both hands," Lenoir told the Star in 1995. "People came to see me just to see my style. They'd always tell me that I couldn't be any good playing like that — and now everybody plays that way." 

10. Doug Livingston 

Years at UA: 1989-91

Notable achievements:

• 1991 ITA All-American

• Ranked No. 17 in 1991 and No. 32 in 1990 

9. Doug Stoesser 

Years at UA: 1961-62

Notable achievements:

• 1961 ITA All-American

• 1962 ITA All-American 

8. Roger Matalonga 

Years at UA: 2002-06

Notable achievements:

• 3-time all-conference (2004, 2005, 2006)

• 2-time ITA All-American (2005, 2006)

• Ranked No. 36 in 2006, No. 61 in 2005 and No. 64 in 2004 

7. Jan Anderson 

Years at UA: 1992-96

Notable achievements:

• 1994 ITA All-American

• 3-time all-conference

• Ranked No. 9 in 1994, No. 67 in 1995 and No. 96 in 1996 

6. Fred Drilling 

Years at UA: 1962-65

Notable achievements:

• 1964 ITA All-American

• 1964 WAC doubles champion

• 1965 WAC doubles champion 

5. Warren Eber 

Years at UA: 1978

Notable achievements:

• 1978 WAC singles champion

• 1978 WAC doubles champion 

4. Paul Chamberlin 

Years at UA: 1982-84

Notable achievements:

• 1984 ITA All-American

• Ranked as high as No. 4 in 1984

• Ranked No. 43 in 1982.

• Arizona Hall-of-Famer 

3. Brian Cheney 

Years at UA: 1967-69

Notable achievements:

• 1967 WAC singles champion

• 1968 WAC singles champion

• 1969 WAC singles runner-up

• 3-time ITA All-American

• Arizona Hall-of-Famer 

2. Rand Evett 

Years at UA: 1971-75

Notable achievements:

• 1972 WAC singles champion

• 1973 WAC singles champion

• 1973 WAC doubles champion

• 1974 WAC doubles champion

• Led UA to three straight WAC titles

• Finished ranked in the top-10 three times

• First-ever freshman to win WAC singles title

• 2-time ITA All-American 

1. Bill Lenoir 

Honorable mentions: Steven Capriati (2000-02), Colin O’Grady (2001-05), Henrik Wagner (1995-98), Jay Goldman (2007-11), Claudio Christen (2004-2008) 

Click the first photo below to check out the women's tennis edition of the "Perfect 10" series. Click the second photo to check out the gymnastics edition.