| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | College Station, Texas, U.S. |
| Birth date | September 5, 1956 (age 70) |
| Birth place | Kingsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Turnedpro | 1978 |
| Retired | 1987 |
| College | University of Texas |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Careerprizemoney | $1,084,664 |
| Singlesrecord | 108–116 (48.2%) |
| Singlestitles | 0 |
| Highestsinglesranking | No. 12 (April 18, 1983) |
| Australianopenresult | F (1981, 1982) |
| Frenchopenresult | 1R (1982, 1984) |
| Wimbledonresult | 4R (1982) |
| Usopenresult | 4R (1982) |
| Othertournaments | yes |
| Masterscupresult | 1R (1982) |
| Wctfinalsresult | QF (1983) |
| Doublesrecord | 325–198 (62.1%) |
| Doublestitles | 18 |
| Highestdoublesranking | No. 2 (August 15, 1983) |
| Australianopendoublesresult | F (1983) |
| Frenchopendoublesresult | QF (1984) |
| Wimbledondoublesresult | SF (1982, 1983) |
| Usopendoublesresult | W (1982) |
| Othertournamentsdoubles | yes |
| Masterscupdoublesresult | F (1982) |
Steve Denton (born September 5, 1956) is a former professional tennis player. He is currently the head men's tennis coach at Texas A&M University.
After becoming an all-American at the University of Texas in 1978, Denton spent nine seasons playing for the ATP Tour. He reached the final of the 1981 Australian Open, losing in four sets to Johan Kriek[1] and lost to the same opponent in the 1982 Australian Open final, this time in straight sets.[1] He won the 1982 US Open doubles championship with Kevin Curren, attaining career-high rankings of World No. 12 in singles and World No. 2 in doubles. He won a total of 18 tour level doubles titles and, despite reaching 6 finals, never won a singles title. In 1984, he served a 138 miles per hour (222 km/h) serve. After retiring from the pros, he moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, coaching several local junior tennis teams. In 2001, he debuted his college coaching career at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, where he led his teams to three conference championships and a first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. In 2006, he resigned to become the head coach at Texas A&M University.
For his accomplishments, he is a member of the ITA Hall of Fame, the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, the Blue-Gray Tennis Class Hall of Fame, and the Longhorn Hall of Honor.
Playing career
High school and college
Denton attended Bishop High School in Bishop, Texas. As a prep, he won four consecutive UIL state 3A singles titles. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he played tennis from 1976 to 1979. He earned all-American honors in 1978. Along with teammate Kevin Curren, he won the U.S. Tennis Association amateur indoor and SWC doubles title in 1979. He completed his college career with an 85–22 singles record, which currently ranks third all-time in school history. He also compiled a 72–18 doubles record, and a 78–27 team record. For his collegiate and professional accomplishments, he was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 2006.[2]
Professional
Denton was ranked as high as world No. 12 on the ATP rankings in singles and No. 2 in doubles, both in 1983. Denton was known for his big serve and employed an unusual service motion which involved taking two steps forward prior to striking the ball. Current ATP rules prohibit such a motion (or any service motion involving a running or walking start). In 1984, Denton served a 138 mph (222 km/h) serve.
He reached six singles finals, most notably the Australian Open (in 1981 and 1982) and the Cincinnati Masters (in 1982). He also won 18 doubles titles (including the US Open and the Canada Masters) in 1982, and reaching 23 additional doubles finals.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (2 runners-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1981 | Australian Open | Grass | Johan Kriek | 6–2, 7–6, 6–7, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1982 | Australian Open (2) | Grass | Johan Kriek | 6–3, 6–3, 6–2 |
Doubles (1 championship, 1 runner-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1982 | US Open | Grass | Kevin Curren | Victor Amaya Hank Pfister | 6–2, 6–7, 5–7, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1983 | Australian Open | Grass | Sherwood Stewart | Mark Edmondson Paul McNamee | 6–3, 7–6 |
Mixed doubles (3 runners-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1983 | Wimbledon | Grass | Billie Jean King | John Lloyd Wendy Turnbull | 6–7, 7–6, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1983 | US Open | Grass | JoAnne Russell | Anne Smith Kevin Curren | 6–4, 7–6 |
| Loss | 1984 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | Kathy Jordan | John Lloyd Wendy Turnbull | 6–3, 6–3 |
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
Singles
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | Q3 | F | F | 3R | 1R | 2R | NH | 1R | A | 0 / 6 |
| French Open | A | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 |
| Wimbledon | Q2 | 1R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 2R | Q2 | Q2 | Q2 | 0 / 5 |
| US Open | A | 1R | 4R | 3R | 2R | 1R | A | A | A | 0 / 5 |
| Strike rate | 0 / 0 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 18 |
Career finals
Doubles (18 wins, 23 losses)
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Nov 1979 | Hong Kong | Carpet | Mark Turpin | Pat Du Pré Robert Lutz | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Feb 1980 | Denver, U.S. | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Wojciech Fibak Heinz Günthardt | 7–5, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Mar 1980 | Washington-2, U.S. | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Ferdi Taygan Brian Teacher | 6–4, 3–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 1–3 | Aug 1980 | North Conway, U.S. | Clay | Kevin Curren | Jimmy Connors Brian Gottfried | 6–7, 2–6 |
| Win | 2–3 | Aug 1980 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Clay | Kevin Curren | Wojciech Fibak Ivan Lendl | 3–6, 7–6, 6–4 |
| Win | 3–3 | Oct 1980 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Ivan Lendl | Pavel Složil Balázs Taróczy | 6–2, 6–7, 6–3 |
| Win | 4–3 | Oct 1980 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Kevin Curren | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan | 6–7, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 4–4 | Nov 1980 | Bologna, Italy | Carpet | Paul McNamee | Balázs Taróczy Butch Walts | 6–2, 3–6, 0–6 |
| Win | 5–4 | Jan 1981 | Monterrey WCT, Mexico | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Johan Kriek Russell Simpson | 7–6, 6–3 |
| Loss | 5–5 | Mar 1981 | Brussels, Belgium | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Sandy Mayer Frew McMillan | 6–4, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 5–6 | Jun 1981 | London/Queen's Club, UK | Grass | Kevin Curren | Pat Du Pré Brian Teacher | 6–3, 6–7, 9–11 |
| Win | 6–6 | Aug 1981 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Clay | Kevin Curren | Raúl Ramírez Van Winitsky | 6–3, 5–7, 7–5 |
| Win | 7–6 | Oct 1981 | Vienna, Austria | Hard (i) | Tim Wilkison | Sammy Giammalva Jr. Fred McNair | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Win | 8–6 | Nov 1981 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Kevin Curren | Sherwood Stewart Ferdi Taygan | 6–7, 6–4, 6–0 |
| Loss | 8–7 | Jan 1982 | Masters Doubles WCT, London | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy | 7–6, 3–6, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Win | 9–7 | Feb 1982 | Denver, U.S. | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Phil Dent Kim Warwick | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 10–7 | Feb 1982 | Memphis, U.S. | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 7–6, 4–6, 6–2 |
| Loss | 10–8 | Mar 1982 | Munich-2 WCT, Germany | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Mark Edmondson Tomáš Šmíd | 6–4, 5–7, 2–6 |
| Win | 11–8 | Apr 1982 | Frankfurt, Germany | Carpet | Mark Edmondson | Tony Giammalva Tim Mayotte | 6–7, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 12–8 | Apr 1982 | Houston WCT, U.S. | Clay | Kevin Curren | Mark Edmondson Peter McNamara | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Win | 13–8 | Aug 1982 | Toronto, Canada | Hard | Kevin Curren | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 6–7, 7–5, 6–2 |
| Loss | 13–9 | Aug 1982 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | Mark Edmondson | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 2–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 14–9 | Sep 1982 | US Open, New York | Hard | Kevin Curren | Victor Amaya Hank Pfister | 6–2, 6–7, 5–7, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Loss | 14–10 | Oct 1982 | Sydney Indoor, Australia | Hard (i) | Mark Edmondson | John McEnroe Peter Rennert | 3–6, 6–7 |
| Win | 15–10 | Feb 1983 | Philadelphia, U.S. | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 6–4, 7–6 |
| Win | 16–10 | Mar 1983 | Munich WCT, Germany | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy | 7–5, 2–6, 6–1 |
| Win | 17–10 | Apr 1983 | Houston WCT, U.S. | Clay | Kevin Curren | Mark Dickson Tomáš Šmíd | 7–6, 6–7, 6–1 |
| Win | 18–10 | Apr 1983 | Las Vegas, U.S. | Hard | Kevin Curren | Tracy Delatte Johan Kriek | 6–3, 7–5 |
| Loss | 18–11 | May 1983 | Forest Hills WCT, U.S. | Clay | Kevin Curren | Tracy Delatte Johan Kriek | 7–6, 5–7, 3–6 |
| Loss | 18–12 | Jun 1983 | London/Queen's Club, UK | Grass | Kevin Curren | Brian Gottfried Paul McNamee | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 18–13 | Sep 1983 | Dallas, U.S. | Hard | Sherwood Stewart | Nduka Odizor Van Winitsky | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 18–14 | Oct 1983 | Tokyo Indoor, Japan | Carpet | John Fitzgerald | Mark Edmondson Sherwood Stewart | 1–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 18–15 | Nov 1983 | Wembley, UK | Carpet | Sherwood Stewart | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 18–16 | Dec 1983 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Grass | Sherwood Stewart | Mark Edmondson Paul McNamee | 3–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 18–17 | Feb 1984 | Richmond WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Kevin Curren | John McEnroe Patrick McEnroe | 6–7, 2–6 |
| Loss | 18–18 | Mar 1984 | Brussels, Belgium | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Tim Gullikson Tom Gullikson | 4–6, 7–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 18–19 | Mar 1984 | Milan, Italy | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 18–20 | Feb 1985 | Memphis, U.S. | Carpet | Kevin Curren | Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd | 6–1, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 18–21 | Apr 1985 | Atlanta, U.S. | Carpet | Tomáš Šmíd | Paul Annacone Christo van Rensburg | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 18–22 | Aug 1987 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | John Fitzgerald | Ken Flach Robert Seguso | 5–7, 3–6 |
| Loss | 18–23 | Apr 1988 | Tokyo Outdoor, Japan | Hard | David Pate | John Fitzgerald Johan Kriek | 4–6, 7–6, 4–6 |
Singles: 6 (6 losses)
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jan 1982 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Grass | Johan Kriek | 2–6, 6–7, 7–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 0–2 | Mar 1982 | Metz, France | Hard (i) | Erick Iskersky | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 0–3 | Aug 1982 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | Ivan Lendl | 2–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 0–4 | Dec 1982 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Grass | Johan Kriek | 3–6, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 0–5 | Feb 1983 | Richmond WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Guillermo Vilas | 3–6, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Loss | 0–6 | Feb 1984 | Richmond WCT, U.S. | Carpet | John McEnroe | 3–6, 6–7(7–9) |
Coaching career
Denton made his first head coaching debut at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi in 2001. In his five seasons there, he led the Islanders to three Southland Conference regular-season championships, two tournament championships, and the team's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. He was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year twice, in 2004 and 2005. He finished with a 64–48 overall record.[3]
On August 8, 2006, Denton became the head men's tennis coach at Texas A&M University. After struggling for two years in Big 12 Conference play, Denton led the Aggies to a 5-1 conference record and 2nd-place finish in his third year, earning Big 12 Coach of the Year honors.[4]
References
- ^ "Johan Kriek wins Australian Open". Gainesville Sun. 14 December 1982. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Steve Denton". Texas Longhorns Athletics. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
- ^ "A&M's Denton Selected to 2008 ITA Hall of Fame Class". Big 12 Sports. Archived May 11, 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- ^ "Denton, Pollock and Krajicek Earn Big 12 Conference Honors". AggieAthletics.com. Retrieved May 7, 2009.[dead link]