Eliot Teltscher


Eliot Teltscher is a retired professional American tennis player. His highest ranking in singles was # 6 in the world, and in doubles was # 38 in the world.

Tennis career

Early years

Teltscher was born in Palos Verdes, California, lives in Irvine, California, and is Jewish. His mother was born in pre-state Israel/British Mandate Palestine, and his father Eric, of Austrian descent, was a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to Israel and joined the British military, ultimately becoming an industrial engineer. He began playing tennis when he was nine, and by the time he was 17, he was ranked in the top ten in the United States junior rankings.
He attended UCLA in 1978 on a tennis scholarship, where he was an All American, but dropped out to begin his professional tennis career. In the NCAA tournament that year, he was ranked number two and was expected to play John McEnroe from Stanford in the final. However, he lost in the quarter-finals to John Sadri of North Carolina State. That same year he defeated Onny Parun to win the New Zealand Open. He lived in Sebring, Florida.He lives in Irvine, California.

Pro career

In January 1978, after Teltscher was eliminated by Ilie Nastase at the $100,000 Baltimore International tennis tournament, Nastase said: "Forget about Jimmy Connors. Teltscher is the best player I’ve played in the United States in years. Put him in the Davis Cup, put him in the World Cup, put him in everything."
In 1979, Teltscher turned pro. A worldwide top 10 player from 1980–82, he was ranked no lower than #15 from through 1984. He reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on May 7, 1982, when he became ranked #6 in the world.
He and his partner Terry Moor made it to the finals of the French Open in 1981, and he and Barbara Jordan won the mixed doubles title in 1983. He made it to the quarterfinals at the US Open in 1980, 1981, and 1983, where each time he was defeated by Jimmy Connors. He beat Connors, ranked # 8 in the world, in Chicago 6–3, 6–1. He won 10 singles titles during his professional career, which ended in 1988.

Davis Cup

Teltscher was on the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1982, 1983, and 1985. His team defeated France in the 1982 tournament.

Coaching

He served as a coach for Justin Gimelstob, Richey Reneberg, Jeff Tarango, Pete Sampras, Jim Grabb, Phillip King and others.
Teltscher served as a head men's tennis coach at Pepperdine University for the 1991–92 school season, and as a tennis coach at the Manhattan Beach Country Club from 1992 to 1997.
He was a coach of the US national team from 1998 to 2001, when he resigned to become personal coach to Taylor Dent.
He was named USTA Director of Tennis Operations in December 2002.
Teltscher was named the 2003 Pan American Games Men's Coach.

Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

Teltscher, who is Jewish, was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1991, into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, and into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Grand Slam finals

Men's doubles

Mixed doubles

ATP Tour finals

Singles 24 (10–14)

Doubles 14 (4–10)