By Nick Georgandis
May 19 - Slovakia's Miloslav Mecir, the 1988 Olympic singles gold medalist, is 49. Representing Czechoslovakia at the games in Seoul in 1988, he defeated the American Tim Mayotte for the gold after upsetting No. 1 seeded Stefan Edberg in an epic 3-6, 6-0, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 semifinal. He also won the bronze medal in men's doubles at the same Olympics. Overall in singles play he won 11 tiles and reached No. 4 in the world in 1988, the same year he was ranked No. 4 in doubles. He reached two Grand Slam finals, losing to Ivan Lendl at the 1986 US Open and again at the Australian Open in 1989. His 1986 finals appearance at the US Open was the last time a player made a Grand Slam final using a wooden racket.
May 20 - Doubles specialist Frew McMillan, who won eight Grand Slam titles, turns 71. The South African won 63 men's doubles and five mixed doubles titles, was ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles beginning in August of 1977. In men's doubles he won Wimbledon thrice (1967, 1972, 1978), the French Open in 1972 and the US Open in 1977. In mixed doubles he won Wimbledon twice (1978, 1981) and the French Open in 1966.
Former world doubles No. 1 Tomas Smid of Czechoslovakia turns 57. Smid won 56 career doubles titles including the 1984 US Open and 1986 French Open, along with the Tour Finals in 1987. Both his titles were won alongside Australia's John Fitzgerald.
May 22 - Current world No. 1 and six-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic turns 26. The Serbian has won the Australian Open four times (2008, 2011-2013) tying him for the most titles there with Roger Federer and Andre Agassi. In addition, he won both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2011. He and Rafael Nadal are the only players to have won at least one Grand Slam title in each of the past three years. As of this past Monday, he has been ranked No. 1 in the world for 81 weeks, the ninth-most in Open Era history. In his first stint as No. 1 in 2011-2012, he spent 53 straight weeks at No. 1, the 11th longest Open Era stretch in that category. In 2011, he did not lose a match until the semifinals of the French Open and finished the season 70-6 with 10 titles.
May 23 - Australia's John Newcombe, former No. 1 in both singles and doubles, and won 26 Grand Slam titles, turns 69. Newcome won seven singles Grand Slam titles, two in mixed doubles and a staggering 17 in men's doubles. In all, he won 68 singles titles and 33 doubles titles. In singles, he won the Australian Open twice (1973, 1975), the US Open twice (1967, 1973) and Wimbledon three times (1967, 1970-1971). He never made it past the quarterfinals of the French Open, missing a chance at the singles career Grand Slam. He acquired it in men's doubles easily, winning the Australian Open five times (1965, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1976); the French Open thrice (1967, 1969, 1973); Wimbledon six times (1965-66, 1968-70, 1974) and the US Open thrice (1967, 1971, 1973). In addition, he won two mixed doubles Grand Slams - the 1964 US Open and the 1965 Australian Open.
May 24 - America's Ken Flach, a six-time Grand Slam doubles champion, turns 50. Flach won 34 doubles titles, reached No. 1 in the world and won the 1988 gold medal in men's doubles. He also won the US Open doubles title twice (1985, 1993) and Wimbledon (1987, 1989).