Oldest Players in Main Draw on Clay Court

At the top of the Open Era list for oldest players in an ATP men’s singles main draw on clay court stands Gardnar Mulloy, who appeared at Miami 1977 aged 63 years and 77 days, the oldest recorded clay-court main-draw appearance of the Open Era. In that match, Mulloy faced John Whitlinger in the Round of 32, losing 6-0, 6-1 on outdoor clay — a result that makes Miami 1977 the ultimate clay-court longevity milestone rather than a competitive benchmark. Mulloy dominates the very top of this surface-specific record: he also appears at Fort Lauderdale 1971 aged 57 years and 56 days, Jacksonville 1970 aged 56 years and 123 days, Monte-Carlo 1969 aged 55 years and 143 days, Jacksonville 1969 aged 55 years and 131 days, and St. Petersburg 1969 aged 55 years and 115 days.

Behind him come other early Open Era veterans such as Jozsef Asboth, aged 51 years and 306 days at Munich 1969, and Frederick “Ted” Schroeder, aged 51 years and 4 days at Louisville WCT 1972.

In this record, as with the overall list, the milestone is simply entering the draw — a rare example of early Open Era longevity extending beyond age 50 on a single surface.