Established in 1884, the Toorak-located Royal South Yarra club is one of Australia’s foremost sporting clubs.
“RSYLTCA is an amazing club in Melbourne with a strong tennis history,” McCurdy, who made it to the last 16 at Wimbledon in 1983, told the Yarrawonga Chronicle.
“It’s a full-time role where you provide various coaching opportunities/programs predominantly for members of the club.”
For the previous eight years, the star player and coach, who turns 60-years-of-age in May, was Head Coach of Tennis World (Tennis Australia).
Beforehand, he had other head coaching roles at the Australian Open, Australian Institute of Sport and Tennis Victoria.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have made a career doing something I love,” McCurdy said.
The highest ranked player he has coached is Mark Philippoussis and more recently, Marc Polmans while currently Lleyton Hewitt’s boy Cruz “is showing a lot of promise”.
“There’s always good talent coming up in Australia. It’s the transition to seniors that’s difficult.
“At present Australia has Ash (Barty) at number one which can really inspire the next generation.
“In the men’s there are a number of players who can perform on the world stage and good young ones coming up.
“There’s some good depth in the women’s behind Ash Barty. In the men’s you have De Minaur, Popyrin, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis who are all top ten if everything goes right.”
At Wimbledon in 1983, McCurdy won four rounds to make it to the top 16 and rates the Wimbledon champion that year, John McEnroe as his toughest ever opponent.
“It’s a lifetime ago now but it was a special week and nice to look back on,” McCurdy said of his Wimbledon performance nearly 37 years ago.
Regarded as one of Australia’s best tennis coaches, his hectic schedule prevents him from getting back to Yarrawonga as often as he’d like.
“I love getting up there and still have a lot of family living in Yarrawonga,” McCurdy said.
“Tom and Fran (Lowe; stepfather and mother) are both going well and I also have sisters Megan and Erin and their families up there.”
His last visit to Yarrawonga was just before Christmas “but I plan to get up there at some stage before or at Easter”.
“Even aside from family, it’s a great place to visit or live which is why it’s so popular.
“The Yarrawonga Lawn Tennis Club is a terrific country club hosting many great events, particularly the Easter tournament. The courts seem like they are in great condition too.”
In those junior tennis days, Yarrawonga meant a lot to him. “You don’t forget where you’re from and I had a great childhood growing up in Yarrawonga,” he said.
“Joe Dixon was a guy who was great to me when I was a kid – he was one of the best players in town, loved sport and competing and we often had some good battles after school/work down at the club.
“I was really pleased to see Joe and (wife) Judy for some time when I was home last in Yarrawonga.”
McCurdy attended Oklahoma University in America on a tennis scholarship. He is a past school captain at Yarrawonga High School where he gained his HSC and after school it was a hit of tennis with his mates Peter Campbell, Ross Stevenson, Jeff Long, Steven Judd, Les (Salty) Parish and Pip Bunn.
John’s father, the late Jack McCurdy, was a great country payer being Yarrawonga Club Champion 10 times and establishing Yarrawonga as a power in A GradeCountry Week, alongside the legendary Country Champion Pat O’Kane. Also in the team were Ian McDonald, Roy Munro, Bill Russell and Harry Cowell.
