Career
He was ranked among the world"s top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968-1974, reaching a career high of World Number. 3 in 1969. He also was ranked World Number. 1 in doubles in 1969.
At Wimbledon, Okker reached the quarterfinals in 1968 and the semifinals in 1978.
Okker reached the final after defeating Pancho Gonzales in the quarterfinal and Ken Rosewall in the semifinal. He lost the final to American Arthur Ashe in five sets, 12–14, 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6.
Okker turned professional in February 1969 when he signed a four-year contract with the Lamar Hunt"s World Championship Tennis. He also was the runner-up in 24 singles tournaments.
Okker is also among the most successful men"s doubles players of all time.
Okker"s other doubles titles include the 1973 Italian Open, 1973 London Grass Courts (with Riessen), 1973 Spanish Open (with Ilie Năstase), 1975 Opel International (with Arthur Ashe), and 1978 WCT World Doubles (with Wojtek Fibak). Maccabiah Games This event is open to all Israelis and to non-Israeli Jews. Style of play He was among the first players of his era to hit the ball with heavy topspin.
Okker, who is Jewish on his father"s side, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Since the mid-1980s Okker has been involved in art and was a founding partner in the Jaski art gallery in Amsterdam, specialising in works of the CoBrA movement. In 2005 he founded art gallery Tom Okker Art bv in Hazerswoude-Dorp, Netherlands, where he now lives.
Singles finals, 1 (1 runner-up) Doubles finals, 5 (2 titles, 3 runners-up) Singles performance timeline.