Anders Järryd

Born: July 13, 1961 in Lidköping (Västra Götaland)
Height: 1.80 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Järryd’s appearances in main-level finals spanned sixteen years, with losses marking both his first (Båstad 1981) and last final (Rosmalen 1995). Above all, he was an outstanding doubles player – winning all four Grand Slam tournaments (capturing a total of eight major titles) and the Masters thrice. For over a decade, he was a cornerstone of the Swedish Davis Cup team, primarily as a doubles specialist. Still, it’s worth highlighting that in the 1987 final against India, he was unexpectedly selected to play singles instead of the higher-ranked Stefan Edberg, and rose to the occasion. [ Järryd and his regular doubles partner for roughly three years – Edberg – had secured Sweden’s second Davis Cup victory (1984) by defeating an excellent American pair. ]
Two years earlier, facing India again, he and Edberg played an unforgettable opening set lasting two and a half hours, against the Amritraj brothers – winning it 21-19, before closing out the match 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Between 1983 and 1989, Järryd participated in six out of seven successive Davis Cup finals for Sweden (excluded in 1985 – paradoxically the year when he helped his nation the most in reaching the final) – once as a singles player and five times as a doubles mainstay, partnering three different countrymen: Henrik Simonsson, Edberg, and Jan Gunnarsson.
Apart from his Swedish partnerships, Järryd also found great success with Australian John Fitzgerald, particularly in the biggest doubles events. His career draws a natural comparison to Jonas Björkman, eleven years younger. Both were more animated than average Swedish players, natural baseliners with two-handed backhands yet inclined to attacking the net, and both achieved immense success in doubles – relying more on quick reflexes than classic volleying finesse. Järryd amassed 8 singles titles and 58 doubles titles, while Björkman earned 6 in singles and 54 in doubles. Both had a deep love for representing Sweden in team competitions.
Initially known as a clay-courter, Järryd’s extensive doubles schedule turned him into a dangerous floater on faster surfaces. On grass, he played his best Slam singles tournament at Wimbledon 1985; on carpet, he claimed his biggest singles title in Dallas (1986). Notably, between 1984 and 1994, he played fifteen main-level finals – all indoors (two on hard courts).
In 1993, Järryd experienced a late-career singles resurgence: as a qualifier, he stunned Boris Becker in the Australian Open first round. That victory earned him a wild card in Rotterdam, where he won the title. In just two months, he soared from world no. 151 to 77 – but it was his swan song. For the next three years, he alternated between Challengers and main-tour events.
Thanks to his longevity and exceptional doubles career, Järryd deserves recognition as the third-greatest Swede of the golden era – behind only Mats Wilander and Edberg, even if his singles résumé doesn’t compare. Like Wilander and five years younger Edberg, Järryd retired in 1996 – they did it respectively in October, November, and July.

Career record: 396–261 [ 261 events ]
Career titles: 8
Highest ranking: No. 5
Best GS results:
Australian Open (quarterfinal 1987-88)
Wimbledon (semifinal 1985, quarterfinal 1987)
US Open (quarterfinal 1985)
Davis Cup champion 1984, 85 (didn’t play the final) and 87
World Team Cup champion 1988