Mike De Palmer (October 17, 1961 – August 7, 2021) was a professional tennis player from the United States.
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Born | October 17, 1961 Tampa, Florida |
| Died | August 7, 2021 (aged 59) Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| Prize money | $405,056 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 76–85 |
| Highest ranking | No. 35 (February 21, 1983) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1985) |
| French Open | 3R (1983) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1983) |
| US Open | 3R (1982) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 125–131 |
| Career titles | 6 |
| Highest ranking | No. 20 (November 3, 1986) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1985) |
| French Open | 3R (1985) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1985, 1987, 1988) |
| US Open | SF (1985) |
De Palmer enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career, he won six tour doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional six times. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 20 in 1986.
DePalmer had a career high singles ranking of 35, with wins over Jimmy Connors, Vitas Gerulaitis, Mel Purcell, Peter Fleming, Peter Lundgren, Paul McNamee, Jakob Hlasek, and Tim Gullikson. He reached the singles final in Ancona, Italy, in 1982, losing to Anders Järryd 6-3, 6-2.
De Palmer coached Boris Becker from August 1995 to June 1999, as well as coaching other professional tennis players.
De Palmer died in Knoxville, Tennessee, on August 7, 2021, at the age of 59 because of complications from pancreatic cancer.[1] His father coached the tennis team at the University of Tennessee from 1981 to 1994.
Grand Prix and WCT finals
Doubles: 12 (6 titles, 6 runner-ups)
| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1. | Sep 1984 | San Francisco, U.S. | Hard (i) | Sammy Giammalva Jr. | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1. | Jul 1985 | Livingston, U.S. | Hard |  Peter Doohan |  Eddie Edwards Danie Visser | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2. | Nov 1985 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Gary Donnelly |  Guy Forget  Andrés Gómez | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 2. | Nov 1985 | Vienna, Austria | Carpet (i) | Gary Donnelly |  Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Loss | 3. | May 1986 | Florence, Italy | Clay | Gary Donnelly | Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez | 4–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 4. | Sep 1986 | San Francisco, U.S. | Hard (i) | Gary Donnelly | Peter Fleming John McEnroe | 4–6, 6–7(2–7) |
| Win | 3. | Oct 1986 | Tokyo Indoor, Japan | Carpet (i) | Gary Donnelly | Andrés Gómez  Ivan Lendl | 6–3, 7–5 |
| Win | 4. | Oct 1986 | Hong Kong, U.K. | Hard | Gary Donnelly | Pat Cash Mark Kratzmann | 7–6, 6–7, 7–5 |
| Win | 5. | Nov 1986 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard (i) | Christo van Rensburg | Andrés Gómez Sherwood Stewart | 3–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–4) |
| Loss | 5. | Mar 1987 | Chicago, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Gary Donnelly | Paul Annacone Christo van Rensburg | 3–6, 6–7(4–7) |
| Win | 6. | May 1989 | Florence, Italy | Clay | Blaine Willenborg |  Pietro Pennisi Simone Restelli | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 6. | Jun 1989 | Bristol, England | Grass | Gary Donnelly | Paul Chamberlin Tim Wilkison | 6–7, 4–6 |
