Eric Sturgess
| Full name | Eric William Sturgess |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 South Africa
|
| Born |
10 May 1920 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Died | 14 January 2004 (aged 83) Sunninghill, South Africa |
| Plays | Right-handed (1-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 62–15 |
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (1948, John Olliff) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1950) |
| French Open | F (1947, 1951) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1951) |
| US Open | F (1948) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 0–1 |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1950) |
| French Open | W (1947) |
| Wimbledon | F (1951, 1952) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1950) |
| French Open | W (1947, 1949) |
| Wimbledon | W (1949, 1950) |
| US Open | W (1949) |
Eric William Sturgess (10 May 1920 – 14 January 2004) was a South African male tennis player and winner of six Grand Slam doubles titles. He also reached the singles final of a Grand Slam tournament three times but never won. Sturgess was ranked World No. 6 by John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph in both 1948 and 1949.
Eric Sturgess was born in Johannesburg, South Africa where he attended Parktown Boys' High School. Sturgess joined the South African Air Force on the outbreak of World War II and became an instructor with No 4 Spitfire Squadron, SAAF. In October 1944 he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire, captured on landing and sent to the air force officers' prison camp, Stalag Luft III, in eastern Germany. In January 1945 he was transported to Stalag IIIA at Luckenwalde which was liberated two months later by the advancing Russian forces.
He reached the singles final of the 1947 and 1951 French Championships but lost to Hungarian József Asbóth (6–8, 5–7, 4–6) and Jaroslav Drobný (6–3, 6–3, 6–3) respectively. In 1947 he won the doubles competition with countryman Eustace Fannin. In 1948 he reached the singles final at the U.S. National Championships but lost to American Pancho Gonzales.
In 1947 and 1948 he won the British Hard Court Championships played in Bournemouth. He won the first three Swedish Open tournaments (1948, 1949, 1950), played in Båstad. Sturgess won a record 11 singles titles at the South African Championships between 1939 and 1957.
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