George Clifford Richey Jr. (born December 31, 1946) is an American former amateur and professional tennis player who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Richey achieved a highest singles ranking of World No. 6 and reached at least the quarterfinal stage of the singles event at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

Career Richey was the American junior national tennis champion in 1962 (16 years) and 1963 (18 years) and in 1964 he won the boys' singles title at the French Championships. He won his first senior singles in October 1962 at the Permian Basin Invitation in Midland, Texas against Butch Newman.

Richey was a member of the American team which won the 1969 Davis Cup against Romania but did not actively participate. He was an active member of the team that won the 1970 Davis Cup, winning both his singles matches in the final against West Germany, and was voted the most valuable player. In September 1971, Richey quit the Davis Cup team before the final against Romania citing his disagreement with the USLTA over the choice of surface and the lack of consultation with players. In total, Richey played in seven Davis Cup ties between 1966 and 1970 and compiled a record of ten wins and three losses.

Richey was the winner of the first Grand Prix tennis circuit, organized in 1970, finishing ahead of Arthur Ashe and Ken Rosewall. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 6, achieved in 1970, and No. 1 in the U.S for that same year. The No. 1 ranking was decided by the outcome of the semifinal match at the Pacific Coast Championships against his direct competitor, Stan Smith, and ultimately came down to just a single point when both players had a match-point at 4–4 in the sudden death tiebreak of the final set.

Richey reached the semifinal of a Grand Slam tournament on three occasions. His first semifinal appearance was at the 1970 French Open where he lost to Yugoslav Željko Franulović in a five-set match after leading two-sets-to-one and 5–1 in the fourth set and having failed to convert two match points. At the 1970 US Open later that year Richey again reached the semifinal which he lost in straight sets to Australian Tony Roche. His last Grand Slam semifinal appearance came two years later at the 1972 US Open where he defeated Rod Laver in the fourth round but was beaten in the semis in straight sets by compatriot Arthur Ashe. His best singles result at the Wimbledon Championships was reaching the quarterfinal in 1971 in which he lost to Ken Rosewall in a close four-hour five-set match.

During the first years of the Open Era, which started in 1968, Richey chose to be an independent professional but in April 1972 he became a contract professional when he signed a four-year contract with Lamar Hunt to join the World Championship Tennis tour.

He is the brother of Nancy Richey, a Hall of Fame tennis player who won two Grand Slam singles tournaments. They were the first brother-sister combination to both be concurrently ranked in the US Top Ten. They were ranked in the Top Three concurrently in 1965, 1967, 1969 and 1970. He won his final singles title at the Johannesburg Open in 1978 against Colin Dowdeswell.

Career finals Singles: 72 (45 titles, 27 runners-up) Category + (Titles)ILTF (27) ILTF Grand Prix/ILTF Independent/WCT Circuit (18) Titles by surfaceClay – outdoor (24)Grass – outdoor (3)Hard – outdoor (10)Carpet – indoor (3)Hard – indoor (3) ResultNo.DateTournamentLocationSurfaceOpponentScoreWin1.1962Permian Basin InvitationMidlandClay Butch Newman6–3, 8–10, 8–6Win 2. 1962San Angelo OpenSan AngeloHard David Kent6–2, 6–1Win 3.1963Texas State ChampionshipsDallasHard Bill Lust6–2, 6–2, 6–4Loss 1.1963 Sugar Bowl InvitationNew Orleans Clay Ham Richardson8–6, 5–7, 6–3, 4–6, 1–6Win 4.1964 Pittsburgh Golf Club Invitation IndoorsPittsburghHard (i) Butch Newman6–3, 4–6, 7–5Win 5.1964 Sugar Bowl InvitationNew Orleans Clay Ham Richardson6–0, 6–2, 9–11, 4–6, 8–6Loss 2.1965 Pittsburgh Golf Club Invitation IndoorsPittsburghGrass Ron Holmberg 6–4, 5–7, 1–6Win 6.1965 Dallas InvitationalDallas Clay Ham Richardson4–6, 6–4, 6–2Loss3.1965 River Oaks ChampionshipsHoustonGrass Ramanathan Krishnan 4–6, 6–2, 4–6, 3–6Win 7.1965 Western States ChampionshipsMilwaukee Clay Marty Riessen5–7, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3Loss4.1965U.S. Clay Court ChampionshipsHouston Clay Dennis Ralston 4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6Win 8.1966South American ChampionshipsBuenos Aires Clay Thomaz Koch6–3, 6–2, 2–6, 6–0Loss5.1966St. Petersburg Masters InvitationalSt. Petersburg Clay Niki Pilic 7–9, 5–7, 6–8Loss6.1966Caribe Hilton International San Juan Hard Arthur Ashe 6–3, 4–6, 3–6Loss7.1966Western Australian ChampionshipsPerthGrass Arthur Ashe 6–3, 2–6, 3–6, 4–6Win 9.1966West of England ChampionshipsBristolGrass Mike Belkin6–1, 6–3Win10.1966 Western States ChampionshipsIndianapolis Clay Dennis Ralston6–1, 1–6, 6–1, 6–2Loss8.1966Newport Casino InvitationalNewport Grass Dennis Ralston12–14, 9–11, 6–8Win11.1966U.S. Clay Court ChampionshipsHouston Clay Frank Froehling 13–11, 6–1, 6–3Win12.1967Peru International ChampionshipsLima Clay Patricio Cornejo (2nd)Round RobinWin13.1967Porto Alegre InternationalPorto Alegre Clay Tom Okker4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–8Win14.1967Tulsa InvitationTulsa? Clark Graebner6–2, 6–1Win 15.1967South American ChampionshipsBuenos Aires Clay José Mandarino7–5, 6–8, 6–3, 6–3Loss9.1967Atlanta InvitationAtlanta Hard Marty Riessen5–7, 2–6, 4–6Win 16.1967River Plate International ChampionshipsBuenos Aires Clay Clark Graebner3–6, 6–4, 7–5Loss10.1967Pacific Coast ChampionshipsBerkeley Hard Charles Pasarell5–7, 6–8Win 17.1967Permian Basin InvitationMidlandClay Jim Parker6–4, 6–4Loss11.1968Altamira International Invitation Caracas Hard Marty Riessen1–6, 6–8, 1–6Win18.1968 River Oaks ChampionshipsHoustonGrass Boro Jovanović 6–4, 6–1, 6–0Win19.1968 U.S. National Indoor ChampionshipsHoustonHard (i) Clark Graebner 6–4, 6–4, 6–4Loss12.1968Western States ChampionshipsIndianapolis ? Jaime Fillol 1-6, 5–7, 2–6Win20.1968 Sugar Bowl Tennis ClassicNew OrleansClay Ron Holmberg 6–4, 6–4, 4–6, 8–6 ↓  Open era  ↓Win21.1969Omaha InternationalOmahaClay Joaquín Loyo-Mayo 6–4, 6–2Win22.1969Curaçao International ChampionshipsWillemstadHard Mark Cox 6–4, 6–2Win23.1969Thunderbird InvitationalPhoenixHard Manuel Santana 6–4, 6–4Win24.1969Pennsylvania Grass Court ChampionshipsHaverfordGrass Robert Carmichael 6–4, 7–9, 6–2, 6–4Loss13.1969Pacific Southwest ChampionshipsLos Angeles Hard Pancho Gonzales 0–6, 5–7Win25.1969Western ChampionshipsCincinnatiClay Allan Stone 6–1, 6–2Win26.1969 Sugar Bowl Tennis ClassicNew OrleansClay Jim Osborne6–4, 6–4, 6–2Loss14.1969Pacific Coast International OpenBerkeley Hard Stan Smith 2–6, 3–6Win27.1969Canadian OpenTorontoClay Butch Buchholz6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–0Win28.1970Carolinas International ClassicCharlotteHard Erik van Dillen6–3, 7–6Win29.1970Washington Star InternationalWashington, D.C.Clay Arthur Ashe7–5, 6–2, 6–1Win30.1970Charlotte Invitation Charlotte Clay Robert Carmichael6–4, 6–4Loss15.1970Caribe Hilton International ChampionshipsSan JuanHard Arthur Ashe 4–6, 3–6, 6–1, 3–6,Win31.1970Austin Smith ChampionshipsFort LauderdaleClay Clark Graebner6–3, 7–5Win32.1970Macon IndoorMaconCarpet (i) Arthur Ashe3–6, 6–3, 8–6Loss15.1970British Covered Court ChampionshipsLondon Carpet (i) Rod Laver 3–6, 4–6, 5–7Loss16.1970River Oaks InternationalHouston Clay Clark Graebner 6–2, 3–6, 7–5, 3–6, 2–6Win33.1970Atlanta InvitationalAtlanta? Frank Froehling6–2, 6–2Loss17.1970U.S. International Indoor ChampionshipsSalisbury Hard (i) Ilie Năstase6–8, 3–6, 6–4, 9–7, 6–0Win34.1970U.S. Clay Court ChampionshipsIndianapolisClay Stan Smith6–2, 10–8, 3–6, 6–1Loss18.1970Western ChampionshipsCincinnati Clay Ken Rosewall9–7, 7–9, 6–8Loss19.1970Pacific Coast International OpenBerkeleyHard} Arthur Ashe4–6, 2–6, 4–6Win35. 1971Des Moines International IndoorsDes MoinesCarpet (i) Vladimír Zedník6–1, 6–3Loss19.1971Midlands InternationalOmahaCarpet (i) Ilie Năstase4–6, 3–6, 1–6Win36.1971Fort Lauderdale OpenFort LauderdaleClay Pat Cramer6–7, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2Win37.1971Glenwood Manor InvitationOverland Park? Alex Olmedo7–5, 5–7, 6–2Loss20.1971Caribe Hilton International ChampionshipsSan JuanHard Stan Smith 3–6, 3–6 Win38.1971River Oaks InternationalHoustonClay Clark Graebner6–1, 6–2, 6–2Loss21.1971U.S. International Indoor ChampionshipsSalisbury Hard (i) Clark Graebner6–2, 6–7, 6–1, 6–7, 0–6Loss22.1971U.S. Clay Court ChampionshipsHoustonClay Željko Franulović 3–6, 4–6, 6–0, 3–6Win39. 1972Bretton Woods WCTBretton WoodsClay Jeff Borowiak6–1, 6–0Win40. 1972Rothmans International Tennis TournamentLondonCarpet (i) Clark Graebner6–1, 6–0Loss23.1972Carolinas International Tennis TournamentCharlotteClay Ken Rosewall 6–2, 2–6, 2–6Win41. 1972South African OpenLondonHard Manuel Orantes6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4Loss24.1973WCT MunichCharlotteCarpet (i) Stan Smith 1–6, 5–7Win42. 1974Lakeway WCTLakewayHard John Alexander7–6, 6–1Loss25.1974Australian Indoor ChampionshipsCharlotteHard (i) John Newcombe4–6, 3–6, 4–6Loss26. 1976Boca Raton IPA ClassicBoca RatonClay Butch Walts6–4, 4–6, 4–6Win43. 1976Bermuda Tennis ClassicHamiltonHard Gene Mayer7–6, 6–2Loss27.1976Sun Devil OpenTempeHard (i) Dick Stockton1–6, 4–6Win44. 1977Bahamas International OpenFreeportHard John McEnroe7–5, 4–6, 6–2Win45. 1978Johannesburg OpenJohannesburgHard Colin Dowdeswell6–2, 6–4

Personal life

Golf highlights: Founding member, Celebrity Players' Tour (1997) Played celebrity golf tour for 15 years (1992–2007) Won tour events in Jamaica (2004) and Baltimore (2006) Scratch golfer (74.5 career stroke average; career best round 63) Mental health awareness fundraising and activism: Richey organized tennis and golf tournaments to benefit charities: Angelo Catholic School (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990) James Phillips Williams Memorial [Dyslexia] Foundation (1991, 1992, 1993) Mental Health/Mental Retardation (MHMR) (1999) United Way (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) Nominated for Frank M. Adams Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service (2000) Public lectures and presentations: Keynote presentation, Texas state convention for executive directors of MHMR (2000) Community legislative forums (1999, 2000) Invited lectures to college campuses and psychology classes (2006, 2007, 2008) Keynote address, MHMR banquet (Palestine, TX, 2000) 2010 Mental Health America/TX Boots, Bells, and Hearts award 2010 Texas Council of MHMR's Annual Conference, Keynote Speaker, Woodlands TX 2010 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) National Convention, breakfast presentation Fourteen-city book tour for Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion's Toughest Match, 2010 2010 Lecture at the Grand Rounds, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University to Faculty and trainees 2010 Keynote speaker Montana State Convention on Mental Illness, Billings, Montana

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