For Chris Pridham, tennis is a family affair. Inspired by his brother, Jeremy, and his sisters Susan and Judith (all of whom were National Champions), he began playing recreational tennis as a young boy.
By the age of 11, Pridham was ranked third in the country’s under-12 category, and at 13, he was ranked number two. At this time, he began to train at the Canadian Tennis Academy under renowned coach Pierre Lamauche, which catapulted him to the first-place slot by the age of 15.
After finishing third in the 1981 US Amateur tournament, Pridham turned professional. Over his 13- year career, he achieved wins at the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) events in Portugal, United States, Mexico, Australia, and Europe. He also reached the third round at Wimbledon in 1988, and the third round at the Australian Open in 1992.
He also reached a career high of #75 in the world, represented Canada in the Seoul Olympics, and was a member of Canada’s Davis Cup Team for 10 years. Most impressively, in an era of legendary tennis players, Pridham claimed match victories over star players like Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker.
In retirement, Pridham returned to Oakville to coach and lecture at various tennis camps, passing on his knowledge and love of tennis to another generation. Additionally, he created he Pridham Tennis Invitational, which, from 1992 to 1996, raised more than $250,000 for the cause CAVEAT (Canadians Against Violence). He also continued to play top-tier tennis, becoming the Canadian over-35 National Champion in 2002, and Captain of the Canadian team at the World Championships.
