Former tennis star Murphy Jensen had $1 million tax debt

By Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Murphy Jensen, the former Atlanta resident who won a French Open doubles title with his brother Luke, failed to pay taxes in Georgia and California for several years before filing for bankruptcy last year, according to The Detroit News.

Jensen owed more than $1 million in state and federal taxes when he filed for bankruptcy last Dec. 30 in Los Angeles, the newspaper reported. The paper's Tax Watchdog column described Jensen as "one of the most successful professional tennis players from Michigan."

According to the report, Jensen listed $156,007 in delinquent income taxes owed to Georgia from 1995-98; $121,464 in delinquent income taxes to California from 2000-03 and 2005-07; and $759,294 in delinquent federal taxes from 1999 and 2000-07.

Jensen, 41, who lives in Santa Monica, Calif., could not immediately be reached for comment.

The charismatic Jensen, who dated actress Robin Givens in the 1990s, has dabbled in acting. Now he hosts the Tennis Channel's "Open Access" show, which goes behind the scenes at major tournaments.

Murphy Jensen played two years at the University of Southern California and one year at Georgia before turning pro. In 1993, Jensen and his older brother Luke entered Roland Garros as an unseeded duo and went on to win the doubles championship.

Murphy Jensen finished his career with four doubles titles and more than $680,000 in winnings.