He turned pro in 1955 and subsequently became a coach in Queensland. In 1969 he supervised the Davis Cup team when the captain, Neale Fraser, was temporarily unable to.[3] In 1975 he won the first Veterans' Open Tournament of the Gold Coast and District Tennis Association at Queens Park Tennis Centre.[7] According to a video interview with Fay Toyne about the history of Milton tennis centre in Brisbane, Ayre died of a heart attack whilst on a tennis court.[8] His Sydney Morning Herald obituary states he was involved in a doubles match when he died.[9]