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Famous Men Tennis Players

Willie Renshaw.

Charles Renshaw (born January 3, 1861 in Leamington, Warwickshire – died August 12, 1904 in Swanage, Dorset) is one of the greatest British male tennis players of all time, and a candidate for the greatest tennis player of all time. The right-hander was known for his power and technical ability which put him well ahead of competition at the time. He won a total of fourteen Wimbledon titles. Seven of those were in singles, an all-time record he now shares with Pete Sampras.

The first six were all in a row, an achievement which has also never been equalled unto this day (although the five successive wins of Björn Borg and Roger Federer are considered the 'modern' record because in Renshaw's time the reigning champion had automatic entry to the final. Since 1922 they have had to play in the main draw, making such feats considerably more difficult). In the Summer months he would compete in England and Ireland, while competing on the French Riviera during the winter months.

In singles play he played brother Ernest three times in the Wimbledon final, triumphing on all three occasions. The other seven titles were in doubles, partnering with his twin brother Ernest Renshaw. Additionally, he and his brother dominated the sport for many years in a time when the only other Grand Slam was the US Open, and by custom players did not travel far. In 1983, Renshaw was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Pete Sampras.

Pete Sampras is the all-time leader in Grand Slam Singles Championships, winning 14 in his career; seven Wimbledon singles titles, two Australian Open titles, and five US Open singles titles. His last and final appearance as an ATP pro was at the 2002 US Open, where as the No. 17 seed, he won the tournament. Sampras held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 286 weeks, including a streak of 102 weeks between April 15, 1996 and March 30, 1998.

Sampras was ranked in the World Top 10 for 12 straight years, holding the year-end No. 1 ranking a record six consecutive years (1993-98). His singles win-loss record is an impressive 762-222, with a 203-38 record in grand slam events. In his 15-year career he captured 64 singles titles and reached the final in 24 additional tournaments. Only the title at Roland Garros eluded him during his career. Sampras was honored as the ATP Player of the Year from 1993 to 1998, a record six consecutive years.

He won the ATP World Championships five times (1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999) - a record he shares with Ivan Lendl. Sampras also remains the all-time leader in total career prize money, earning over $43 million. In Davis Cup action, Sampras was a U.S. team member for eight years (1991-2; 1994-5; 1997; 1999-00; 2002) winning the Cup in 1992 and 1995. His Davis Cup record stands at 19-9 (15-8 in singles, 4-1 in doubles).

Bjorn Borg.

Before he was 21, Bjorn Rune Borg had registered feats that would set him apart as one of game's greats--and before he was 26, the golden-locked Swede was through. No male career of the modern era has been so brief and bright. Tennis is filled with instances of precocious achievements and championships, but none is as impressive as those of Borg. Just before his 18th birthday Borg was the youngest winner of the Italian Championship, and two weeks later he was the youngest winner of the French Championship (a record lowered by Mats Wilander, 17, in 1982, and subsequently by Michael Chang, a younger 17 in 1989).

Eighteen months later, at 19, he climaxed a Davis Cup record winning streak of 19 singles by lifting Sweden to the 1975 Cup for the first time in a 3-2 final-round victory over Czechoslovakia. His Cup singles streak of 33 was intact at his retirement, still a record. Although Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall were a few months younger, in 1953, when they won the Davis Cup for Australia, both were beaten during the final round. But Borg won both his singles over Jan Kodes and Jiri Hrebec and teamed with Ove Bengtson for the doubles win.

Borg's Davis Cup debut at 16 in 1972 as one of the youngest ever in that competition was phenomenal: a five-set win over seasoned pro Onny Parun of New Zealand. Borg was also the youngest winner of the oldest professional championship, the U.S. Pro, whose singles he took in 1974 at 18 (and, subsequently, 1975 and 1976). Aaron Krickstein, 16, lowered that record in 1984. A player of great strength and endurance, he had a distinctive and unorthodox style and appearance, bowlegged, yet very fast. His muscular shoulders and well-developed torso gave him the strength to lash at the ball with heavy topspin on both forehand and backhand.

He used a two-handed backhand, adapted from the slap shot in hockey, a game he favored as a child. By the time he was 13 he was beating the best of Sweden's under-18 players and Davis Cup captain Lennart Bergelin cautioned against anyone trying to change Borg's rough-looking, jerky strokes. They were effective. Through 1977 he had never lost to a player younger than himself. Born June 6, 1956, in Sodertalje, Sweden, where he grew up, Bjorn was fascinated by a tennis racket his father had won as a prize in a ping-pong tournament.

His father gave him the racket and that was the start. Borg preferred to battle from the baseline, trading groundstrokes tirelessly in long rallies, retrieving and waiting patiently to outlast his opponent. Volleying, with his Western grip forehand and two-fisted backhand, was troublesome, and his serve was not impressive at first. He didn't do much on grass until 1976, when he was determined to win Wimbledon, and did so after devoting himself to two weeks of solid practice on serve-and-volley tactics.

He won the most important tournament without losing a set, beating favored Ilie Nastase in the final, 6-4, 6-2, 9-7. Borg was the youngest champion of the modern era at 20 years, one month, until Boris Becker, 17, won in 1985. Borg repeated in 1977, although the tournament was more demanding. His thrilling five-set victories over Americans Vitas Gerulaitis in the semifinals, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 8-6, and Jimmy Connors, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, in the final were considered wo of the best ever played at Wimbledon. By that time Borg had more confidence and proficiency in his volleying.

Borg repeated over Connors in 1978, becoming the first to win three successive years since Fred Perry (1934-36). He made it four in a row with a five-set triumph over American Roscoe Tanner in the 1979 final, thus becoming the first player since Tony Wilding (1910-13) to win four straight years. His fifth straight Wimbledon championship, 1980, climaxed with an all-time great final, a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6 triumph over John McEnroe. During one of the most electrifying passages in tennis history, the 34-point tiebreaker, Borg was stymied on five match points and saved six set points before giving way.

But his famous resolve brought him through in the brilliantly battled fifth. Borg, a right-hander, was now flirting with the ancient Wimbledon record of six straight titles. That was the much less demanding feat of Willie Renshaw (1881-86). In that day and age of the challenge round format, Renshaw needed to play only one match each to win the last five titles. Thus his match-winning streak was only 13, up to an 1888 defeat by Willoughby Hamilton. While winning 1980, Borg also surpassed Rod Laver's Wimbledon male match winning-streak record of 31.

Bjorn built that to his own record 41 (Helen Wills Moody won 50 straight between 1927 and 1938) by reaching the 1981 final. There he was finally dethroned by McEnroe, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. When he won his male record sixth French title in 1981, with another record, his 28th straight match win, it seemed that Borg, then 25, would surely surpass Roy Emerson's male record of 12 major singles titles. Borg had 11. But he would not win another, remaining tied with Laver. His left-handed nemesis, McEnroe, followed up on Wimbledon by beating Borg in a second successive U.S. Open final to take over the No. 1 ranking that the Swede had held in 1979 and 1980. That defeat, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3, effectively ended Borg's career.

He won only two more matches, reaching the quarters of Monte Carlo in 1982. Shortly after that he retired, having won 62 singles titles, including the Masters of 1979 and 1980, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. Nevertheless, he did try comebacks in 1991, 1992 and 1993, all unsuccessful, losing his reappearance match at Monte Carlo to Jordi Arrese. The balletic footwork and marvelous anticipation couldn't be coaxed to return with him, even though others had stayed afloat and earning at 35.

He lost eight first-rounders in 1992 and three in 1993. Bjorn's parting shot, in Moscow's Kremlin Cup, was as close as he got, holding a match point in a farewell tiebreaker while losing to Aleksandr Volkov, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7). Thereafter he confined himself to senior events, renewing his rivalry with Connors, against whom he had been 10-7. He was 7-7 lifetime against McEnroe. The U.S. Open was his particular jinx. He failed to win in 10 tries, losing four finals, 1976 and 1978 to Jimmy Connors, and 1980 and 1981 to McEnroe.

Thrice (1978, 1979 and 1980) he was halfway to a Grand Slam after victories at the French and Wimbledon only to falter at the three-quarter pole at Flushing Meadow, lefty Tanner his conqueror in 1979. Borg's career prize money was $3,609,896.

Laurie Doherty.

Hugh Laurence Doherty was born in Wimbledon in 1875. After attending Cambridge University, Doherty concentrated on a tennis career. Making his Wimbledon debut in 1896, Doherty lost his opening match to C.H.L.Cazalet. The following year he lost in the quarters to Wilfred Baddeley. In 1898 he beat Harold Mahony 14-12 in the fifth set in the All Comers final before losing in the Challenge Round to his brother Reggie in five sets.

In 1900 he lost in the semis to Arthur Gore. After a third round defeat to George Hillyard in 1901, Doherty progressed to the semis in 1902, where he faced Harold Mahony. Mahony led two sets to love but was a spent force by the fourth set, when he had to retire. After winning the All Comers final, Doherty beat Arthur Gore in the Challenge Round in four sets to take his first Grand Slam title. The following year he successfully defended his title in the Challenge Round against Frank Riseley.

At the US Open in 1903, Doherty beat Bill Clothier in the All Comers final before thrashing Bill Larned in the Challenge Round to become the first overseas winner of the event and the first man ever to win two different Grand Slam singles titles. In 1904 he beat Riseley again for a hat trick of Wimbledon titles. In 1905 the Australian Norman Brookes was his opponent and Doherty won in straight sets. He took his fifth consecutive title in 1906, beating Riseley in the Challenge Round in four sets. Then he promptly retired. During the First World War, Doherty was invalided out of the Anti-Aircraft branch of the R.N.R. He died in 1919 at the age of 43.

Roger Federer.

Roger Federer born (August 8, 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 2. He was the World No. 1-ranked player for a record 237 consecutive weeks, from February 2, 2004, through August 17, 2008. Many tennis critics, legendary players, and current players consider him the greatest tennis player ever.Federer has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, five Wimbledon, five US Open), four Tennis Masters Cup titles, and 14 ATP Masters Series titles.

Federer holds many records in the game, including having appeared in 10 consecutive Grand Slam men's singles finals (2005 Wimbledon Championships through the 2007 US Open) and 18 consecutive Grand Slam singles semifinals (2004 Wimbledon - present). He also holds the open era records for consecutive wins on both grass courts (65) and hard courts (56). At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Federer won the men's doubles gold medal for Switzerland, partnering with Stanislas Wawrinka.

He has a storied rivalry with Rafael Nadal, who succeeded him as the World No. 1 player. In 2008, he was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for a record fourth consecutive time.

Reggie Doherty.

The appealing and dominant Doherty brothers Reggie and Laurie, Cambridge (Trinity College) men, enhanced the popularity of tennis and Wimbledon in their homeland, England, at turn of the century, and were the backbone of Britain's first four Davis Cup triumphs, 1903-06. Reginald Frank Doherty, the older and known "Big Do," at 6-foot-1, only 140 pounds, was frequently ill with digestive problems, and wasn't considered as good as Laurie, but did win four straight Wimbledons (1897-1900), beating sibling in the 1898 final, 6-1 in the fifth.

Contesting a record 10 straight doubles finals together (1897-1906), they won a record eight, losing only in 1896 to the Baddeley brothers, Herbert and Wilfred, and in 1902 and 1906 to Smith and Frank Riseley. Reggie, who played left court with his brother, was in 11 straight, losing with Harold Nesbit in 1897. They won all five Davis Cup doubles together, clinching the 1904, 1905 and 1906 Cups. Reggie was born October 1, 1872, in London and died December 29, 1910. They entered the Hall of Fame together in 1980.

Rod Laver.

Although of a slightly short stature and medium build (1.72m), Laver developed a technically complete serve-and-volley game, with aggressive groundstrokes to back it up. As Dan Maskell put it, he was "technically faultless, from his richly varied serve to his feather-light touch on drop volleys plus a backhand drive carrying destructive topspin when needed or controlling slice when the situation demanded it." His left-handed serve was well disguised and wide swinging.

His wristy groundstrokes on both flanks were hit with topspin, an innovation in the 1960s, as was the attacking topspin lob, which Laver developed into a weapon. His stroke technique was based on quick shoulder turns, true swings, and exquisite timing. His backhand, often hit on the run, was a point-ender that gave him an advantage. Laver was very quick and mobile and had a gigantic left forearm. Rex Bellamy wrote, "The strength of that wrist and forearm gave him blazing power without loss of control, even when he was on the run and at full stretch.

The combination of speed and strength, especially wrist strength, enabled him to hit ferocious winners when way out of court." At the net, he had forcing volleys, often hit as stroke volleys. Especially on the backhand, he could hit sharp underspin angles as well. Julius Heldman pointed out, "He is competent on low balls, handling them with underspin for control, but he will cream any ball at waist level or higher." He was difficult to lob, because of his springing agility, and when forced to retreat, he could come up with a vicious counterpunch.

As an amateur, Laver was a somewhat flashy player, often a late starter. He had to learn to control his adventurous shotmaking and integrate percentage tennis into his game when he turned professional. In his prime, he could adapt his style to all surfaces and to all conditions. Laver had a great record in five-set-matches, often turning things around with subtle changes of tactics or by simply hitting his way out of danger.When he got into the "zone," he went for broke. Then he would, as Heldman explains, "literally jump and throw his racket at the ball with all the force he could muster, wrist and arm snapping over at the hit."

Tony Wilding.

Tony Wilding was born in New Zealand in 1883. An outstanding tennis player he was Wimbledon's singles champion four years running (1910, 1911, 1912, 1913). He also won the doubles final four times. In June, 1914, Wilding lost the men's singles final to Norman Brookes. On the outbreak of the First World War Wilding joined the Royal Naval Air Service. Tony Wilding was killed during an attack on enemy sniper posts at Neuve Chapelle on 9th May, 1915.

Wilfred Baddeley.

Wilfred Baddeley first entered the Wimbledon championships in 1890, when he was just 18 years old. He lost in the quarters to Willoby Hamilton. The following year Baddeley thrashed Ernest Renshaw in the semis for the loss of just two games. In the All Comers final Baddeley beat Joshua Pim in four sets to take the title (there was no Challenge Round because Hamilton did not defend). Baddeley was the youngest champion until Boris Becker took the title in 1985. Defending his title in the Challenge Round in 1892, Baddeley beat Pim in four sets to retain his Wimbledon crown.

In 1893 Pim and Baddeley met again in the Challenge Round but this time Pim was victorious in four sets. In 1894 Baddeley made it through to the Challenge round to face Pim, and Pim won in straight sets. Pim did not enter in 1895, which left a window of opportunity for Baddeley. In the semis he received a walk over from his twin brother Herbert, who did not want to play his twin. In the All Comers final against Wilberforce Eaves, Baddeley began badly by dropping the first two sets. In the third set Eaves had a Championship point but Baddeley saved it and went on to take the set 8-6.

Baddeley went on to take the fourth and fifth sets 6-2,6-3 to take his third Wimbledon title. Defending his title in the Challenge Round the following year, Baddeley was involved in a tremendous tussle with Harold Mahony. After five long sets Mahony was the victor. Making his final appearance at Wimbledon in 1897, Baddeley beat Laurie Doherty in the quarters before losing to Reggie Doherty in the semis. Baddeley died in 1929 at the age of 57.

Boris Becker.

Boris Becker captured 6 Grand Slam singles titles - 2 Australian Opens (1991, '96), 3 Wimbledon Championships (1985, '86, '89) and the 1989 US Open. Becker was ranked in the year-end Top 10 eleven times between 1985 and 1996. He finished his career with 49 singles titles and 15 doubles titles. He was a singles winner in the 1988 Masters event (a finalist in 1985, '86, '89), winner at the 1988 World Championships Tennis event (finalist in 1986) and winner of the 1992 and 1995 ATP Tour World Championships Finals (finalist in 1994, '96).

Born November 22, 1967 in Leimen, Germany, Becker was the redheaded teenager that took the world by surprise in 1985 by winning Wimbledon - then the youngest male ever to win a major at 17 years, 7 months.In 1989 Michael Chang, at 17 years, 3 months, won the French Open. He was the first German champion and the first unseeded player to win the Men's Singles Championship. In 1986 he successfully defended his Wimbledon title, stopping Ivan Lendl in the final. At 6 feet, 3 inches, Becker's game featured a big serve, heavy groundstrokes and penetrating volleys.

A crowd favorite at Wimbledon, he reached the finals seven times in 10 years (1985-'95). In the 1995 Wimbledon semifinal, he defeated Andre Agassi from a set down and behind 2 service breaks to win 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-4, 7-6(1). But in the final, he couldn't overpower another young American, Pete Sampras. Becker played Davis Cup for Germany from 1985-1999, leading his country to victory in 1988 and 1989. His career Davis Cup win-loss record stands at 54-12, including an impressive 38-3 in singles.

In 1985, he was named the ATP Most Improved Player of the Year, and then four years later in 1989, he was named the ATP Player of the Year. Becker also earned Olympic Gold in Barcelona, Spain (1992) where he partnered with Michael Stitch to win the men's doubles title for Germany.

Arthur Gore.

Arthur Gore, 1st Earl of Arran PC (1703-17 April 1773) known as Sir Arthur Gore, 3rd Baronet, from 1741 to 1757 and as Viscount Sudley from 1758 to 1762, was an Irish politician. Arran was the son of Sir Arthur Gore, 2nd Baronet, and Elizabeth Annesley, and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1727 he was elected to the Irish House of Commons for Donegal Borough, a seat he held until 1758. He was also Sheriff of County Wexford in 1738 and was admitted to the Irish Privy Council in 1748.

In 1758 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron Saunders, of Deeps in the County of Wexford, and Viscount Sudley, of Castle Gore in the County of Mayo. In 1762 he was further honoured when he was created Earl of Arran, of the Arran Islands in the County of Galway, also in the Peerage of Ireland. Lord Arran married Jane Saunders, daughter of Richard Saunders, in 1731. They had three sons and two daughters. He died in April 1773 and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Arthur.

John McEnroe.

In 1995, McEnroe began to call matches with the U.S.A. coverage of the French Open. This began his present broadcasting career. He is a network television commentator for both NBC and CBS at Wimbledon, the French Open and the U.S. Open. He currently competes in a select number of tournaments and special events, largely for charity. Most of his charity work targets children's causes and he devotes a good deal of time to the Arthur Ashe foundation for the defeat of AIDS. Unlike many top tennis players, tennis was not the endall-be-all for McEnroe.

He has always enjoyed a wide range of activities. An avid rock fan and guitar player, he occasionally plays at charity events. His interest in art led him to open an art gallery in New York City which features up-and-coming young artists. Although his lack of single-minded devotion may have brought his tennis career to a halt, his charitable activities have brought to the public eye a side of McEnroe that was unseen during his reign as champion.

John Newcombe.

When John Newcombe and Tony Roche, an Australian pair, won the Wimbledon doubles of 1965, it was the start not only of an extraordinary string of major titles for Newcombe but also for the two of them as a unit. Two years earlier, though, Newcombe, at 19, attracted international attention as one of the youngest Aussies ever to play Davis Cup. He was selected for the finale to play singles against the U.S.

Though beaten by both Dennis Ralston and Chuck McKinley during a 3-2 U.S. victory, Newcombe served notice that he was a player to reckon with when he pushed Wimbledon champion McKinley to four hard sets in the decisive fifth match. Newcombe and the left-handed Roche, one of the great doubles teams in history, won five Wimbledons together, a modern record (topped only by the English Doherty brothers, who won eight between 1897 and 1905, and the English Renshaw brothers, who won seven between 1880 and 1889).

Newcombe and Roche also won the U.S. in 1967, the French in 1967 and 1969, and the Australian in 1965, 1967, 1971 and 1976, standing as one of only four teams to win all the Big Four titles during a career and leading all teams with 12 majors. Their three successive Wimbledons, 1968, 1969 and 1970, topped by countrymen Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge's four straight from 1993 through 1996, enabled them to set a tourney record of 18 straight doubles match wins, eclipsed by the Woodies' 24. It was in singles, though, that Newcombe made his name.

He and Rod Laver are the only players to win the men's singles at Forest Hills and Wimbledon as amateurs and pros. Newcombe was the last amateur champion at Wimbledon in 1967, and repeated in 1970 and 1971 during the open era. In all Newcombe, a 6-foot, 170-pound right-hander, won 25 major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles to stand second behind Roy Emerson (28) in the list of all-time male championships. John David Newcombe was born May 23, 1944, in Sydney, and was more interested in other sports as a youngster.

Not until he was 17 did a career in tennis appeal to him. But he was powerful, athletic and extremely competitive, and Australian Davis Cup Captain Harry Hopman was glad when Newcombe turned his full attention to tennis. Newcombe helped Hopman win four Cups, 1964-67, and then returned to Cup play in 1973, when all pros were reinstated, to be part of perhaps the strongest team ever, alongside Ken Rosewall and Mal Anderson. In the finale that year Newcombe and Laver were overpowering. Both beat Stan Smith and Tom Gorman in singles, and teamed in crushing Smith and van Dillen in the doubles during a 5-0 Australian victory that ended five-year possession of Cup by the U.S.

Newcombe also played in the World 1970, the inaugural of the since disbanded team match between the Aussies and the U.S., helped win five of those Cups for his country. Newcombe's serve, forehand and volley were the backbone of his attacking game, was at its best on grass. His heavy serve was possibly the best of his era. Grass was the setting for his foremost singles wins, the three Wimbledon plus two U.S. Championships at Forest Hi 1967 and 1973. "You're only as good as: second serve and first volley," was the motto of this intelligent, fun-loving Aussie, and he lived up to it.

Newcombe regretted missing successive Wimbledons of 1972 and 1973 when he felt he might have added to his string. In 1972 he was a member of the World Championship Tennis pro troupe that was banned because of the quarrels between its leader, Lamar Hunt, and the International Tennis Federation. In 1973 Newcombe a member of the players union Association Tennis Pros which boycotted Wimbledon in another dispute with the ITF. The following year stretched his Wimbledon match win streak to 18 before losing to Rosewall in the quarter-finals.

That year Newcombe won the World Championship Tennis singles over an adolescent Bjorn Borg, 17. Newcombe felt, "I'm at my best in a five-set match, especially if I get behind. My adrenaline starts pumping." This was evident in two of his outstanding triumphs, both over Stan Smith, a strong rival for world supremacy in the 1970s. Newcombe beat Smith, 6-3, 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, in the 1971 Wimbledon title match, and 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, during the 1973 Davis Cup finale, rating the latter as his finest performance. In 1967 he was the No. 1 amateur in the world, and in 1970 and 1971 No. 1 of all.

He was one of the first to sign a contract to play World Team Tennis (with Houston) in 1974, his presence helping give the new league credibility, although he played just that one season. His best pro season was 1971, when he won five of 19 singles tourneys on a 53-14 match record. He totaled 73 pro titles, 32 in singles, 41 in doubles, and won $1,062,408. Newcombe was named to the Hall of Fame, along with Roche, in 1986. He is married to former German player Angelika Pfannenburg and was appointed Australian Davis Cup captain in 1995.

Andre Agassi.

Andre Agassi was born April 29, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada. His Iranian-born father Mike Agassi was an Olympic boxer in 1948 and 1952. Andre, the youngest of 4 children, was deemed a tennis prodigy at age three. By age 13, Agassi was enrolled at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. It was there that he honed his skills. Under the tutelage of Bollettieri, Agassi turned pro at the age of 16 in 1986. He took the tour circuit by storm, with his fluorescent outfits and long hair.

But Agassi's success was not what many thought it should be. In 1988, he was ranked 4th in the world, but by 1992 he still had not won a Grand Slam event. Agassi entered the 1992 Wimbledon Open, seeded 12th. But he went on to upset Boris Becker, John McEnroe and Goran Ivanisevic to capture his first Grand Slam title. Moments after winning, Agassi revealed his emotions as he fell to his knees and cried. After a terrible year in 1993, critics began to wonder whether Agassi had reached his full potential and was on his way down.

Agassi hired former player Brad Gilbert as his coach for the 1994 season. The dividends paid off immediately, as he became the first unseeded player since 1930 to win the US Open. This newfound confidence continued on as Agassi posted a 73-9 record in 1995, which resulted in winning the Australian Open and reaching the top ranked position in the world. Agassi's 1996 was bittersweet. He did not win a Grand Slam event (losing in the semi-finals at the US Open), but did win the gold medal at the Olympics.

Being able to win a medal on American soil was a dream come true for him. In 1997, after marrying Brooke Shields and then injuring his wrist, Agassi did not play in many tournaments. His ranking slipped all the way down to 141st in the world. Determined to climb up the ranking ladder once more, Agassi got himself into better physical condition in 1998 and played in more tournaments. He filed for divorce from Shields in April 1999. In June of that year, Agassi became only the 5th player in history to win all four Grand Slams.

By the end of 1999, he was ranked number one in the world once more. In February of 2000, Agassi again captured the Australian Open. He has continued his hot play to this day, remaining a top 5 player in the world. On a personal note, Agassi married fellow tennis player Steffi Graf in Fall 2001, and a week later, the couple welcomed a baby into the world. This famous tennis player is among the oldest players on the tour. Astonishingly enough, Agassi seems to get better and better with every play; although he did start to be a tennis star at the very young age of three. Agassi has won the admiration of many fans with the charisma he holds “on and off the court”. He won numerous “grand slam” competitions all through his career.

Andy Roddick.

This famous tennis player turned professional in the year 2000 while being a teenager. He has “speedily” made it to the top with his serves that frequently topped “140 miles per hour”. In 2002, Roddick had a big win in two tournaments, and also finished among the top ten players during his first “two years” on the tour. Full name is Andrew Stephen Roddick…Since 2001, has been one of the most celebrated athletes in United States. Won the 2004 ESPY for Best Male Tennis Player and nominated again in 2005.

Honored by the ATP as the 2003 Player of the Year when he became the youngest American to end the year at No. 1 in the Indesit ATP Race…received The Arthur Ashe Humanitarian award in 2005 for his charitable efforts and contributions. Andy has been featured in non-sports publications ranging from Rolling Stone to Vogue…Some of the most interesting profiles have included an item written by Sir Elton John for Interview Magazine and being selected as the Sexiest Athlete by People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issue in December of 2003.

He hosted the popular comedy program Saturday Night Live on November 8, 2003, becoming the second tennis player (Chris Evert) and only the 10th athlete in three decades to do so…Following his US Open win, embarked on a 12-hour media tour hitting major outlets including the Today Show, MTV, CNN and The Late Show with David Letterman, among others. Hosted a kid’s clinic in Central Park prior to the 2003 US Open with Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley, who is an avid tennis fan and regular supporter of Roddick…Opened NASDAQ Stock Market on August 20, 2003.

Has been honored by throwing out the first pitch at several Major League Baseball games, including Game 2 of 2003 Oakland-Boston playoff series. In addition to being featured in a range of publications and appearing on popular television programming, Andy has headlined national advertising campaigns for American Express and Lexus as well as participating in promotional spots for ESPN Sportscenter. Father, Jerry, is an investor, and mother, Blanche, is director of the Andy Roddick Foundation…Brother John was an All-American tennis player at University of Georgia (1996-98), and now operates a tennis academy in San Antonio…Oldest brother Lawrence, a chiropractor in San Antonio, was an accomplished spring board diver and a member of U.S.

Senior National Team. A big University of Nebraska football fan, the bathroom at his parents home is covered in red-and-white Cornhuskers wallpaper…Moved to Austin, Texas at age 4 1/2, then moved to Boca Raton at age 10…Purchased a second home in Austin in November 2003…Played varsity basketball in high school alongside Davis Cup teammate Mardy Fish, who trained and lived with Roddick in 1999. Finished as No. 1 junior in U.S. in 1999-2000 and as No. 1 junior in world in 2000…A winner of six world junior singles and seven doubles titles, won the US Open and Australian Open junior singles titles in 2000…Nicknamed “A-Rod” by other players, but ESPN’s Chris Berman dubbed him “Kid Roddick” following an on-line survey of nearly 2,000 voters.

Hobbies include listening to music (favorites include Dave Matthews Band and John Mayer) and watching movies (favorite is Shawshank Redemption)… When not on the road, Andy enjoys spending time with his friends boating on Lake Austin…Travels with Coach and older brother John Roddick (since February 2006), and trainer Doug Spreen, former ATP Tour trainer.

Famous WomenTennis Players

Maria Sharapova.

A famous tennis player in the female league, Sharapova started to play tennis at age four and coached by her dad. She quickly climbed the ladders of success in tennis, becoming a “superpower”. Sharapova is ranked as among today’s number one players, winning several “grand slam” tournaments. She also made it to semis and quarters, and lots more. Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. At the end of 2006, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.

Sharapova's parents moved from Homyel, Belarus, to Siberia, Russia, in 1986, after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She was born the following year in Nyagan, Russia. At seven, Sharapova was brought to the United States by her father, Yuri Sharapov, to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Her mother, Yelena, who could not come with them because of visa restrictions, followed a few years later. Sharapova has lived in the United States since then but retains her Russian citizenship.

In 2002, Sharapova bought a beach home in Manhattan Beach, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, but lives most of the year near the IMG training facility in Bradenton. Maria has been labeled as a power baseliner by tennis critics and fans. She is noted for having an excellent double-handed backhand and serves, particularly for the power and placement of these shots. She is also noted for having a good forehand. Likewise, critics claim that for her height, Sharapova has decent agility on-court. Being an offensive player, Sharapova is usually able to overpower her opponents or keep them on the run with sharp angles from the baseline.

Sharapova is ambidextrous and played left-handed until she was ten years old, before deciding to play right-handed. Although she almost always employs a right-handed forehand and double-handed backhand, she has one of the most accurate double-handed backhand shots and is known to occasionally hit left-handed shots as a result of her early left-handed training. Maria has won every Grand Slam singles title except the French Open. She believes that winning the French Open will be a big challenge because her aggressive game does not suit a clay surface.

She has never won a WTA tour singles title on that surface (yet). In the year 2004, Maria donated $10,000 to victims of the tsunami disaster in Thailand. In January 2005 she donated proceeds of an auction for the Porsche car she won at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships of more than $50,000 to victims of the school siege in Beslan, Russia.On February 14, 2007, Sharapova was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and donated US$100,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects.

She is planning on traveling back to the area after Wimbledon in 2008. Maria will begin 2009 by playing the World Team Challenge in Hong Kong which is from January 7-10. The tournament will feature four teams representing Europe, Russia, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Each team will consist of three players competing in singles and doubles, with Maria leading the Russian team. Other players confirmed are Jelena Jankovic, Venus Williams and Sania Mirza. The rest of the field will be announced later.

Venus and Serena Williams.

These two famous tennis players are perhaps the world’s most popular tennis duo. From hitting used and old balls against the walls of a schoolhouse in Campton, the two girls became the “queens of women’s tennis”. Venus and Serena Williams are the two highest ranked female players of tennis today. When Justine Henin retired in May this year to the astonishment of the tennis world, the women’s game was more popular than it had ever been. There were still a few muffled questions surrounding prize money parity with men but no one questioned the mega-wattage of star quality it offered.

That the Williams sisters are back in the semifinals at Wimbledon with another intra-squad final looking quite likely is no big surprise. But the company they are keeping at this rarefied stage of tennis's most traditional tournament is certainly unexpected. No. 5 seed Elena Dementieva, with her suspect serve, has never been at her best on grass, and little more than two weeks ago she suffered a psychological blow at the French Open that might have sent a weaker character into an extended tailspin.

Unseeded Zheng Jie of China was ranked just 133rd coming into this tournament and required a wild card from the All England Club to gain entry. But in the semifinals Thursday, it will now be Venus Williams against Dementieva and Serena Williams against Zheng. Four-time Wimbledon champion Venus and two-time champion Serena are justifiably heavy favorites, but that does not mean Serena's match with Zheng won't generate considerable interest in China in this Olympic year. Serena beat Zheng easily in their only previous meeting, which came in the first round of Wimbledon in 2004, which was Zheng's breakthrough year on tour.

"I've been watching her play," Serena said. "I think she's doing a fabulous job, and I don't think it's luck, her doing well. I think she's a really good player. I'm definitely not going to underestimate her." Zheng, a relatively short but solidly built 24-year-old better known for her doubles prowess, has already upset four seeded players at this Wimbledon, including No. 1 seed Ana Ivanovic in the third round. On Tuesday, she continued her historic run by overcoming the more powerful but also more erratic Czech 19-year-old Nicole Vaidisova, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.

Zheng, who has already won the Wimbledon women's doubles title with partner Yan Zi, is now the first Chinese woman to reach the semifinals in singles at a Grand Slam event. She has done it less than a year after ankle surgery caused her to miss the second half of the 2007 season.Though her latest victory ended just before midnight in China, she said she already had received numerous messages of congratulations from her homeland.

"I know today I had many Chinese people on the TV watching this match, so on the court, I told myself that I need to keep going and do my best for my friends and my family," said Zheng, who plans to donate part of her prize money from Wimbledon to earthquake relief in her home city of Chengdu, which was damaged by a massive earthquake in May. Serena, seeded sixth this year, was particularly sharp in her 6-4, 6-0 victory over No. 14 seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

She required just 51 minutes to finish off the Polish 19-year-old, who had stopped another big hitter, Svetlana Kuznetsova, in the fourth round. "I definitely felt I stepped it up a notch, mostly with my serve," Serena said. "I felt my serve really clicked, and I think that was the turning point of the whole match."She finished with 11 aces, including four in one game while serving at 2-3 in the first set. In all, Serena finished with 27 winners and six unforced errors: a remarkable ratio for a player who takes big swings and risks as consistently as she does.

"She was playing too good for me today," who also got only four games when they played on clay in Berlin earlier this season. Nonetheless, until further notice, Venus Williams remains the defending champion here. On Tuesday, despite sometimes fierce resistance from counterpunching Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn, Venus was able to finish off a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Dementieva looked ready to do the same on Center Court as she served for the match with a 6-1, 5-2 lead in her quarterfinal against compatriot Nadia Petrova.

But closing out victories under Grand Slam pressure has not been Dementieva's forte of late, and this surprisingly straightforward encounter would soon become much more psychologically complex as Dementieva lost her cool in the heat that is making this Wimbledon feel more like that steamier Grand Slam that is staged in the Australian summer. Dementieva had also served for the match at 5-2 in the second set in the quarterfinals of the French Open this year against Dinara Safina, another powerfully built, unpredictable Russian.

But Dementieva failed to seal the deal against Safina in Paris and then squandered a match point in the next game with a missed backhand return long and ended up losing her grip on power. Safina was on her way to a memorable 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 victory, and Dementieva was left to ponder her failings once more. In the three prior seasons there were so many great stories – inspiring comebacks by Hingis, Clijsters, Pierce, Henin and the Williams sisters, the Eastern European glamour brigade, Henin’s rivalries with Clijsters, Mauresmo and the Williamses, designer gear floating around the courts and, of course, the highest-earning female athlete in the world.

There was enough happening both on and off the court to keep women’s tennis as much in the news as its male counterpart, competing with the kind of brilliance Federer and Nadal were producing. But just look at how things have turned around in the subsequent four months. In the period that Nadal and Federer have taken their game to the realm of the mythical, among women there was no clear top player, not a single tennis match worth calling great (please do not come up with the Wimbledon final example because Safina’s two wins at the French had higher drama) and, saddest of all, the voices questioning women getting equal prize money have gotten louder.

One wonders how much of it has to do with Henin’s retirement, or was that just the last of a series of adversities? One of the numerous articles that were written on the Belgian’s retirement stated that WTA chief Larry Scott would not have spent sleepless nights over her calling it a day. After all, she was not the hottest player out there. Hell, despite being No.1 for much of this decade she was not even particularly well-liked.

Sania Mirza.

She was born to a sports journalist Imran Mirza and Nasima in Mumbai. She was brought up in Hyderabad. She was trained by her father, Imran Mirza, (as well as her other family members) and sponsored by the industrialist GV Krishna Reddy. She went to Nasr school in Hyderabad. She has a younger sister Anam. She began playing tennis at the age of six, turning professional in 2003. She is the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, with a career high ranking of 27 in singles and 18 in doubles.

She was ranked 91st in the singles category and 44th in the doubles category in the WTA rankings of Sept 8, 2008. Sania Mirza holds the distinction of being the first Indian woman to be seeded in a Grand Slam tennis tournament when she was seeded 26th in the 2007 U.S. Open. Earlier in 2005, she had become the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the 2005 U.S. Open, defeating Mashona Washington, Maria Elena Camerin and Marion Bartoli.

In 2004, she finished runner up at the Asian Tennis Championship. In 2005, Mirza reached the third round of the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. On February 12, 2005, she became the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title, defeating Alyona Bondarenko of Ukraine in the Hyderabad Open Finals. Mirza won the 2003 Wimbledon Championships Girls' Doubles title, teaming up with Alisa Kleybanova of Russia. Mirza does not enjoy playing on clay. Her best performance in French Open singles was a second round appearance in 2007.

As of September 2006, Mirza has notched up three top 10 wins against Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova and Martina Hingis. At the 2006 Doha Asian Games, Mirza won the silver in the women's singles category and the gold in the mixed doubles partnering Leander Paes. She was also part of the Indian women's team that won the silver in the team event. Mirza had the best results of her career during the 2007 summer hard court season, finishing eighth in the 2007 U.S. Open Series standings.

She reached the final of the Bank of the West Classic and won the doubles event with Shahar Pe'er, and reached the quarterfinals of the Tier 1 Acura Classic. At the 2007 U.S. Open, she reached the third round before losing to Anna Chakvetadze for the third time in recent weeks. She fared much better in the doubles, reaching the quarterfinals in mixed with her partner Mahesh Bhupathi and the quarterfinals in the women's doubles with Bethanie Mattek, including an impressive win over number two seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur.

She represented India at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, in the women's singles and doubles events. In singles, she retired in the round of 64, while she was trailing 1-6, 1-2 against Iveta Benesova of Czech Republic. She teamed up with Sunitha Rao for the doubles event. They got a walk-over in the round of 32, but lost to Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina by 4-6, 4-6, in the round of 16. She has stated that two of her best friends are fellow WTA tour players, Anna Chakvetadze and Bethanie Mattek.

Martina Navratilova.

Martina Navratilova was born on October 18, 1956, in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Stifled by an oppressive communist system that controlled the Czech Tennis Federation, Navratilova immigrated to the United States in 1975 to pursue her tennis career in an atmosphere of freedom. She had already won her first professional singles title a year earlier in Florida and by the time she left Czechoslovakia, everyone saw that it would only be a matter of years, if not months, before she would become a force to be reckoned with on the courts.

And how right they were by the end of the 70s, Navratilova had already cemented her place in tennis history, crowned the WTA Tour Player of the Year twice, acquiring her first two Wimbledon singles championships, and attaining her first (of many) number one rankings. But Martina Navratilova had only started. By the early 1980s, Martina was without exception the most dominant player in tennis. In ‘81, she won the Australian Open while 1982 saw her take both the singles and doubles championships at Wimbledon and the French Open.

And while she dropped a match in the fourth round of the 1983 French Open, she went on to claim the other three Grand Slam titles that year, bringing her record for 1983 to a remarkable 86-1, a year-long winning percentage that has never been matched. 1984 saw her extend her record to six Grand Slam singles titles in a row before her 74 game winning streak was snapped in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Navratilova’s success continued through the decade as she reached the semi-finals in all 11 Grand Slams held in the years 1985 – 1987 and in 1990 she hoisted the Wimbledon dish one last time, bringing her to an all-time record of 9 Wimbledon singles titles.

Navratilova continued to win in both singles and doubles through the early 90s and after a brief retirement, returned to the tour to play doubles. She was named one of Sports Illustrator’s “Top 40 Athletes of All-time” for her overall contributions to the world of athletics, and in 2000 she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2003, she won the mixed-doubles titles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, making her the oldest player to win a Grand Slam title and also giving her a Grand Slam “boxed set” (winning all four Grand Slams playing singles, doubles, and mixed doubles).

Navratilova continued to win right up to her final tour match, where she, along with partner Bob Bryan, walked away as the U.S. Open mixed doubles champions, giving Navratilova her 59th Grand Slam title and a place in tennis history. Martina Navratilova may have retired from the professional tour but that does not mean she has even thought about slowing down. Navratilova currently resides in Aspen, Colorado and Nokomis, Florida but spends most of her time traveling the world, speaking at different events, playing in numerous exhibition matches, and tirelessly promoting all of the issues that are close to her heart.

Helen Willis.

Helen Newington Wills Roark (October 6, 1905 – January 1, 1998), also known as Helen Wills Moody, was an American tennis player and widely considered one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. She has been described as "the first American born woman to achieve international celebrity as an athlete." Wills was born Helen Newington Wills in Centerville, California, now part of Fremont, California, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.

She was already quite famous when she married Frederick Moody in December 1929. She won approximately one-half of her major championships as Helen Wills and one-half as Helen Wills Moody. Wills divorced Moody in 1937 and married Aidan Roark in October 1939.

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