Gilad Bloom
Encyclopedia
Gilad Bloom is a former professional tennis
player from Israel
. Bloom trained at the Israel Tennis Centers
. His career-high rankings were World No. 61 in singles (in 1990) and World No. 62 in doubles (in 1992).
player, Bloom was Israel's junior champion, 3-time men's singles champion, and 2-time men's doubles champion. Bloom came in second in the boy's under-12 final at the annual Ericsson Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships in 1979.
Bloom turned professional in 1986, and played on the ATP tour for 13 years. During his career he won four tour doubles titles (at Tel Aviv
and São Paulo
in 1987, and at Seoul
and Umag
in 1991). He also finished runner-up in three top-level singles events (Tel Aviv in 1989, Manchester
in 1990, and Singapore
in 1991).
Bloom played Davis Cup
for Israel from 1986–95. He helped Israel qualify to the 1994 Davis Cup
world group, winning the qualification playoff's 5th and deciding rubber against Switzerland's Jakob Hlasek
in one of the most memorable matches in Israeli tennis history.
His best singles performance at a Grand Slam
event was at the 1990 US Open
, where he reached the 4th round before being knocked out by Ivan Lendl
. At Wimbledon in June 1991 he lost to world # 8 Guy Forget
in 5 sets, 6–2, 6–7(2), 5–7, 7–6(4), 4–6, despite winning 171 points to Forget's 168.
Among his upsets were in May 1988 world # 14 Martín Jaite
, 6–4, 2–6, 6–2, at Forest Hills; in June 1990 # 25 Petr Korda
, 6–0, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, in Wimbledon, in June 1991 # 16 Brad Gilbert
, 6–2, 6–0, in Manchester, England; and in June 1994 # 16 Carlos Costa in Austria, 6–3, 3–6, 7–5.
Bloom represented Israel at the 1988
and 1992 Olympic tennis tournaments
.
He retired from the professional tour in 1995.
In 1995 he was senior coach with the Israel Tennis Centers, coaching the country's top juniors.
He currently coaches alongside John McEnroe at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy on Randalls Island in New York City.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player from Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Bloom trained at the Israel Tennis Centers
Israel Tennis Centers
Israel Tennis Centers is the largest tennis program for children in the world, reaching more than 350,000 families—5% of the Israeli population...
. His career-high rankings were World No. 61 in singles (in 1990) and World No. 62 in doubles (in 1992).
Tennis career
A left-handedLeft-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
player, Bloom was Israel's junior champion, 3-time men's singles champion, and 2-time men's doubles champion. Bloom came in second in the boy's under-12 final at the annual Ericsson Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships in 1979.
Bloom turned professional in 1986, and played on the ATP tour for 13 years. During his career he won four tour doubles titles (at Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
in 1987, and at Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and Umag
Umag
Umag is a coastal city in Istria, Croatia.The city hosts the yearly Croatia Open ATP tennis tournament on clay courts.-Geography:It is the westernmost city of Croatia, and the municipality includes Savudrija which is westernmost point of Croatia....
in 1991). He also finished runner-up in three top-level singles events (Tel Aviv in 1989, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 1990, and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in 1991).
Bloom played Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
for Israel from 1986–95. He helped Israel qualify to the 1994 Davis Cup
1994 Davis Cup
The 1994 Davis Cup was the 83rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. A total of 109 nations participated in the tournament...
world group, winning the qualification playoff's 5th and deciding rubber against Switzerland's Jakob Hlasek
Jakob Hlasek
Jakob Hlasek is a former professional tennis player from Switzerland.-Career:The major highlights of Hlasek's career came in 1992. He won the French Open men's doubles title that year...
in one of the most memorable matches in Israeli tennis history.
His best singles performance at a Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
event was at the 1990 US Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
, where he reached the 4th round before being knocked out by Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
. At Wimbledon in June 1991 he lost to world # 8 Guy Forget
Guy Forget
Guy Forget is a former French professional tennis player. During his career, he helped France win the Davis Cup in both 1991 and 1996. Since retiring as a player, he has served as France's Davis Cup team captain.-Career:...
in 5 sets, 6–2, 6–7(2), 5–7, 7–6(4), 4–6, despite winning 171 points to Forget's 168.
Among his upsets were in May 1988 world # 14 Martín Jaite
Martín Jaite
Martín Jaite is an Argentine right-handed former top-10 professional tour tennis player.Jaite's ATP highest tour ranking was World # 10, which he achieved in the summer of 1990, and he won a total of 12 titles and $1,873,881 in tour prize money during his career.Jaite's playing style leveraged his...
, 6–4, 2–6, 6–2, at Forest Hills; in June 1990 # 25 Petr Korda
Petr Korda
Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first...
, 6–0, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, in Wimbledon, in June 1991 # 16 Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert
Brad Gilbert , is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, an author and former professional tennis player. He was born in Oakland, California and graduated from Piedmont High School ....
, 6–2, 6–0, in Manchester, England; and in June 1994 # 16 Carlos Costa in Austria, 6–3, 3–6, 7–5.
Bloom represented Israel at the 1988
Tennis at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Tennis returned to the Summer Olympic Games at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, having been left out since the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Tennis had been a demonstration sport at the 1984 Summer Olympics....
and 1992 Olympic tennis tournaments
Tennis at the 1992 Summer Olympics
These are the final results for the tennis competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.American teenager Jennifer Capriati stunned German Steffi Graf in the women's singles final to win the gold medal...
.
He retired from the professional tour in 1995.
Coaching career
Since retiring from the tour, Bloom has played in seniors events and worked as a tennis coach.In 1995 he was senior coach with the Israel Tennis Centers, coaching the country's top juniors.
He currently coaches alongside John McEnroe at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy on Randalls Island in New York City.