{{BLP unsourced section|date=May 2009}}{{BLP unsourced section|date=May 2009}}
Mats Wilander (born 22 August 1964, in
VäxjöVäxjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 55,600 inhabitants in 2005. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 56,000, out of a...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
) is a former
World No. 1 tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven
Grand SlamThe four Grand Slam tournaments, also called the Majors, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open...
singles titles (three at the French Open, three at the
Australian OpenThe Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year. The tournament is held each January at Melbourne Park. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was contested on grass from then up to 1987. Since 1988, the tournament has been held on hard...
, and one at the US Open), and one Grand Slam men's doubles title (at
WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is generally considered the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon since 1877...
). He won three of the four Grand Slam singles events in 1988 and finished that year ranked World No. 1. Although he never won the singles title at Wimbledon, Wilander twice won the Australian Open when that tournament was still played on
grass courtA grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Grass courts are made of rye grass in different compositions depending on the tournament...
s. This makes Wilander one of only five men (along with
Jimmy ConnorsJames Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former World No. 1 tennis player. Connors is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time...
,
Andre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi is a former World No. 1 professional American tennis player who won eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. He is generally considered by critics and fellow players to be among the greatest tennis players of all time, and has been called the...
,
Rafael NadalRafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a former World No. 1 Spanish professional tennis player, currently ranked #2. Nadal has won six Grand Slam singles titles, and the 2008 Olympic gold medal in singles....
, and
Roger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player. As of October 2009, he is ranked world number 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals , having previously held the number one position for a record 237 consecutive weeks...
) to have won Grand Slam singles titles on grass courts, hardcourts, and
clayA clay court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. The French Open uses clay courts, making it unique among the Grand Slam tournaments.Clay courts are more common...
courts. He is the only man in tennis history to have won at least two Grand Slam singles titles on each of the three surfaces. Wilander won his fourth career Grand Slam singles title at the age of 20, the youngest man in history to have achieved that feat.
Career
Wilander won 33 singles titles and seven doubles titles during his career. He was also a driving force behind Sweden's run of seven consecutive
Davis CupThe Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. The largest annual international team competition in sports, the Davis Cup is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition...
finals in the 1980s.
In 2002, Wilander was inducted into the
International Tennis Hall of FameThe International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit tennis hall of fame and museum at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.- History :...
.
Juniors
Born in Växjö,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
, Wilander first came to the tennis world's attention when he won the French Open junior title, the European under-16 and under-18 championships, and the
Orange BowlThe Orange Bowl is an ITF World Junior championships event, and is widely recognized as one of the most important junior tennis championships in the world. Established in 1962, the tournament consists of Boys' and Girls' 12 and 14-year-old age divisions, and takes place during December in varying...
under-16 event in Miami.
1982-1988
Wilander made his debut on the professional tour at the clay court tournament in
BåstadBåstad is a locality and the seat of Båstad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 4,793 inhabitants in 2005.-Geography:The town of Båstad is located in a sheltered bay with the Hallandian ridge stretching behind it...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
in 1980. In September 1981, he lost his only career match against
Björn BorgBjörn Borg is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden regarded by some observers and tennis players as the greatest player in the sport's history....
, losing in the first round of the tournament in
GenevaGeneva, is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie...
6–1, 6–1.
Wilander surprised the tennis world at the
1982 French OpenList of the 1982 French Open Champions:-Men's singles: Mats Wilander def. Guillermo Vilas, 1–6, 7–6, 6–0, 6–4*It was Wilander's 1st career title.-Women's singles:...
. As an unseeded player, he upset second seeded
Ivan LendlIvan Lendl is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl later 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...
in the fourth round, fifth seeded
Vitas GerulaitisVytautas Kevin Gerulaitis was a professional tennis player from the United States. He is known for winning the men's singles title at the Australian Open in 1977.-Career Highlights:...
in the quarterfinals, fourth seeded
José Luis ClercJosé Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history....
in the semifinals, and third seeded
Guillermo VilasGuillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina.-Career:...
in the final 1–6, 7–6, 6–0, 6–4 in 4 hours and 42 minutes. He was the youngest-ever male Grand Slam singles champion at 17 years, 9 months. (This record has since been broken by
Boris BeckerBoris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17. Tennis Magazine put Becker in 18th place on its list of...
and
Michael ChangMichael Te-Pei Chang is an American former professional tennis player...
.) Wilander then lost in the fourth round at both
WimbledonList of the 1982 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Jimmy Connors def. John McEnroe, 3–6, 6–3, 6–7, 7–6, 6–4*It was Connors's 6th career Grand Slam title, and his 2nd Wimbledon title.-Women's singles:...
(to
Brian TeacherBrian David Teacher is a 6' 3" right handed former professional American male tennis player. He reached World # 7 in 1981.-Tennis career:...
) and the US Open (to Lendl). Wilander won three additional tournaments in 1982 and finished the year ranked World No. 7. During that year, Wilander was also the winner of the
Svenska Dagbladet Gold MedalThe Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal is an annual award "for the most significant Swedish sports achievement of the year". It has been awarded by a jury led by the Swedish morning paper Svenska Dagbladet since 1925...
.
Wilander returned to the
French OpenList of the 1983 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Yannick Noah def. Mats Wilander, 6–2, 7–5, 7–6*It was Noah's 3rd title of the year, and his 14th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Chris Evert def...
in 1983, where he lost to
Yannick NoahYannick Noah is a pop-soul singer and former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams...
after defeating
John McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player. McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles—three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open—nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
in a quarterfinal. He lost in the third round at
WimbledonList of the 1983 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: John McEnroe def. Chris Lewis, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2*It was McEnroe's 5th career Grand Slam title, and his 2nd Wimbledon title.-Women's singles: Martina Navrátilová def...
to
Roscoe TannerRoscoe Tanner is a former professional American male tennis player, who reached a career high world singles ranking of No. 4 on July 30, 1979...
and in the quarterfinals of the US Open to Lendl. Wilander won his second Grand Slam title later that year at the
Australian OpenList of the 1983 Australian Open champions:-Men's singles: Mats Wilander def. Ivan Lendl, 6–3, 6–3, 6–2*It was Wilander's 2nd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Australian Open title.-Women's singles:...
, played on
grassA grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Grass courts are made of rye grass in different compositions depending on the tournament...
at
KooyongKooyong may refer to:* Kooyong, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne* Division of Kooyong, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Victoria...
, where he defeated McEnroe in a semifinal and Lendl in the final. He won nine other tournaments in 1983, including his first hard court title (
CincinnatiThe Cincinnati Masters is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is today the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city....
), and finished the year ranked World No. 4.
Wilander retained his
Australian OpenList of the 1984 Australian Open champions:-Men's singles: Mats Wilander def. Kevin Curren, 6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 6–2*It was Wilander's 3rd career Grand Slam title, and his 2nd Australian Open title.-Women's singles: Chris Evert def...
title in 1984, beating
Stefan EdbergStefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles.-Career:Edberg first came to the tennis world's attention as a junior player...
in the quarterfinals and
Kevin CurrenKevin Melvyn Curren is a former professional tennis player. He played in two Grand Slam singles finals and won four Grand Slam doubles titles.-Career:...
in the final. He lost in the semifinals of the
French OpenList of the 1984 French Open champions:- Men's singles : Ivan Lendl def. John McEnroe, 3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 7–5, 7–5*It was Lendl's 1st career Grand Slam title.- Women's singles : Martina Navrátilová def...
to Lendl, the second round at
WimbledonList of the 1984 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: John McEnroe def. Jimmy Connors, 6–1, 6–1, 6–2*It was McEnroe's 8th title of the year, and his 54th overall. It was his 6th career Grand Slam title, and his 3rd Wimbledon title.-Women's singles: Martina Navrátilová def...
to
Pat CashPatrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:...
, and the quarterfinals of the US Open to Cash. He won three tournaments in 1984 and again finished the year ranked World No. 4.
In 1985, Wilander won the
French OpenList of the 1985 French Open champions:- Men's singles : Mats Wilander def. Ivan Lendl, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2*It was Wilander's 4th career Grand Slam title, and his 2nd French Open title.- Women's singles : Chris Evert def...
for the second time, beating Lendl in the final, and again reached the
Australian OpenList of the 1985 Australian Open champions:-Men's singles: Stefan Edberg def. Mats Wilander, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3*It was Edberg's 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Martina Navrátilová def...
final, where he lost to Edberg. However, he lost in the first round at
WimbledonList of the 1985 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Boris Becker def. Kevin Curren, 6–3, 6–7, 7–6, 6–4*It was Becker's 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Martina Navrátilová def. Chris Evert, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2...
to
Slobodan ŽivojinovićSlobodan Živojinović is a retired Serbian tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. He is also the husband of folk singer Lepa Brena...
and the semifinals of the US Open to McEnroe. He won three tournaments in 1985 and finished the year ranked World No. 3.
Wilander rose to the World No. 2 ranking, behind Lendl, on 28 April 1986. He then lost in the third round of the
French OpenList of the 1986 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Ivan Lendl def. Mikael Pernfors, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4*It was Lendl's 6th title of the year, and his 59th overall. It was his 3rd career Grand Slam title, and his 2nd French Open title....
to
Andrei ChesnokovAndrei Eduardovich Chesnokov is a former professional tennis player from Russia.Chesnokov's highest singles ranking was World No. 9 in 1991...
, the fourth round of
WimbledonThe 1986 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 100th edition of the Wimbledon Championships. List of the 1986 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's singles: Boris Becker def...
to Cash, and the fourth round of the US Open to
Miloslav MečířMiloslav Mečíř is a former professional tennis player from Slovakia. He is best remembered for having won the men's singles gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics for the former Czechoslovakia and for having played in two Grand Slam singles finals.-Career:Mečíř was born in Bojnice,...
. His consistency at other tournaments, however, allowed him to again finish the year ranked World No. 3. Wilander partnered with countryman
Joakim NyströmJoakim "Jocke" Nyström is a former top ten ranked tennis player from Sweden who won thirteen singles titles during his professional career. The right-hander reached his highest singles ranking on the ATP Tour on 31 March 1986, when he was ranked World No. 7 and was also ranked as high as World No...
to win the men's doubles title at Wimbledon in 1986.
Wilander was defeated by Lendl in the final of both the
French OpenList of the 1987 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Ivan Lendl def. Mats Wilander, 7–5, 6–2, 3–6, 7–6*It was Lendl's 2nd title of the year, and his 64th overall. It was his 5th career Grand Slam title, and his 3rd French Open title....
and the US Open in 1987. Cash again proved to be Wilander's nemesis at
WimbledonThe 1987 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 101st edition of the Wimbledon Championships. List of the 1987 Wimbledon Champions:-Men's singles: Pat Cash def. Ivan Lendl, 7–6, 6–2, 7–5...
, winning their quarterfinal match in straight sets. Wilander won five tournaments in 1987 and finished the year ranked World No. 3 for the third consecutive year.
1988 was the pinnacle of Wilander's career. In January, he won his third
Australian OpenList of the 1988 Australian Open champions:-Men's singles: Mats Wilander def. Pat Cash, 6–3, 6–7, 3–6, 6–1, 8–6*It was Wilander's 5th career Grand Slam title, and his 3rd at the Australian Open.-Women's singles: Steffi Graf def...
singles title, this time on
Melbourne Park'sMelbourne & Olympic Parks are two combined sporting venues in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They are located near the Yarra River, to the east of the Melbourne city centre....
hardcourtHardcourt or hard court describes a form of surface or floor on which a sport is played. It may refer to an indoor court made from a wood, or more specifically hardwood such as maple, as in basketball or indoor soccer. Alternatively, it may refer to outdoor materials such as asphalt, shale, or clay....
s, defeating Edberg in a five-set semifinal and home town favourite Cash in a five-set final. In doing so, he became the only player to win the Australian Open on both grass (twice) and hardcourt. Wilander faced another home crowd favourite,
Henri LeconteHenri Leconte is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1988, won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984, and helped France win the Davis Cup in 1991.-Career:Leconte first came to the tennis world's attention as an outstanding...
, in the final of the
French OpenList of the 1988 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Mats Wilander def. Henri Leconte, 7–5, 6–2, 6–1*It was Wilander's 6th career Grand Slam title, and his 3rd French Open title.-Women's singles: Steffi Graf def...
. Wilander won in straight sets, missing one first serve the entire match. At
WimbledonThe 1988 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 102nd edition of the Wimbledon Championships. List of the 1988 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles:...
, Wilander reached the quarterfinals where he lost to Mečíř. At the US Open, he reached his third Grand Slam final of the year. In a repeat match-up of the previous year's final, he defeated Lendl in five sets (in close to 5 hours) and ended Lendl's three-year reign at the top of the world rankings. This was Wilander's seventh Grand Slam singles title and resulted in his receiving the World No. 1 ranking, having won three of the year's Grand Slam tournaments, two
Mercedes Super 9The ATP World Tour Masters 1000 is a series of nine tennis tournaments that are part of the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, held annually throughout the year in Europe, North America and Asia...
titles (Key Biscayne and Cincinnati), and one other title (Palermo). He held the top ranking for a total of 20 weeks until Lendl reclaimed it at the end of January 1989.
His 1988 title at
CincinnatiThe Cincinnati Masters is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is today the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city....
was his fourth there, making him one of only three players since 1899 to win four titles in Cincinnati. The other two are fellow International Hall of Famers
Bobby RiggsRobert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947...
(who won in 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1940) and
George LottGeorge Martin Lott was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois, United States. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the greatest doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John...
(who won in 1924, 1925, 1927, and 1932).
1989–1996
Wilander's motivation, results, and ranking suffered in 1989. He lost in the second round of the
Australian OpenList of the 1989 Australian Open champions:-Men's Singles: Ivan Lendl def. Miloslav Mečíř, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2*It was Lendl's 7th career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Australian Open title.-Women's Singles: Steffi Graf def...
to
Ramesh KrishnanRamesh Krishnan is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from India. As a junior player in the late-1970s, he won the boy's singles titles at both Wimbledon and the French Open. He went on to reach three Grand Slam quarter-finals in the 1980s, and was part of the Indian team which...
, the quarterfinals of the
French OpenList of the 1989 French Open Champions. For the first time in French Open history the Singles championships were won by two teenagers - Michael Chang and Arantxa Sánchez . Chang still holds the record for youngest ever male Grand Slam singles title winner. He gained many admirers for his audacious...
to
Andrei ChesnokovAndrei Eduardovich Chesnokov is a former professional tennis player from Russia.Chesnokov's highest singles ranking was World No. 9 in 1991...
, the quarterfinals of
WimbledonThe 1989 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 103rd edition of the Wimbledon Championships. List of the 1989 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Boris Becker def. Stefan Edberg, 6–0, 7–6, 6–4...
to
John McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player. McEnroe won seven Grand Slam singles titles—three at Wimbledon and four at the US Open—nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
(7–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4), and the second round of the US Open to
Pete SamprasPete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former World No. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles, and had a 203–38 win-loss record over 52 Grand Slam singles tournament appearances....
(5–7, 6–3, 1–6, 6–1, 6–4). He did not win a tournament during 1989 and he finished the year ranked World No. 12.
Wilander briefly moved back into the top 10 rankings on 12 February 1990, but by the end of the year, his ranking had slumped to World No. 41. He defeated
Boris BeckerBoris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17. Tennis Magazine put Becker in 18th place on its list of...
in the quarterfinals of the
Australian OpenList of the 1990 Australian Open champions:-Men's singles: Ivan Lendl def. Stefan Edberg, 4–6, 7–6, 5–2, retired*It was Lendl's 8th career Grand Slam title, and his 2nd Australian Open title.-Women's singles:...
, only to lose to
Stefan EdbergStefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles.-Career:Edberg first came to the tennis world's attention as a junior player...
in straight sets in the semifinals. He skipped the
French OpenList of the 1990 French Open Champions.-Men's singles: Andrés Gómez def. Andre Agassi, 6–3, 2–6, 6–4, 6–0*It was Gómez's 3rd title of the year, and his 20th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title....
and
WimbledonThe 1990 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 104th edition of the Wimbledon Championships, and the third Grand Slam event of the year...
and lost in the first round of the US Open to
Brad GilbertBrad Gilbert is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, and former professional tennis player. He is the current coach of Britain's No. 3 tennis player, Alex Bogdanović, as part of his contract with the Lawn Tennis Association.As a player, Gilbert's career-high singles ranking...
.
Wilander played only the first half of 1991. He lost in the fourth round of the
Australian OpenList of the 1991 Australian Open champions:-Men's singles: Boris Becker def. Ivan Lendl, 1–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4*It was Becker's 5th career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Australian Open title.-Women's singles:...
and the second round of the
French OpenList of the 1991 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Jim Courier def. Andre Agassi, 3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–1, 6–4*It was Courier's 3rd title of the year, and his 4th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles:...
. He finished the year ranked World No. 159.
Wilander was absent from the tour in 1992. He played seven tournaments in 1993, losing in the first round of five of them. At the US Open, he lost in the third round to
Cédric PiolineCédric Pioline is a retired French professional tennis player who played on the professional tour from 1989 to 2002. He reached the men's singles final at the 1993 US Open and at Wimbledon in 1997...
. He finished the year ranked World No. 330.
Except for
WimbledonThe 1994 Wimbledon Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 108th edition of the Wimbledon Championships. List of the 1994 Wimbledon champions:-Men's Singles:...
, Wilander played a full schedule in 1994. He lost in the fourth round of the
Australian OpenList of the 1994 Australian Open champions:-Men's singles: Pete Sampras def. Todd Martin, 7–6, 6–4, 6–4*It was Sampras's 2nd title of the year, and his 23rd overall. It was his 4th career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Australian Open title....
to
Malivai WashingtonMaliVai "Mal" Washington is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He is best remembered for reaching the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 1996.-Family:...
, the first round of the
French OpenList of the 1994 French Open champions:-Men's Singles: Sergi Bruguera def. Alberto Berasategui, 6–3, 7–5, 2–6, 6–1...
to
Andre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi is a former World No. 1 professional American tennis player who won eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. He is generally considered by critics and fellow players to be among the greatest tennis players of all time, and has been called the...
(6–2, 7–5, 6–1), and the first round of the US Open to
Guy ForgetGuy Forget is a former French professional tennis player. During his career, he helped France win the Davis Cup in both 1991 and 1996...
. His only victory over a top ten player was in the second round of the tournament in Indianapolis against
Todd MartinTodd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Career:Martin played tennis for two years at Northwestern University before turning professional in 1990. His parents lived in Lansing, Michigan, where Martin went to nearby East Lansing High School...
. He finished the year ranked World No. 129.
Wilander's results improved slightly in 1995 as he finished the year ranked World No. 46. After losing in the first round of the
Australian OpenList of the 1995 Australian Open champions:-Men's Singles: Andre Agassi def. Pete Sampras, 4–6, 6–1, 7–6, 6–4*It was Agassi's 1st title of the year, and his 25th overall. It was his 3rd career Grand Slam title, and his 1st Australian Open title....
to
Jacco EltinghJacco Folkert Eltingh is a former professional male tennis player and former World No. 1 doubles player from the Netherlands.He is best remembered for his success in doubles with fellow countryman Paul Haarhuis...
, he lost in the second round of the
French OpenList of the 1995 French Open champions:-Men's Singles: Thomas Muster def. Michael Chang, 7–5, 6–2, 6–4*It was Muster's 6th title of the year, and his 29th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's Singles:...
to eighth ranked
Wayne FerreiraWayne Richard Ferreira is a former tennis player from South Africa.As a junior player, Ferreira was ranked the world's No. 1 junior doubles player and No. 6 junior singles player. He won the junior doubles title at the US Open in 1989.Ferreira turned professional in 1989...
6–7(5), 7–6(1), 6–3, 6–7(4), 8–6. He then lost in the third round of
WimbledonThis page is a list of the 1995 Wimbledon Champions. As of 2009, the 1995 Wimbledon Championship was also the last rain-free Wimbledon.-Men's singles: Pete Sampras def. Boris Becker, 6–7, 6–2, 6–4, 6–2...
to Eltingh and the second round of the US Open to Martin. In other tournaments, he had wins against tenth ranked
Marc RossetMarc Rosset is a former professional tennis player from Switzerland who is best remembered for winning the men's singles Gold Medal at the 1992 Olympic Games....
, eight ranked Ferreira, and sixth ranked
Yevgeny KafelnikovYevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a retired and former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002...
. He also won his final tour match against Edberg, in the second round of the
Canadian OpenThe Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier Tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
in
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
.
In 1996, Wilander played only one Grand Slam tournament, losing in the second round of the
French OpenList of the 1996 French Open champions:- Men's singles : Yevgeny Kafelnikov def. Michael Stich, 7–6, 7–5, 7–6*It was Kafelnikov's 3rd title of the year, and his 10th overall. It was his 1st career Grand Slam title.- Women's singles :...
to Martin. He retired from the tour after losing his final match to
Martin DammMartin Damm is a tennis player from the Czech Republic, who turned professional in 1990. He is 6'2" 195 lb and is best known for his achievements as a doubles player. , Damm has never won a title in singles, but won a total of 39 titles in doubles...
in
BeijingBeijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
in October.
During most of his career, Wilander used the Rossignol F-200 Carbon tennis racquet, an early fiberglass model.
Davis Cup
Wilander was an integral member of
SwedenThe Sweden Davis Cup team represents Sweden in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by the Svenska Tennisförbundet.Sweden is the 5th most successful nation, winning the title 7 times...
's highly-successful
Davis CupThe Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. The largest annual international team competition in sports, the Davis Cup is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition...
team throughout the 1980s.
He reached his first final with Sweden in 1983, which they lost 3–2 to
AustraliaThe Australian Davis Cup team is the second most successful team ever to compete in the Davis Cup, winning the coveted title on 23 separate occasions, second behind the United States with 32....
(despite Wilander winning both his singles rubbers in the final). In 1984, Sweden (with Wilander) won the cup, beating the United States 4–1 in the final. Sweden retained the cup in 1985, with a 3–2 final victory over
West GermanyThe Germany Davis Cup team represents Germany in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Deutscher Tennis Bund. As East Germany never participated in the Davis Cup and the Deutscher Tennisbund remained the same organization throughout the century the West German team is included in...
. Wilander helped Sweden reach the final again in 1986 but declined to play in the final because he was getting married (Sweden lost 3–2 to Australia). Wilander played in his fourth final in 1987, where Sweden beat
IndiaThe India Davis Cup team represents India in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the All India Tennis Association.India finished as runners-up 3 times . In 1974, they refused to play South Africa in the final, due to the government's apartheid policies...
5–0. Two more finals followed in 1988 and 1989, but Sweden lost both to West Germany. Wilander last played in Davis Cup in the 1995 semifinals, where he lost to Andre Agassi 7–6(5), 6–2, 6–2 and Pete Sampras 2–6, 7–6(4), 6–3.
Wilander compiled a 36–16 record in singles and a 7–2 record in doubles in the Davis Cup for Sweden. However, Wilander's most memorable Davis Cup match came in defeat. In a July 1982 quarterfinal tie against the United States on carpet in
St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
, Wilander was defeated in the deciding fifth rubber by John McEnroe 9–7, 6–2, 15-17, 3–6, 8–6. At 6 hours and 32 minutes, it remains the longest match in Davis Cup history.
Records
- These records were attained in Open Era
Open era may refer to:* The Open Era of Tennis* The Glasnost era of the Soviet Union* The Open Era of Galveston, Texas, also known as the Free State era...
of tennis.
| Grand Slam |
Years |
Record accomplished |
Player tied |
Australian OpenThe Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year. The tournament is held each January at Melbourne Park. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was contested on grass from then up to 1987. Since 1988, the tournament has been held on hard...
- French Open - US Open |
1982-88 |
At least two Grand Slams on grass, clay, and hard courts |
Stands alone |
| Australian Open - French Open - U.S. Open |
1982-88 |
Most Grand slam titles prior to becoming #1 in the world (7) |
Stands alone |
Australian OpenThe Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year. The tournament is held each January at Melbourne Park. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was contested on grass from then up to 1987. Since 1988, the tournament has been held on hard...
|
1983-85 |
3 consecutive finals |
Ivan LendlIvan Lendl is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl later 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...
|
| Australian Open |
1983-84 |
2 consecutive wins |
Ken RosewallKenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player who won Grand Slam singles titles in Australia, the United States, and France. He is considered to be one of the top male tennis players of all time...
, Guillermo VilasGuillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina.-Career:...
Johan KriekJohan Kriek is a South African / American professional male tennis player and founder of the Global Water Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering clean water to the world's neediest communities. He also had an academy that was called Kriek Eagelton, partnered with his friend...
, Ivan Lendl Stefan EdbergStefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles.-Career:Edberg first came to the tennis world's attention as a junior player...
, Jim CourierJames Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world number one professional tennis player from the United States...
Andre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi is a former World No. 1 professional American tennis player who won eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. He is generally considered by critics and fellow players to be among the greatest tennis players of all time, and has been called the...
, Roger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player. As of October 2009, he is ranked world number 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals , having previously held the number one position for a record 237 consecutive weeks...
|
Private life
Wilander now spends much of this time living in
Hailey, IdahoHailey is a city in and the county seat of Blaine County, in the Wood River Valley of the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 6,200 at the 2000 census. Hailey is the site of Friedman Memorial Airport , the airport for the resort area of Sun Valley/Ketchum, 12 miles north. ...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(part of the
Sun ValleySun Valley is an affluent resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427 at the 2000 census...
ski resort) with his wife Sonja (née Mulholland), a
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
n-born model. He competes from time-to-time on the senior tour. Since retiring as a player, he has served as captain of the
Swedish Davis Cup teamThe Sweden Davis Cup team represents Sweden in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by the Svenska Tennisförbundet.Sweden is the 5th most successful nation, winning the title 7 times...
and as coach of the Russian player
Marat SafinMarat Mikhailovich Safin is a former World No. 1 Russian ATP tennis player. He is the older brother of current World No. 2 WTA player Dinara Safina. They are the first brother-sister tandem in tennis history to both achieve No. 1 rankings.Safin began his professional career in 1997, and held the No...
. He also occasionally spends time commentating tennis matches on
EurosportEurosport is a European sports satellite and cable network, available in 59 countries and broadcasting in 20 different languages. It is owned and operated by the TF1 Group....
.
Wilander has four children named Emma, Karl, Erik, and Oscar. His son Erik suffers from a comparatively mild form of
epidermolysis bullosaEpidermolysis bullosa is a rare genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the keratin gene. The disorder is characterized by the presence of extremely fragile skin and recurrent blister formation, resulting from minor mechanical friction or trauma...
, and Wilander and his wife have worked to raise funds for research into cures for the disease.
Wilander created a minor controversy during the
2006 French OpenThe 2006 French Open was held in Paris, France from May 28 to June 11, 2006. Both defending champions, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin-Hardenne, retained their titles. It is one of the four tennis Grand Slams. This year makes French Open history as the first one to ever open on a Sunday.-Men's...
when he criticized several top players, including
Roger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player. As of October 2009, he is ranked world number 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals , having previously held the number one position for a record 237 consecutive weeks...
and
Kim ClijstersKim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian tennis player. She is a former World No. 1 ranked player in singles and in doubles. As of September 28, 2009, she is ranked World No. 17....
, as lacking the competitive edge to beat their toughest rivals. After Federer's 1–6, 6–1, 6–4, 7–6 loss to Nadal in the final, Wilander said that "Federer, today, unfortunately came out with no balls... you don't find too many champions in any sport in the world without heart or balls. He might have them, but against Nadal they shrink to a very small size and it's not once, it's every time."
In the aftermath of these comments, fans coined the
neologismA neologism ; from Greek νές is a newly coined word that may be in the process of entering common use, but has not yet been accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are often directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event...
"Wilanders" as a humorous synonym for "balls", denoting a competitive spirit and tenacity to win.
Wilander later apologized to Federer on-air on Eurosport during an interview with the Swiss.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
He began coaching
Tatiana GolovinTatiana Golovin is a French professional tennis player of Russian descent . She is best known for winning the 2004 French Open mixed doubles event with her countryman Richard Gasquet, and also for reaching the singles quarterfinal at the 2006 U.S. Open, losing to the eventual champion Maria...
in July 2007. After working with Golovin in the later part of 2007, Wilander began coaching
Paul-Henri Mathieu{{BLP unsourced section|date=May 2009}}{{BLP unsourced section|date=May 2009}}{{mbox| type = content| image = | text = This needs to be updated. {{#if:|Parts of this are no longer up to date...
.
External links
{{Mats Wilander start boxes}}
{{navboxes|title=Mats Wilander in the
Grand Slam TournamentsThe four Grand Slam tournaments, also called the Majors, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, and public attention. They are: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open...
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{{French Open boy’s singles champions}}
{{Australian Open men's singles champions}}
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{{US Open men's singles champions}}
{{Wimbledon men's doubles champions}}
{{Tennis men grand slam two and over}}
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{{Tennis World Number Ones (men)}}
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