Younes El Aynaoui
Encyclopedia
Younes El Aynaoui (born 12 September 1971 in Rabat
) is a professional
tennis player from Morocco
.
He is a five-time singles winner on the ATP
Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of No. 14 in 2003, at the age of 31. His long career has been plagued by injuries and he did not play competitive tennis between September 2008 and January 2010. However in December 2009 he scheduled to play at the ATP Champions Tour tournament in London
, where he made his debut at the senior tour.
. In a 2003 poll by leading Moroccan newspaper L'Economiste, readers named El Aynaoui their favorite role model for society, ahead of the prime minister and athletics star Hicham El Guerrouj
. The center court of the Royal Tennis Club in Marrakech
is named after El Aynaoui.
, to spend a week at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy
, after which he decided to turn professional. He continued to hone his skills at the academy for the next two years where, in order to afford the fees, he drove the academy bus, cleaned the gym, strung rackets, tossed practice balls to campers, and helped to babysit younger players.He also saved money in a high interest account.
singles final in Casablanca
, where he lost to the Argentinian player Guillermo Pérez-Roldán
.
. By the end of the year he had improved his ranking to World Number 49, and was named the ATP
's Comeback Player of the Year for 1998.
and the following year he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open
where he lost to Yevgeny Kafelnikov
. El Aynaoui won his second top-level title in 2001 at Bucharest
. He was runner-up in Amsterdam that year, losing in the final to Àlex Corretja
in a five-set, 53-game match (6–3, 5–7, 7–6, 3–6, 6–4) which was the year's longest tour final. He was also runner-up in Lyon
, defeated by Ivan Ljubičić
in final.
El Aynaoui captured two tour titles in 2002 (Doha and Munich), and reached the quarter-finals of the US Open
. The following year, he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian and US Opens and finished the season ranked a career-high World Number 14.
in four sets in the fourth round, thus setting up a quarter-final showdown with the up-and-coming American Andy Roddick
(who would reach the World No. 1 ranking later that year). The five-set, five-hour match included the then longest fifth set in Grand Slam
tennis history (since surpassed by the marathon Wimbledon 2010 match between
John Isner
and Nicolas Mahut
). Roddick won the battle 4–6, 7–6, 4–6, 6–4, 21–19. Both players saved match points before the fifth set ended.
winner Thomas Johansson
with two tie-breaks in the first round, only to be defeated 6–3 6–4 in the second round by the then World Number 5 and eventual winner Ivan Ljubičić
.
, Spain on clay, and in April he won a challenger event in Chiasso, Switzerland. In May, he reached the semi-finals of the BMW Open
in Munich. He was oldest player to reach the semi-finals of an ATP Tour level event since Jimmy Connors in 1993. He also reached the quarter-finals of the Casablanca Open in Morocco, retiring to Juan Mónaco
due to an injury in his left calf.
, Patrick Rafter
, Cédric Pioline
, Pat Cash
, Goran Ivanišević
, Mark Philippoussis
and Greg Rusedski
. He won two matches, against Rusedski and Philippoussis.
in Doha, Qatar, El Aynaoui received a wildcard to participate in the tournament.
He played American Ryler DeHeart
in the first round of this tournament and won 7–6 7-6, thus becoming at age 38 the oldest player to win a main tour ATP match since 1995. However, El Aynaoui's run came to an end when he was defeated 6–3, 6–1 by Belgian Steve Darcis.
A = did not attend tournament
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
) is a professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
tennis player from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
He is a five-time singles winner on the ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of No. 14 in 2003, at the age of 31. His long career has been plagued by injuries and he did not play competitive tennis between September 2008 and January 2010. However in December 2009 he scheduled to play at the ATP Champions Tour tournament in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he made his debut at the senior tour.
Popularity in Morocco
El Aynaoui is an extremely popular figure in Morocco. He received a gold medal – the nation's highest sporting honor – from King Mohammed VIMohammed VI of Morocco
Mohammed VI is the present King of Morocco and Amir al-Mu'minin . He ascended to the throne on 23 July 1999 upon the death of his father.-Education:...
. In a 2003 poll by leading Moroccan newspaper L'Economiste, readers named El Aynaoui their favorite role model for society, ahead of the prime minister and athletics star Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner...
. The center court of the Royal Tennis Club in Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
is named after El Aynaoui.
At the Bollettieri Academy
In 1990, at the age of 18, El Aynaoui traveled to Bradenton, FloridaBradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
, to spend a week at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy
Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy
The Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy is located in Bradenton, Florida, and was founded in 1978 by Nick Bollettieri as a full-time tennis boarding school that combines intensive tennis training with an academic curriculum....
, after which he decided to turn professional. He continued to hone his skills at the academy for the next two years where, in order to afford the fees, he drove the academy bus, cleaned the gym, strung rackets, tossed practice balls to campers, and helped to babysit younger players.He also saved money in a high interest account.
First ATP singles final
In 1993, he reached his first top-level Grand PrixGrand Prix tennis tournaments
The Grand Prix tennis circuit was a professional tennis tour for male players that existed from 1970 to 1989. It was the more prominent of two predecessors to the current tour for male players, the ATP Tour, the other being World Championship Tennis ....
singles final in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, where he lost to the Argentinian player Guillermo Pérez-Roldán
Guillermo Pérez-Roldán
Guillermo Pérez-Roldán is a former professional tennis player from Argentina.Pérez-Roldán was known particularly as a strong clay court player. He turned professional in 1986. Between 1987 and 1993, he won nine top-level singles titles...
.
1996 to 1998
After finishing runner-up in three tour events in 1996, El Aynaoui suffered a broken right ankle. He had surgery on his ankle in November that year, but the injury continued to cause him problems. He missed seven months of the season in 1997 and had a second surgery in February 1998. He returned to the tour that summer ranked World Number 444, and enjoyed a run of strong results. He won five Challenger series tournaments and finished runner-up at one top-level event in SantiagoSantiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
. By the end of the year he had improved his ranking to World Number 49, and was named the ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
's Comeback Player of the Year for 1998.
1999 to 2003
In 1999, El Aynaoui won his first top-level singles title in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and the following year he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
where he lost to Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a 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...
. El Aynaoui won his second top-level title in 2001 at Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. He was runner-up in Amsterdam that year, losing in the final to Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999...
in a five-set, 53-game match (6–3, 5–7, 7–6, 3–6, 6–4) which was the year's longest tour final. He was also runner-up in Lyon
Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon
The Open Sud de France is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour. It was held annually at the Palais des Sports de Gerland in Lyon, France, in October, from 1987 through to 2009, before being relocated to...
, defeated by Ivan Ljubičić
Ivan Ljubicic
----Ivan Ljubičić is a Croatian tennis player born in Bosnia and Herzegovina . His career-high ATP ranking to date has been no. 3, and he stands at no. 37....
in final.
El Aynaoui captured two tour titles in 2002 (Doha and Munich), and reached the quarter-finals of the 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...
. The following year, he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian and US Opens and finished the season ranked a career-high World Number 14.
Longest Grand Slam fifth set
The most famous match of El Aynaoui's career came at the Australian Open in 2003. He qualified for the match by defeating World No. 1 Lleyton HewittLleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20...
in four sets in the fourth round, thus setting up a quarter-final showdown with the up-and-coming American Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
(who would reach the World No. 1 ranking later that year). The five-set, five-hour match included the then longest fifth set in 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...
tennis history (since surpassed by the marathon Wimbledon 2010 match between
Isner–Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships
The Isner–Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships is the longest match in tennis history, measured both by time and number of games. In the Gentlemen's Singles tournament first round, the American 23rd seed John Isner defeated the French qualifier Nicolas Mahut after 11 hours, 5 minutes of...
John Isner
John Isner
John Robert Isner is an American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high rank of no. 18 on July 5, 2010, and has been as high as the second-ranked American tennis player behind Andy Roddick...
and Nicolas Mahut
Nicolas Mahut
Nicolas Pierre Armand Mahut is a French tennis player. Mahut is right-handed and has previously won the Orange Bowl in 1999, becoming professional in 2000. He is a good serve and volleyer and a doubles expert, having won many tournaments with his doubles partner Julien Benneteau. His career high...
). Roddick won the battle 4–6, 7–6, 4–6, 6–4, 21–19. Both players saved match points before the fifth set ended.
Return to ATP Tour in 2007
After a three year hiatus due to injury, El Aynaoui made a comeback to the ATP tour in January 2007, and was awarded a wildcard at the Qatar Open, Doha. He beat former Australian OpenAustralian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
winner Thomas Johansson
Thomas Johansson
Karl Thomas Conny Johansson , commonly known as Thomas Johansson, is a former Swedish professional tennis player. He is a former Australian Open singles champion and Olympic silver medalist in doubles.-Junior career:...
with two tie-breaks in the first round, only to be defeated 6–3 6–4 in the second round by the then World Number 5 and eventual winner Ivan Ljubičić
Ivan Ljubicic
----Ivan Ljubičić is a Croatian tennis player born in Bosnia and Herzegovina . His career-high ATP ranking to date has been no. 3, and he stands at no. 37....
.
Another comeback attempt in 2008
In March 2008, after a seven month lay-off due to injuries, he won a Futures event in CastelldefelsCastelldefels
Castelldefels is a town in the Baix Llobregat comarca, in the province of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain and part of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. Its population is 63.151 .-Geography and location:...
, Spain on clay, and in April he won a challenger event in Chiasso, Switzerland. In May, he reached the semi-finals of the BMW Open
BMW Open
The BMW Open is a tennis tournament held in Munich, Germany. Held since 1900, the tournament is played on outdoor clay courts and is a part of the ATP Tour schedule.-History:...
in Munich. He was oldest player to reach the semi-finals of an ATP Tour level event since Jimmy Connors in 1993. He also reached the quarter-finals of the Casablanca Open in Morocco, retiring to Juan Mónaco
Juan Mónaco
Juan Mónaco , nicknamed "Pico", is a male tennis player from Argentina. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 14 on February 4, 2008. He is sponsored by Adidas and Yonex.-Biography:...
due to an injury in his left calf.
ATP Champions Tour (2009)
El Aynaoui made his debut as a wild card at the senior tour in London, the last stop on the tour, joining Stefan EdbergStefan Edberg
Stefan 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. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
, Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
, Cédric Pioline
Cédric Pioline
Cédric 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...
, Pat Cash
Pat Cash
Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:...
, Goran Ivanišević
Goran Ivaniševic
Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
, Mark Philippoussis
Mark Philippoussis
Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry....
and Greg Rusedski
Greg Rusedski
Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33...
. He won two matches, against Rusedski and Philippoussis.
2010 comeback
In the 2010 Qatar ExxonMobil Open2010 Qatar ExxonMobil Open
The 2010 Qatar Open, known as the 2010 Qatar ExxonMobil Open for sponsorship reasons, was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was be the 18th edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, and part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2010 ATP World Tour...
in Doha, Qatar, El Aynaoui received a wildcard to participate in the tournament.
He played American Ryler DeHeart
Ryler DeHeart
Ryler DeHeart is an American professional tennis player. He reached his singles career high ranking of 174 on May 3, 2010. He is coached by Brad Dancer.-Professional career:...
in the first round of this tournament and won 7–6 7-6, thus becoming at age 38 the oldest player to win a main tour ATP match since 1995. However, El Aynaoui's run came to an end when he was defeated 6–3, 6–1 by Belgian Steve Darcis.
Singles titles (5)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (5) |
| Num | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in final | Score in final |
| 1. | 2 August 1999 | Amsterdam, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
Clay |  Mariano ZabaletaMariano Zabaleta Mariano Zabaleta is a retired professional male tennis player from Argentina. He turned professional in 1996. He had an unusual but effective service motion and fighting spirit... |
6–0, 6–3 |
| 2. | 10 September 2001 | Bucharest, Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
Clay |  Albert MontañésÁlbert Montañés Albert Montañés Roca is a professional tennis player from Spain.He first entered the top-100 in 2001 and has been in the top-100 for all but 20 weeks since then... |
7–6(5), 7–6(2) |
| 3. | 31 December 2001 | Doha Qatar ExxonMobil Open The Qatar Open, currently known as the Qatar ExxonMobil Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour... , Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... |
Hard | Félix Mantilla Félix Mantilla Botella Félix Mantilla Botella is a former Spanish professional tennis player, born in Barcelona. In common with many of his fellow countrymen, Mantilla's best surface is clay. While not as successful away from the clay, Mantilla also produced good hardcourt results... |
4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 4. | 8 April 2002 | Casablanca Grand Prix Hassan II The Grand Prix Hassan II is an annual tennis tournament on the ATP Tour and is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series. The event is held annually at the Complexe Al Amal in Casablanca, Morocco and is played on clay courts. Between 1986 and 1989 it was part of the Challenger... , Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... |
Clay | Guillermo Cañas Guillermo Cañas Guillermo Ignacio Cañas , often referred to as Willy Cañas, is a retired Argentine professional tennis player. He was born in Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, and named after Argentine tennis star Guillermo Vilas. His highest singles ranking was 8th . After retirement Cañas took on coaching, he... |
3–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 5. | 29 April 2002 | Munich BMW Open The BMW Open is a tennis tournament held in Munich, Germany. Held since 1900, the tournament is played on outdoor clay courts and is a part of the ATP Tour schedule.-History:... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Clay |  Rainer SchüttlerRainer Schüttler Rainer Schüttler is a German professional tennis player, ranked World No. 113 in the ATP rankings. He is the last German player who reached a final in a grand slam tournament.... |
6–4, 6–4 |
Singles performance timeline
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slams | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
A | A | A | A | 2R | 1R | A | A | A | 2R | QF | 1R | 3R | QF | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 8 |
| French Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | 4R | 1R | A | A | 2R | 4R | 2R | 2R | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 8 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | 2R | 3R | 3R | 1R | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 7 |
| U.S. Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | 2R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 9 |
| Grand Slam SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 32 |
| Year End Ranking | 351 | 570 | 311 | 51 | 117 | 110 | 70 | 237 | 45 | 33 | 25 | 38 | 22 | 14 | 644 | 228 | 189 | 167 | 201 | – | N/A |
A = did not attend tournament