2016 World Tennis Challenge Player – Stats and Facts
In alphabetical order
Marion Bartoli (FRA)
BORN:
2 October 1984
HIGHEST RANKING:
No.7 – 2012
TITLES:
Wimbledon 2013 winner (6th player to win without dropping a set)
Runner up – Wimbledon 2007 and semi-finalist 2011 French Open.
Won 8 WTA singles and 3 doubles titles.
POINTS OF INTEREST: Noted to have an unusual playing style – particularly her two hand forehand and
backhand – allegedly influenced by Monica Seles
Introduced to tennis at age 6 by her father who coached her throughout most of
her career though it was under the guidance of Amelie Mauresmo that she won
Wimbledon in 2013.
Reached at least the ¼ finals of all four Grand Slam events
Major on court rivals – Radwanska (she never beat her); Azarenka and Jankovic
In Brisbane in 2009, she played Mauresmo in the semi-final. Mauresmo who
would later become her coach, retired due to injury and earned her a spot in the
final (she lost to Azarenka).
Bartoli’s first win over a top 100 ranked player was at the 2002 US Open when she
defeated Sanchez-Vicario.
Marin Cilic (CRO)
BORN:
HIGHEST RANKING:
TITLES:
POINTS OF INTEREST
28 September 1988 in Herzegovina
No.8 – 2014. Currently ranked world no.14
US Open winner – 2014
Semi-finalist US Open 2015, Semi-finalist Australian Open 2010
Winner of 13 ATP singles titles
Engaged fellow countryman and tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic as his coach in
2013. Ironically it was Ivanisevic who introduced him to his previous coach Bob
Brett who he worked with from 2004 – 13
First started playing in 1991 when courts were installed in his home town. Moved
to Italy in 2004 age 15 to further his career.
Won the 2005 French Open boys singles after beating a young Andy Murray in
the semi finals
A shoulder injury prevented him attending the Australian Open (and WTC) in
2015.
Goran Ivanisevic (CRO)
BORN:
13 September 1971
HIGHEST RANKING:
No.2 1994
TITLES:
Wimbledon singles in 2001 (the only person to achieve this as a wildcard entry).
Wimbledon runner up 1992, 1994, 1998
US Open semi-finalist 1996
French Open finalist 1990 and 1999
22 singles titles
9 doubles titles including a win in 1992 in Adelaide partnering Marc Rosset
POINTS OF INTEREST: Played in 3 Olympics for Croatia (1998, 92 and 96). Was flag bearer in 98 in Seoul
and 96 in Barcelona
Has a 32‐11 career record (20‐6 in singles) in Davis Cup for Croatia. Played in their 2005 winning team. Established ‘Help Children in Need’ foundation to assist kids in Croatia in 1995 Could have been a soccer player? Trained with the Hajduk Split soccer team during the '97 off‐season & declined a place in the team for a match 200,000 fans greeted his arrival back in his hometown of Split in Croatia after his
win at Wimbledon. He went into Wimbledon in 2001 ranked #125, he was ranked #16 after he won Served as ATP Charities Chairman in 1999 In August 2001 had an official Croatian stamp of Wimbledon champion issued Was given BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award in 2001 Current coach of Marin Cilic Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
BORN:
10 April 1996
HIGHEST RANKING:
No.69 – 2015. Currently ranked world no.73
POINTS OF INTEREST: Undoubtedly one of the rising stars of the game with his dynamic on court ability
and style along with his off court persona making him a hit with both crowds and
his peers.
Started playing at age 7, by 8 was working with Coach Todd Langman who still
works with him.
Reached the finals of both the Aus and US Junior grand Slam in 2013 and then
despite being eligible to still play the junior tour, joined the men’s circuit in 2014.
Has won 2 doubles Challenger titles and 1 Challenger and one Futures singles
title
Iva Majoli (CRO)
BORN:
HIGHEST RANKING:
TITLES:
12 August 1977
No.4 - 1996
Winner French Open 1997
8 singles titles
1 doubles title
After losing two titles to Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in Barcelona in 1994 and 1995,
Majoli finally took a title from her in Tokyo in 1996
POINTS OF INTEREST: Turned professional at age 14.
She won the 1997 French Open in straight sets at age 19 defeating an even
younger 16 year old Martina Hingis thus ending her 37 match winning streak.
Injury plagued Majoli though the later part of her career with her eventual
retirement announced in mid 2004.
Is the non-playing captain of the Croatian Fed Cup team
Mark Philippoussis (AUS)
BORN:
7 November 1976
HIGHEST RANKING:
No.18 - 1997
TITLES:
Semi-finalist 1998 US Open (def by Pat Rafter) and 2003 Wimbledon (def by Roger
Federer)
3 singles titles
Helped Australia win Davis Cup in 1999 and 2003 after taking the deciding rubber
in both events
POINTS OF INTEREST: Famed for his massive serve – earned his nickname ‘Scud’ after the Scud missile.
Fastest serve was clocked at 229km/h in 1997
Started playing tennis at age six and was coached by his father
By 1994 was #3 junior champion in singles and #1 junior doubles champion with
Ben Ellwood (AUS). That same year he turned professional
By end 1995, was the youngest player in the top 50
Defeated Goran Ivanisevic to win the title at Queens in London in 1997
Had a brief career in modelling and starred in US reality TV show ‘Age of Love’
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (ESP)
BORN:
18 December 1971
HIGHEST RANKING:
No.1 - 1995
TITLES:
Four Grand Slam singles.
Won French Open 1989, 1994 & 1998 and US Open 1994.
Finalist at Australian Open 1994, 1995. Finalist at Wimbledon 1995, 1996
Six Grand Slam Women’s doubles
Won Australian Open 1992, 1995, 1996. Won Wimbledon 1995. Won US
Open 1993, 1994.
Finalist at French Open 1992, 1995
Four Grand Slam Mixed doubles
Won Australian Open 1993. Won French Open 1990, 1992. Won US Open
2000.
29 singles titles
69 doubles titles
4 mixed doubles titles
POINTS OF INTEREST: Started playing tennis at age 4
Coached by brother Emilio (also a pro player) for most of her career
Holds the record for the most matches won in the Fed Cup
Was a member of the Spanish team that won the Hopman cup in 1990 and 2002
Only player to have played in 5 Olympic Games
Doubles partner at the 1992 French Open was mark Woodforde (they won!)
Retired in 2002 but returned in 2004 to play doubles and in the 2004 Olympics
Is fluent in Spanish, French, German, Italian and English
Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
BORN:
15 November 1983
HIGHEST RANKING:
No.7 – 2009. Currently ranked world no.41
TITLES:
13 titles
2009 Australian Open semi-finalist (def by Nadal) after a gruelling 5 sets
POINTS OF INTEREST: Started playing at age 4 and had a full time coach when he was 8
Finished school at age 11 and his father took over his academic training
Member of Spain’s winning Davis cup team in 2008, 09 and ’11 His winning match
in 08 and 09 won them the tournament
Worked in 2009 with Andre Agassi and his team including Darren Cahill
Was diagnosed with ADHD as a child but did not receive treatment so he would
not face problems with doping
Mats Wilander (SWE)
BORN:
22 August 1964
HIGHEST RANKING:
No.1- 1988
TITLES:
Has a total of eight Grand Slam titles having one at least once at every event
Seven Grand Slam singles
Won Australian Open 1983, 1984 and 1988
Won French Open 1982, 1985 1988
Won US Open 1988
One Grand Slam Doubles title
Won Wimbledon – 1986
Australian Open doubles finalist – 1984. US Open doubles finalist 1986. French
open doubles semi-finalist 1985
33 singles titles
7 doubles titles
POINTS OF INTEREST: Whilst never winning at Wimbledon, Mats twice won the Australian open whilst it
was played on grass making him one of only 5 men to have won Grand Slam titles
on Grass, clay and hardcourt surfaces (along with Connors, Agassi, Nadal and
Federer). Only Wilander and Nadal have won twice on all three surfaces
Is only one of three players to play 3 consecutive finals at the Australian Open
(with Lendl and Djokovic)
A member of Sweden’s winning Davis Cup team 1984, 1985 and 1987
The only player to win seven Grand Slam titles before being ranked #1
Holds the record for the longest Davis Cup match (6 hours 43 mins v McEnroe in
1982)
After 2 grass court wins, in 1988 when the event moved to hardcourt, Wilander
won again to become the only player to win the Australian Open on both grass
and hard court
At the 1988 French Open Wilander d Leconte and lost only 2 of 73 first serves
during the entire match
Has five children by wife Sonya