Henri Leconte facts for kids
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Henri Leconte in 2011
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| Country (sports) |  France |
|---|---|
| Residence | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Born | 4 July 1963 Lillers, France |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Turned pro | 1980 |
| Retired | 1996 |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $3,440,660 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 377–269 (58.4%) |
| Career titles | 9 |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (22 September 1986) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 4R (1985) |
| French Open | F (1988) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1986) |
| US Open | QF (1986) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | RR (1985, 1986, 1988) |
| Grand Slam Cup | QF (1990, 1992) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 200–141 (58.7%) |
| Career titles | 10 |
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (18 March 1985) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1990) |
| French Open | W (1984) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1985, 1987) |
| US Open | F (1985) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1991) |
Henri Leconte (born on July 4, 1963) is a famous French former professional tennis player. He was known for his powerful left-handed serve and exciting style of play. Henri reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1988. He also won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984. A big moment in his career was helping France win the Davis Cup in 1991.
During his time as a player, Henri won singles titles on all four main types of tennis courts: hard, clay, grass, and carpet. His highest singles ranking was world No. 5, which is a fantastic achievement in tennis!
Contents
Henri Leconte's Tennis Journey
Henri Leconte first caught the eye of the tennis world as a talented junior player. He won the French Open junior title in 1981. That same year, he became a professional tennis player. He quickly won his first doubles title in Bologna. The next year, in 1982, he won his first major singles title in Stockholm.
Henri played in the Davis Cup final for the first time in 1982. France played against the United States, but the U.S. team won that year.
Winning Doubles Titles
In 1984, Henri teamed up with fellow French player Yannick Noah. Together, they won the men's doubles title at the French Open. This was a huge win for them! The next year, in 1985, Henri and Yannick reached another major doubles final at the US Open. They finished as runners-up in that tournament. Henri reached his highest doubles ranking, world No. 6, in 1985.
Singles Success and Top Rankings
In 1985, Henri also had great success in singles. He reached the quarterfinals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. At Wimbledon, he had an amazing win against the world No. 2 player, Ivan Lendl.
The year 1986 was very successful for Henri. He reached the semi-finals in two Grand Slam singles tournaments: the French Open and Wimbledon. This helped him achieve his highest singles ranking ever, world No. 5. Henri was also part of the French team that won the World Team Cup in 1986.
French Open Final and Davis Cup Glory
In 1988, Henri Leconte made it to the men's singles final at the French Open. He played against some tough opponents to get there, including Boris Becker. In the final match, even with strong support from the French crowd, he couldn't beat Mats Wilander, who was a two-time champion. Wilander won the match in straight sets.
A very memorable moment for Henri was in 1991, when he played in the Davis Cup final for the second time. France was again playing against the U.S. team, who were considered favorites to win. Henri played a crucial singles match against Pete Sampras and won in straight sets. He also teamed up with Guy Forget to win their doubles match. France surprised everyone by winning the Davis Cup 3-1!
Henri played for France's Davis Cup team for 13 years in a row. He had a great record, especially in doubles with Guy Forget, where they were undefeated for many matches.
Later Career and Retirement
Henri won his last major singles title in 1993 in Halle, Germany. He also won his final doubles title that year at Indian Wells.
Henri Leconte officially retired from professional tennis in 1996. By then, he had won a total of nine singles titles and ten doubles titles. After retiring, he continued to play tennis on the ATP Champions Tour for players over 35. He often played doubles with Mansour Bahrami.
Life After Professional Tennis
After his professional tennis career, Henri Leconte stayed involved in the world of sports and entertainment. He now manages an event company called HL Event, which is based in Belgium. In 2006, he also opened a tennis academy in Fès, Morocco, to help train new tennis players.
Since 2010, Henri has been a tennis commentator on Australian television. He works for the Seven Network and covers the Australian Open. He became very popular with viewers because of his fun personality and his enthusiastic commentary. He was especially passionate when commentating on matches involving French players, like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He would often shout "unbelievable!" when Tsonga hit a winning shot.
In 2014, he continued his role as a commentator for the Australian Open. He often comments on matches where French players are competing.
Fun Facts
Henri Leconte has also appeared on TV reality shows!
- In 2005, he was on the second season of La Ferme Célébrités, a French reality game show.
- In 2007, his son, Maxime, also participated in a French reality show called Secret Story, which is similar to Big Brother.
- Henri also appeared as a contestant on BBC Celebrity Masterchef in 2017, where he reached the semi-finals.
Images for kids
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Henri Leconte at the 2015 Australian Open
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See also
In Spanish: Henri Leconte para niños
