Mark Philippoussis facts for kids
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Philippoussis in 2023
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| Country (sports) |  Australia |
|---|---|
| Residence | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Born | 7 November 1976 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Height | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) |
| Turned pro | 1994 |
| Retired | 2008 (last match 2015) |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$ 6,987,402 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 313–204 (60.5% in Grand Slam and ATP Tour main draw matches, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 11 |
| Highest ranking | No. 8 (19 April 1999) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 4R (1996, 1999, 2000, 2004) |
| French Open | 4R (1997, 2000) |
| Wimbledon | F (2003) |
| US Open | F (1998) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | Alt (2003) |
| Grand Slam Cup | SF (1998) |
| Olympic Games | 3R (1996, 2000) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 99–73 (in Grand Slam and ATP Tour main draw matches, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 3 |
| Highest ranking | No. 18 (11 August 1997) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (1996) |
| French Open | 3R (1996, 1997) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1996) |
| US Open | SF (1996) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Career record | 3–3 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | QF (1996) |
| US Open | 2R (1997) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1999, 2003) |
| Hopman Cup | W (1999) |
Mark Anthony Philippoussis (born November 7, 1976) is an Australian tennis coach and commentator. He used to be a professional tennis player. Mark is known for winning two Davis Cup titles with Australia in 1999 and 2003. He also reached the finals of the 1998 US Open and the 2003 Wimbledon tournaments. His highest singles ranking was world No. 8.
Mark has also done some modeling and was on a TV dating show called Age of Love. People sometimes call him 'the Scud' or 'The Pou'.
Contents
About Mark Philippoussis
Mark Philippoussis was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father, Nikolaos, is Greek, and his mother, Rossana, is Italian. He went to Maribyrnong College and Wesley College. Mark is a Catholic.
Tennis Career Highlights
Starting Out in Tennis
Mark started playing tennis when he was six years old. His father, Nick, was his coach. He was also part of the Australian Institute of Sport. In 1994, he was the third-best junior singles player in the world. He also won junior doubles titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and in Italy with Ben Ellwood. Mark became a professional tennis player in 1994.
In 1995, at just 19, he was the youngest player in the top 50. In 1996, he made it to the fourth round of the Australian Open. He even beat famous player Pete Sampras in the third round. Mark was known for having one of the fastest serves in tennis. In 1997, he hit a serve that was 229.0 km/h (142.3 mph)!
Reaching the Top 10
At the US Open in 1998, Mark reached his first ever Grand Slam final. He played against fellow Australian Patrick Rafter but lost the match. In January 1999, Mark and Jelena Dokić won the Hopman Cup for Australia. They beat Sweden in the final. This was the first time Australia won the Hopman Cup.
On March 14, 1999, Mark won the Indian Wells Masters by beating Carlos Moyá. On March 29, 1999, Mark entered the top 10 players in the world for the first time. He stayed there for 10 weeks. He reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 1999. He had to stop playing in his match against Sampras because of a knee injury. He had surgery and returned to play seven weeks later. Mark finished 1999 ranked No. 19.
In 2000, Mark finished in the top 20 for the fourth year in a row, at No. 11. He reached the fourth round at the Australian Open. He also beat Pete Sampras at the French Open. For the third year in a row, he made it to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. He also played in his second Olympic Games in Sydney.
By 2002, Mark was still in the top 100 players.
Playing for Australia: Davis Cup
Mark always said he was proud to play for Australia in the Davis Cup. In 1999, he helped Australia win their 27th Davis Cup title. This was Australia's first win since 1986. Mark won his match against Cédric Pioline in France.
Injuries sometimes stopped Mark from playing in the Davis Cup. This caused some disagreements with his teammates, like Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt.
After knee surgeries, Mark returned to the Davis Cup in 2003. He helped Australia win the final against Spain in Melbourne. Mark beat Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero in a tough five-set match. He even played through a pectoral muscle injury to win the final set 6-0.
Comeback Years: 2003-2005
After three knee operations, Mark worked hard to make a comeback. He played regularly for the Davis Cup team and hired a new physical trainer. He also started surfing for fun. In 2003, he reached the Wimbledon final, but he lost to Roger Federer.
During a Wimbledon match in 2003 against Andre Agassi, Mark set a new Australian record. He served 46 aces in one match!
Mark won the Shanghai Open in 2003, which was his first singles title in two years. In November 2003, he won the deciding match of the Davis Cup final, securing the title for Australia. Because of his great comeback, Mark received the ATP Comeback Player of the Year award in 2003.
However, 2004 was a difficult year for his tennis career. He struggled in matches and his ranking dropped.
Return to the Court: 2006
After some debate, Mark was given a special entry into the 2006 Wimbledon tournament. He lost in the second round.
Later that year, he had a great run at the Campbell's Hall of Fame Championships. He reached the final and won his first title in almost three years by beating Justin Gimelstob.
Mark also changed coaches, hiring Peter McNamara to help his career. He played in the 2006 US Open but lost to Rafael Nadal in the first round. He also played in some Challenger tournaments and won the Calabasas tournament.
Injuries and Later Years
In 2007, Mark had to stop playing during a match at the Hopman Cup because he injured his knee again. An MRI scan showed he had torn cartilage, which meant he missed the rest of the season.
In 2008, Mark tried to make another comeback. He played in an Australian Open wildcard playoff but had to withdraw due to another knee injury that needed surgery.
In 2010, Mark played in a professional tour match for the first time since 2006. He also played in the Champions Series, winning two tournaments.
In 2012, Mark played for the Philadelphia Freedoms in World Team Tennis.
In 2015, at 38 years old, Mark played his first ATP World Tour match in nine years. He played in the qualifying rounds of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. He also played doubles in the tournament, reaching the quarter-finals. Mark said he wasn't planning a full comeback, just playing one event.
In 2017, Mark won the RPIA Championships in Toronto, beating Andy Roddick in the final.
Life Outside Tennis
Television Appearances
In 2020, Mark was on the TV show The Masked Singer Australia. He was dressed as an 'Echidna' and was the first person to be unmasked.
Age of Love
Mark was the main person on the reality TV dating show Age of Love in 2007. The show had women in their 40s and women in their 20s competing to win his attention. Mark chose Amanda Salinas, a 25-year-old dancer, at the end of the show.
Family Life
Mark married Romanian model Silvana Lovin in September 2013. They have two children: a son born in 2014 and a daughter born in 2018.
Images for kids
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Philippoussis at the 2015 Australian Open
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See also
In Spanish: Mark Philippoussis para niños
