Mats Wilander facts for kids
Wilander in the Eurosport studio during the 2014 Australian Open at Melbourne Park
|
|
| Country (sports) |  Sweden |
|---|---|
| Residence | Hailey, Idaho, U.S. |
| Born | 22 August 1964 Växjö, Sweden |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Turned pro | 1979 |
| Retired | 1996 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | John-Anders Sjögren |
| Prize money | US,976,256 |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2002 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 571–222 (72.01%) (72%) |
| Career titles | 33 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (12 September 1988) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1983, 1984, 1988) |
| French Open | W (1982, 1985, 1988) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1987, 1988, 1989) |
| US Open | W (1988) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (1987) |
| WCT Finals | QF (1985, 1987, 1989) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 168–127 |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (21 October 1985) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1984) |
| French Open | SF (1985) |
| Wimbledon | W (1986) |
| US Open | F (1986) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (1985) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1984, 1985, 1987) |
Mats Arne Olof Wilander (born August 22, 1964) is a famous Swedish former tennis player. He was once ranked the world's No. 1 player. Between 1982 and 1988, he won seven major singles titles. These included three at the French Open, three at the Australian Open, and one at the US Open. He also won one major men's doubles title at Wimbledon.
Mats Wilander became famous very quickly. He won the 1982 French Open when he was only 17 years old. In 1988, he had an amazing year, winning three of the four major singles tournaments. He then became the world's No. 1 player.
Even though he never won the singles title at Wimbledon, Wilander won the Australian Open twice when it was played on grass courts. This makes him one of only seven men in history to win major singles titles on all three main court surfaces: grass, hard courts, and clay courts. He is one of only three men to win at least two major singles titles on each surface.
Wilander won his fourth major singles title when he was just 20. This made him the youngest man ever to achieve this feat. Throughout his career, he won 33 singles titles and seven doubles titles. He also played a big part in Sweden reaching seven Davis Cup finals in the 1980s. In 2002, Mats Wilander was honored by being added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Contents
Mats Wilander's Tennis Journey
Starting Out: Junior Years
Mats Wilander was born in Växjö, Sweden. He first caught the eye of the tennis world as a junior player. He won the French Open junior title. He also won the European championships for players under 16 and under 18. In addition, he won the Orange Bowl under-16 event in Miami.
Becoming a Pro: Early Career (1980-1988)
Wilander started playing professionally in 1980. His big moment came at the 1982 French Open. He was not expected to win, but he surprised everyone. He beat several top players, including Ivan Lendl and Guillermo Vilas, to win the title. He was only 17 years and 9 months old, making him one of the youngest Grand Slam champions ever. During his semifinal match, he showed great sportsmanship by asking for a point to be replayed because he felt the referee made a wrong call. For this, he received the Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Trophy.
In 1983, Wilander won his second Grand Slam title at the 1983 Australian Open. This tournament was played on grass courts back then. He beat Ivan Lendl in the final. He won eight other tournaments that year and finished as the world No. 4.
He won the 1984 Australian Open again in 1984, beating Kevin Curren in the final. In 1985, he won the 1985 French Open for the second time, once again defeating Lendl. By 1986, he was ranked No. 2 in the world. That same year, he won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon with his Swedish teammate Joakim Nyström.
The year 1988 was the best of Wilander's career. He won his third 1988 Australian Open title. This time, it was played on hard courts, making him the only player to win the Australian Open on both grass and hard courts. He then won his third 1988 French Open title. Later that year, he won the US Open by beating Lendl in a very long five-set match. This win made him the world's No. 1 player. He held this top spot for 20 weeks.
Later Career and Retirement (1989-1996)
After his amazing 1988 season, Wilander's results began to decline. He struggled in Grand Slam tournaments in 1989. He did not win any tournaments that year and his ranking dropped.
He continued to play for several more years, but he didn't reach the same level of success. He played his last Grand Slam tournament at the 1996 French Open. Mats Wilander officially retired from professional tennis in October 1996.
During most of his career, Wilander used the Rossignol F-200 Carbon tennis racquet. This was an early model made of fiberglass.
Playing for Sweden: Davis Cup Success
Wilander was a very important part of the Swedish Davis Cup team in the 1980s. This team was very successful.
He helped Sweden reach their first final in 1983, but they lost to Australia. In 1984, Sweden, with Wilander, won the cup by beating the United States. They won again in 1985 against West Germany. Wilander helped Sweden reach the final in 1986, but he did not play because he was getting married. Sweden lost that year. He played in his fourth final in 1987, where Sweden beat India. Sweden reached two more finals in 1988 and 1989, but lost both.
Wilander's most famous Davis Cup match was a loss. In 1982, he played against John McEnroe from the United States. The match lasted 6 hours and 32 minutes, which is one of the longest singles matches in Davis Cup history.
Career Highlights and Records
Mats Wilander achieved many impressive records during his career.
- Australian Open: He reached the final three times in a row from 1983 to 1985. He is also the youngest Australian Open champion ever, winning at 19 years and 3 months old.
- French Open: He won the French Open title on his very first try in 1982. He was also an unseeded player when he won, meaning he was not expected to win.
- Grand Slam Tournaments: He won seven Grand Slam titles before he became the world's No. 1 player. This is a unique achievement.
Life After Professional Tennis
After retiring, Mats Wilander still plays tennis sometimes on the senior tour. He has also been the captain of the Sweden Davis Cup team. Today, many people know him as a tennis commentator for Eurosport.
Wilander lives on a large property in Hailey, Idaho, United States, with his wife Sonya. They have four children: Emma, Karl, Erik, and Oskar. His son Erik has a mild form of epidermolysis bullosa, a skin condition. Wilander and his wife have worked to raise money for research into treatments for this disease.
In 2012, Wilander received the International Club's Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award for his fair play and good conduct.
See also
- Lendl–Wilander rivalry
- List of Grand Slam men's singles champions
- World number 1 ranked male tennis players
