Mikhail Youzhny facts for kids
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Youzhny at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships
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| Country (sports) |  Russia |
|---|---|
| Residence | Moscow, Russia |
| Born | 25 June 1982 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Turned pro | 1999 |
| Retired | 2018 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Boris Sobkin (2000–2018) |
| Prize money | $14,264,450 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 499–416 (54.54%) (54.5%) |
| Career titles | 10 |
| Highest ranking | No. 8 (28 January 2008) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2008) |
| French Open | QF (2010) |
| Wimbledon | QF (2012) |
| US Open | SF (2006, 2010) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | Alt (2010) |
| Olympic Games | QF (2004) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 154–193 (44.38%) (44.4%) |
| Career titles | 9 |
| Highest ranking | No. 38 (11 April 2011) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2014) |
| French Open | 3R (2006) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (2004, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016) |
| US Open | QF (2006) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 2R (2012) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (2002, 2006) |
Mikhail Mikhailovich Youzhny (born June 25, 1982) is a former professional tennis player from Russia. Fans often called him "Misha" or "Colonel". He was once ranked among the top 10 tennis players in the world. Mikhail reached his highest ranking of world No. 8 in January 2008 and again in October 2010.
Youzhny made it to the quarterfinals of all four major tennis tournaments, called Grand Slams. He even reached the semifinals at the US Open in 2006 and 2010. In 2006, he almost made it to the final after beating world No. 2 Rafael Nadal. He played in 21 ATP Tour finals and won ten of them. His best year was 2010, when he reached five finals and finished the year in the top 10. Mikhail was also a key player for the Russian team that won the Davis Cup in 2002 and 2006. In 2002, he won a very important match after being two sets down.
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Mikhail Youzhny's Early Life
Mikhail Youzhny was born on June 25, 1982. His father, Mikhail, was an army colonel, and his mother, Lubov, was a professional tennis player. Mikhail's father gave up his army career to help Mikhail and his older brother, Andrei, become tennis players. This is how Boris Sobkin became Mikhail's coach.
When Mikhail was 13, he was a ball boy at a big tennis match in Moscow. His father was told that Mikhail and Andrei should join the Spartak Club if they wanted to play tennis professionally. The brothers had to travel for over an hour by metro and two buses to get to the club. Their mother took a part-time job to help pay for their club fees.
At Spartak Club, Mikhail and other young players would watch Andrei Chesnokov, a famous tennis player, practice for hours. Finding a good coach was hard for Mikhail's parents. Mikhail said that he and Andrei often practiced by themselves with old tennis balls. His coach, Sobkin, remembered that Mikhail would sometimes break rackets and cry because he had a very strong will. Sobkin saw something special in Mikhail's eyes, a "sparkle," that made him believe Mikhail had potential.
Mikhail Youzhny's Tennis Career
Starting as a Junior Player: 1995-2000
Mikhail Youzhny played his first junior tournament in April 1995. He won his first junior doubles tournament in August 1997. In February 1998, he won his first junior singles tournament. He played in junior Grand Slam events like Wimbledon and the US Open. At the junior Australian Open, he reached the final but lost. He reached his highest junior ranking of No. 20 in January 2000.
Becoming a Professional: 2000-2003
Youzhny started 2000 ranked 288th in the world. He won his first ATP Challenger title in Uzbekistan. He also won his first ATP tour-level match at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships. By the end of 2000, he was ranked 113th.
In 2001, Youzhny played in his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open. He reached the third round. He also beat future world No. 1 Andy Roddick at the Queen's Club Championships. At his first Wimbledon, he made it to the fourth round. He finished 2001 ranked 58th.
In 2002, Youzhny reached the semifinals of a few tournaments. At Wimbledon, he made it to the fourth round again, losing to the eventual champion, Lleyton Hewitt. He won his first ATP tour-level title at the Mercedes Cup in Germany. He ended 2002 as world No. 32.
2003 was a tougher year for Youzhny. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, but then struggled in many tournaments. He ended the year ranked 43rd.
Breaking into the Top: 2004-2007
In 2004, Youzhny started to play better. He reached his first semifinal of the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships. He also made it to the quarterfinals of a big ATP Masters 1000 event. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he reached the quarterfinals. He made it to the final of the China Open, but lost to fellow Russian Marat Safin. In October, Youzhny won his first title since 2002 at the St. Petersburg Open. He finished 2004 ranked 16th.
2005 was a bit of a setback, with Youzhny losing early in many tournaments. He ended the year ranked 43rd again.
In 2006, Youzhny's form improved. He reached the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. At the US Open, he was ranked 54th but surprised everyone by beating the 2nd-seed Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. This was the first time he reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam. He ended 2006 ranked 24th.
The 2007 season was very successful for Youzhny. He won his first ATP 500 title at the Rotterdam Open. He also reached the finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships and the BMW Open. At the French Open and Wimbledon, he reached the fourth round for the first time in his career. By August, he was ranked No. 10 in the world. He finished 2007 with a great record and earned over $1 million in prize money.
Becoming a Top 10 Player: 2008-2010
Youzhny started 2008 by winning the Chennai Open in India, beating Rafael Nadal in the final. He reached his first quarterfinals at the Australian Open, but lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. At the Miami Masters, he famously hit his head with his racket three times during a match, drawing blood. Despite this, he won the match! He reached the fourth round at Wimbledon but lost to Rafael Nadal. He ended 2008 ranked 33rd.
2009 started slowly, but Youzhny found his form later in the year. He reached the final of the BMW Open and won his first title of the year at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. He also reached another final at the Valencia Open. He finished 2009 ranked 19th.
In 2010, Youzhny had his best season. He reached two finals early in the year. He won his first BMW Open title in Munich. At the French Open, he reached the quarterfinals for the first time. He made it to the semifinals of the US Open again, which helped him re-enter the top 10 rankings. He won his second title of the year at the Proton Malaysian Open, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 8. He finished 2010 as world No. 10, the highest-ranked Russian player.
Keeping His Form: 2011-2013
In 2011, Youzhny reached the third round of the Australian Open and the fourth round of Wimbledon. He also won a doubles title with Sergiy Stakhovsky. He ended 2011 ranked 35th.
The 2012 season saw Youzhny win his eighth singles title at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors in Croatia. He also won the doubles title there. At the French Open, he famously apologized to the crowd for his performance by writing "SORRI" in the clay. At Wimbledon, he reached the quarterfinals for the first time, making him the third Russian male player to reach the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams. He ended 2012 ranked 25th.
In 2013, Youzhny continued to play well. He reached the fourth round of the French Open. He made it to his first grass-court final at the Gerry Weber Open, but lost to Roger Federer. He won his first title of the year at the Swiss Open in Gstaad. At the US Open, he reached his sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal. He won his tenth singles title at the Valencia Open 500, beating top seed David Ferrer. He finished 2013 ranked 15th.
Later Career and Retirement: 2014-2018
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From 2014 to 2017, Youzhny faced more challenges, often losing in the early rounds of major tournaments. In 2015, his ranking dropped out of the top 100 for the first time since 2001. However, he won an ATP Challenger event, which is a lower-level tournament.
In 2016, Youzhny had a strong start, winning three Challenger titles in a row in Southeast Asia. This helped him get back into the top 100. At the US Open, he reached the third round before having to retire due to an injury against Novak Djokovic.
In 2017, he played a very long match at the Gerry Weber Open qualifying round, which lasted over 3 hours and 35 minutes. At Wimbledon, he won his 100th Grand Slam match.
Mikhail Youzhny announced his retirement from professional tennis in 2018. His last tournament was the St. Petersburg Open. He won his final career match in the first round, bringing his total wins to 499. He then lost in the second round, marking the end of his playing career.
Coaching After Retirement
After retiring, Youzhny started working as a coach. In 2019, he coached young Canadian player Denis Shapovalov for a short time. Youzhny has also openly disagreed with the Russian Tennis Federation in the past.
Playing for Russia
Davis Cup Matches
Youzhny played his first Davis Cup match for Russia in 2002. In the 2002 World Group final, he played a deciding match and made an amazing comeback from two sets down to win, helping Russia win the Davis Cup. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup again in 2006.
In 2009, Russia played against Israel in the quarterfinals. Youzhny lost his match, and Russia ended up losing the tie.
In 2011, Youzhny said he would step back from the Davis Cup team to let younger players have a chance. However, he played in a tough match against Brazil that year, winning both of his singles matches, including one that lasted over five hours!
Summer Olympics
Youzhny played tennis for Russia in three Summer Olympics: Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012.
In Athens (2004), he reached the quarterfinals in singles. He also played doubles. In Beijing (2008), he reached the third round in singles and the second round in doubles. In London (2012), he lost in the first round in singles. In doubles, he and his partner reached the second round. He also played mixed doubles.
How Mikhail Youzhny Played
Mikhail Youzhny was known for his strong shots from both sides of the court. His "backhand slice" was considered one of the best in the world. This shot allowed him to quickly change how the game was going. His main attacking shot was his one-handed backhand with topspin.
Novak Djokovic, a top player, once said that Youzhny's one-handed backhand was "one of the nicest and most efficient" on the tour. Youzhny was also good at hitting the ball early, which made it travel faster to his opponent. He was smart on the court and often used drop shots to surprise his opponents. He was also very good at volleys (hitting the ball before it bounces).
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Youzhny played well on all types of tennis courts, but he was especially good on grass courts. Some people called him a "grass-court specialist."
Former Russian player Alex Metreveli described Youzhny as a "great fighter" who won many tough matches. He was known for his strong fighting spirit. One weakness in his game was his serve, which sometimes wasn't as powerful as other top players.
Youzhny was famous for his special post-match military salute. He would place his racket on his head while saluting the crowd. This was his way of honoring his late father, who was a colonel in the army.
His coach for many years was Boris Sobkin. Youzhny wore adidas clothes and used a Head tennis racket.
Mikhail Youzhny's Life Off the Court
In 2003, the Russian government gave Youzhny the title of Honoured Master of Sports of Russia for his part in Russia's Davis Cup win.
In 2005, Youzhny started studying philosophy at the University of Moscow. He focused on the ideas and attitudes of tennis players. He earned his PhD in December 2010. His thesis was about how professional tennis players act on the court and how they compare to each other. He said he wrote it slowly when he had time, learning about other players and how they prepared for matches.
Mikhail Youzhny married Yulia on November 22, 2008. They had two sons, Maxim (born 2009) and Igor (born 2012), and a daughter, Milana (born 2019). Sadly, Yulia passed away in January 2024.
Images for kids
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Youzhny during one of his matches at the 2006 Australian Open
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Youzhny in his first round match against Paul-Henri Mathieu at the 2009 US Open. He would go on to win the match in four sets.
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Youzhny in his third round match against John Isner at the 2010 US Open. He would go on to win the match in three sets
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Youzhny during his first round match at 2011 Wimbledon against Argentine Juan Mónaco. He would win the match in five sets.
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Youzhny after winning his second round match against world number 125 Federico Delbonis at the 2013 French Open
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Youzhny at the 2015 French Open.
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Mikhail Youzhny practicing with his longtime coach Boris Sobkin
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Youzhny hitting one of his one-handed backhands at the 2014 Mutua Madrid Open.
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The Russian Davis Cup Team in 2009. From right to left: the team captain, Youzhny, Igor Andreev, Marat Safin and Igor Kunitsyn
See also
In Spanish: Mijaíl Yuzhny para niños
