Pat Cash facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pat Cash

Cash at the 2015 Australian Open
Country (sports)	Australia
Residence	London, England
Born	(1965-05-27) 27 May 1965 (age 60) Melbourne, Australia
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro	1982
Retired	1997 (singles) 2006 (doubles)
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$1,950,345
Singles
Career record	238–148 (61.7%)
Career titles	6
Highest ranking	No. 4 (9 May 1988)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (1987, 1988)
French Open	4R (1988)
Wimbledon	W (1987)
US Open	SF (1984)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (1987)
WCT Finals	QF (1988)
Olympic Games	1R (1984, demonstration event)
Doubles
Career record	174–110 (61.3%)
Career titles	12
Highest ranking	No. 6 (13 August 1984)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (1984)
French Open	3R (1982)
Wimbledon	F (1984, 1985)
US Open	SF (1983)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (1983, 1986)
Hopman Cup	F (1989)

Patrick "Pat" Cash (born May 27, 1965) is a famous Australian former professional tennis player and coach. He was known for his exciting style of play. Pat reached a high ranking of world No. 4 in singles in May 1988 and world No. 6 in doubles in August 1988.

One of his most famous moments happened when he won the 1987 singles title at Wimbledon. After winning, Cash climbed into the stands to celebrate with his family and coach. This started a new tradition that many other tennis champions have followed since.

Early Life and Junior Career

Pat Cash grew up in Melbourne, Australia. His father, Pat Cash Sr., was also a sportsman who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the 1950s.

Becoming a Junior Star

In the early 1980s, Pat Cash became a very promising young tennis player. He even received a special scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport. In 1981, he was ranked the No. 1 junior player in the world.

In 1982, Pat had a fantastic year as a junior.

• He won the junior doubles title at the French Open with his partner John Frawley.
• He won the junior singles title at Wimbledon.
• He also won the junior doubles title at Wimbledon with John Frawley.
• In September, he won the junior singles title at the US Open.
• He was also the runner-up in junior doubles at the US Open with John Frawley.

Professional Tennis Career

Pat Cash turned professional in late 1982. He quickly won his first major singles title in his hometown of Melbourne that same year.

Davis Cup Success

In 1983, Pat Cash made history by becoming the youngest player to compete in a Davis Cup final. He won the deciding match against Joakim Nyström. This helped Australia beat Sweden 3–2 and win the cup!

He also helped Australia win the Davis Cup again in 1986. Australia defeated Sweden 3–2, and Pat won the final singles match after being two sets down. He played in his third Davis Cup final in 1990, but this time Australia lost to the United States.

Grand Slam Highlights

In 1984, Pat Cash reached the semifinals at both Wimbledon and the US Open. He beat strong players like Mats Wilander in both tournaments. At Wimbledon, he lost to John McEnroe. At the US Open, he lost to Ivan Lendl in a very close match. This day at the US Open was so exciting, it's known as 'Super Saturday'.

Pat was also a runner-up in the doubles competition at Wimbledon twice. He reached the final in 1984 with Paul McNamee and in 1985 with John Fitzgerald.

Winning Wimbledon in 1987

The biggest moment of Pat Cash's career was in 1987 at Wimbledon. He played incredibly well throughout the tournament. In the final, he defeated the world No. 1 player, Ivan Lendl, in straight sets.

After his victory, Pat climbed into the stands to celebrate with his family, girlfriend, and coach, Ian Barclay. This was a new thing to do at Wimbledon, and many champions have copied this celebration ever since! He only lost one set during the entire tournament, showing how dominant he was. He finished that year ranked No. 7 in the world.

Australian Open Finals

In 1987, Pat Cash reached his first Grand Slam singles final at the Australian Open. He had a tough semifinal match against Ivan Lendl, which lasted four hours. Pat lost the final in five sets to Stefan Edberg. This was the last Australian Open played on a grass court.

In 1988, Pat reached the Australian Open final for the second year in a row. He beat Ivan Lendl again in a five-set semifinal. In the final, he faced Mats Wilander. This was the first men's singles final played at the new Melbourne Park on a hard court. Wilander won the match after four and a half hours of play.

Later Career and Injuries

After his amazing 1987 Wimbledon win, Pat Cash faced many injuries. He had problems with his Achilles tendon, knees, and back. These injuries made it hard for him to play at his best.

In April 1989, he seriously injured his Achilles tendon at the Japan Open. He was out of action for almost a year.

He continued to play tennis on and off through the mid-1990s. He won his last singles title in April 1990 at the Hong Kong Open. His last doubles title was in 1996 with Pat Rafter.

Pat Cash was known for his aggressive "serve-and-volley" style of play. He also had a trademark look: a black-and-white checked headband and a cross earring. His coach for most of his career was Ian Barclay.

Life After Retirement

Cash in 2010

Since retiring from professional tennis in 1997, Pat Cash has mostly lived in London. He has worked as a TV commentator, especially for the BBC, sharing his tennis knowledge. He also hosts a tennis show called Open Court on CNN.

Pat still plays tennis in special "legends" tours for former champions. He won the Hall of Fame event in Newport, Rhode Island, in both 2008 and 2009. He has also coached other top tennis players, including Greg Rusedski, CoCo Vandeweghe, and Mark Philippoussis.

He has opened tennis academies in Australia, Thailand, and the Caribbean to help new players learn the sport. In 2005, Pat Cash was honored by being inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Pat Cash continued to play well in senior tournaments. He won the over-45s Wimbledon doubles title four times in a row, from 2010 to 2013, with fellow Australian Mark Woodforde.

In 2022, Pat Cash appeared on the British TV show The Masked Singer as the character "Bagpipes." He was unmasked as the fourth celebrity.

Personal Life

Pat Cash has children from his relationships. He became a grandfather in 2010 when his daughter had a baby girl.

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1987	Australian Open	Grass	Stefan Edberg	3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 3–6
Win	1987	Wimbledon	Grass	Ivan Lendl	7–6(7–5), 6–2, 7–5
Loss	1988	Australian Open	Hard	Mats Wilander	3–6, 7–6(7–3), 6–3, 1–6, 6–8

Doubles (2 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1984	Wimbledon	Grass	Paul McNamee	Peter Fleming John McEnroe	2–6, 7–5, 2–6, 6–3, 3–6
Loss	1985	Wimbledon	Grass	John Fitzgerald	Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy	4–6, 3–6, 6–4, 3–6

Junior Grand Slam Finals

Boys' Singles: 3 (2 wins, 1 loss)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1981	Wimbledon Jrs.	Grass	Matt Anger	6–7(3–7), 5–7
Win	1982	Wimbledon Jrs.	Grass	Henrik Sundström	6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–3
Win	1982	US Open Jrs.	Hard	Guy Forget	6–3, 6–3

Images for kids

• 

  Cash at the 2015 Australian Open

• 

  Cash in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Pat Cash para niños