Pat Rafter facts for kids
Rafter at the 2015 Australian Open
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| Full name | Patrick Michael Rafter |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Australia |
| Residence | Lennox Head, New South Wales, Australia |
| Born | 28 December 1972 Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia |
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) |
| Turned pro | 1991 |
| Retired | 2003 (last match November 2001) |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$11,133,128 |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2006 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 358–191 (65.21%) |
| Career titles | 11 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (26 July 1999) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (2001) |
| French Open | SF (1997) |
| Wimbledon | F (2000, 2001) |
| US Open | W (1997, 1998) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | RR (1997, 2001) |
| Grand Slam Cup | F (1997) |
| Olympic Games | 2R (2000) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 214–111 (65.85%) |
| Career titles | 10 |
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (1 February 1999) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1999) |
| French Open | SF (1998) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1996, 1998) |
| US Open | SF (1996) |
Patrick Michael Rafter (born 28 December 1972) is a famous Australian former tennis player. He was once ranked the world No. 1 in singles. This happened on 26 July 1999, and he held the top spot for one week.
Patrick Rafter is best known for winning the US Open tennis tournament two years in a row, in 1997 and 1998. He also reached the finals at Wimbledon twice, in 2000 and 2001. In doubles, he won the 1999 Australian Open with his partner Jonas Björkman.
He was the first male player in the modern tennis era to win the Canada Masters, Cincinnati Masters, and the US Open all in the same year (1998). This amazing achievement is sometimes called the "American Summer Slam." Only two other players, Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal, have done this since. Rafter is also the only player to have a perfect winning record against tennis legend Roger Federer in at least three matches.
Contents
Patrick Rafter's Amazing Tennis Journey
Patrick Rafter became a professional tennis player in 1991. He was famous for his "serve-and-volley" style. This means he would hit a powerful serve and then quickly run to the net to hit the next shot.
Early Days and First Wins
Rafter won his first main tour match at Wimbledon in 1993. He made it to the third round before losing to Andre Agassi. Later that year, he beat Pete Sampras, another tennis star, in a tough match in Indianapolis. Rafter finished 1993 ranked 66th in the world.
In 1994, he won his first singles title in Manchester. This was his only major win before his big breakthrough in 1997.
Becoming a Star: Grand Slam Wins
Patrick Rafter's career really took off in 1997. He reached the semifinals of the French Open, a major tournament played on clay courts. Then, he surprised everyone by winning the US Open! He beat Greg Rusedski in the final. This was his first Grand Slam title, and it made him the world No. 2 player by the end of the year. Some people, like tennis legend John McEnroe, didn't think he would win another Grand Slam. They called him a "one-slam wonder."
But Rafter proved them wrong in 1998. He had a fantastic year, winning the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters. He beat Pete Sampras in the Cincinnati final. When Sampras was asked about Rafter, he joked that the difference between them was "10 Grand Slams." He meant that Rafter needed to win more Grand Slams to be considered truly great.
Rafter then went on to defend his US Open title, beating fellow Australian Mark Philippoussis in the final. He made very few mistakes in that match. In 1998, Rafter won six tournaments in total and finished the year ranked No. 4 in the world.
In 1999, Rafter won the Australian Open men's doubles title with Jonas Björkman. This made him one of the few players to win both a singles and doubles Grand Slam title. At the French Open that year, Rafter played against a young Roger Federer in the first round. It was Federer's first-ever Grand Slam match, and Rafter won. In July 1999, Patrick Rafter became the world No. 1 singles player, but only for one week. This is the shortest time anyone has held that top spot in the ATP Tour's history. Later that year, he had to stop playing at the US Open due to a shoulder injury that needed surgery.
Wimbledon Finals and Tough Matches
By 2000, Rafter's ranking had dropped, but he still reached the Wimbledon final. In the semifinals, he played an amazing five-set match against Andre Agassi. It was called a classic because of their different playing styles: Agassi stayed at the back of the court, while Rafter attacked the net. Rafter then faced Pete Sampras in the final. Sampras was trying to win his seventh Wimbledon title. Rafter started strong but later said he "choked" (got nervous and played badly) in the second set. Sampras won the match.
In 2001, Rafter again reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. He lost a tough five-set match to Andre Agassi. Later that year, he was back in the Wimbledon final. For the third year in a row, he beat Agassi in the semifinals in another thrilling five-set match. In the final, he played Goran Ivanišević. Ivanišević, who had been ranked much lower due to injuries, won the long, five-set match.
Patrick Rafter didn't play any professional matches in 2002 because he was recovering from injuries. In January 2003, he officially announced his retirement from tennis. He said he no longer had the strong desire to compete at the highest level.
Life After Professional Tennis
The main tennis court at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Australia, is named Pat Rafter Arena in his honor. In 2002, he received the Australian of the Year award. This caused some discussion because he had lived in Bermuda for a while, which helped him with taxes.
Rafter played a couple of doubles tournaments in 2004, including the 2004 Australian Open, but he lost in the first round of both. In 2005, he won a special award called the Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award for his fair play.
He was added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2008, he was also inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was named one of Queensland's "sports legends."
In 2010, Rafter became the captain of Australia's Davis Cup team. He stepped down from this role in 2015. In 2014, at age 41, Rafter played doubles with Lleyton Hewitt at the 2014 Australian Open, but they lost in the first round.
Playing Again: Comebacks and Legends Tour
Patrick Rafter sometimes plays in special tournaments for former tennis stars, called the ATP Champions Tour. In 2009, he played against Pat Cash and Goran Ivanišević. He then reached the final and beat Stefan Edberg in a close match. This was the first time Rafter had ever beaten Edberg.
Images for kids
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Rafter at the 2015 Australian Open
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Rafter playing for the Australia Davis Cup team in 2001
See also
In Spanish: Patrick Rafter para niños
