Richard Krajicek facts for kids
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Krajicek at the Eastbourne International tennis tournament in 2011.
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| Country (sports) |  Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Residence | Muiderberg, Netherlands |
| Born | 6 December 1971 Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Turned pro | 1989 |
| Retired | 2003 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $10,077,425 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 411–219 (65.24%) (65.2%) |
| Career titles | 17 |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (29 March 1999) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1992) |
| French Open | SF (1993) |
| Wimbledon | W (1996) |
| US Open | QF (1997, 1999, 2000) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | SF (1996) |
| Grand Slam Cup | QF (1992, 1996) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 77–60 (56.2%) (56.2%) |
| Career titles | 3 |
| Highest ranking | No. 45 (26 July 1993) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1992) |
| French Open | 3R (1991) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1991) |
| US Open | 1R (1995) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | QF (1993, 1994, 1995) |
Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek (born December 6, 1971) is a famous Dutch former professional tennis player. He is also a tournament director now.
Richard Krajicek won 17 singles titles during his career. His biggest win was the 1996 Wimbledon Championships. He was the first and only Dutchman to win a major singles title, also known as a Grand Slam. In March 1999, he was ranked world No. 4 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
Richard retired from playing tennis in 2003. Since 2004, he has been the tournament director for the Rotterdam Open. He has also written several sports books.
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About Richard Krajicek
Richard Krajicek's parents were from the Czech Republic. He grew up in The Hague, Netherlands. When he was in primary school, he was in the same class as Michael Boogerd, who later became a professional road cyclist.
In 1999, Richard married Daphne Deckers, a model, writer, and TV host. They live in Muiderberg and have two children, a son and a daughter. In the Netherlands, Richard is sometimes called "de Kraai," which means "the crow" in Dutch.
His half-sister, Michaëlla Krajicek, is also a professional tennis player. A distant cousin, Austin Krajicek, is another tennis player from the United States.
Richard Krajicek is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). This is a political party in the Netherlands.
Richard's Tennis Career
Richard Krajicek started playing tennis when he was just four years old. As a young player, he won the Dutch National Championships twice for both the under-12 and under-14 age groups. His biggest win as a junior was the Wiltshire Open in the UK.
He became a professional tennis player in 1989. In 1991, he won his first big singles title in Hong Kong. He also won his first doubles title that year at the Dutch Open.
Grand Slam Achievements
In 1992, Richard, who is 1.95 meters tall, reached his first Grand Slam semi-finals at the Australian Open. He had to stop playing in that match because of a shoulder injury. The next year, he made it to the semi-finals at the French Open. He lost that match to the champion, Jim Courier.
In 1996, Richard played in the final of the Italian Open. He lost to Thomas Muster. Later that year, at the French Open, Richard was the only player to win a set against the eventual champion, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, in their quarterfinal match.
Winning Wimbledon
Before the 1996 Wimbledon tournament, Richard Krajicek had never gone past the fourth round there. He had even lost in the first round in the two years before. People knew he had a lot of potential, especially with one of the fastest serves at the time. However, he was not expected to win the title. The favorite was Pete Sampras, who had won Wimbledon for the past three years.
Richard was ranked among the top 16 players in the world. He just missed out on being a seeded player for the tournament. But when the seventh seed, Thomas Muster, pulled out due to an injury, Richard became the 17th seed and took Muster's spot in the draw.
Richard beat former champion Michael Stich in the fourth round. Then, he faced Pete Sampras in the quarterfinals. Richard had worked hard to improve his backhand shot, turning it into a strong attacking shot. He defeated Sampras in straight sets. This was a huge win, as Richard was the only player to beat Sampras in a Wimbledon singles match between 1993 and 2001.
After that, he beat Jason Stoltenberg in the semi-finals. In the final, he played against American MaliVai Washington. Richard won the final in straight sets, becoming the first Dutchman to win Wimbledon.
Later Career and Retirement
In 1997, Richard's attempt to defend his Wimbledon title ended in the fourth round. He lost to Tim Henman. In 1998, he reached the Wimbledon semi-finals again. He played a very long match against Goran Ivanišević, losing 13–15 in the fifth set. Both players served a total of 38 aces in that match! His last try for a Wimbledon title was in 2002, when he lost in the quarterfinals.
In November 1998, Richard won the Stuttgart Masters title. On his way to winning, he beat world No. 5 Andre Agassi, world No. 1 Pete Sampras, and world No. 9 Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
At the 1999 US Open, Richard lost in the quarterfinals to Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Even though he lost, he set some records for the most aces (fast serves) in a match that day. At the 2000 U.S. Open, Richard played Sampras again in the quarterfinals. He won the first set and was leading in the second, but then lost the match.
In 2000, Richard received the ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award. This award is given to players who do great work to help others. He was recognized for his efforts to help young people in the Netherlands. In 2002, he was named ATP Comeback Player of the Year. This award goes to a player who has made a great return to the sport after a difficult period.
Richard Krajicek retired from professional tennis in 2003. During his career, he won 17 singles titles and three doubles titles. His highest singles ranking was world No. 4 in 1999. His victory over Pete Sampras at Wimbledon was not a lucky win, as Richard ended his career with a winning record of 6–4 against Sampras.
Since retiring, Richard Krajicek runs The Richard Krajicek Foundation. This foundation builds sports facilities for children in city areas in the Netherlands. In 2004, he became the tournament director of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. In 2005, he published a book about tennis called Fast Balls.
Major Tournament Finals
Richard Krajicek played in several important finals during his career.
Singles Titles
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1996 | Wimbledon | Grass |  MaliVai Washington |
6–3, 6–4, 6–3 |
Masters Series Finals
Richard Krajicek reached six finals in the ATP Masters Series, winning two of them.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1996 | Rome | Clay |  Thomas Muster |
2–6, 4–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1997 | Stuttgart | Carpet (i) |  Petr Korda |
6–7(6–8), 2–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1998 | Canada (Toronto) | Hard |  Patrick Rafter |
6–7(3–7), 4–6 |
| Win | 1998 | Stuttgart | Carpet (i) |  Yevgeny Kafelnikov |
6–4, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 1999 | Key Biscayne | Hard |  Sébastien Grosjean |
4–6, 6–1, 6–2, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1999 | Stuttgart | Carpet (i) |  Thomas Enqvist |
1–6, 4–6, 7–5, 5–7 |
Awards and Honors
- Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (1997)
- Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (November 17, 2017)
- Medal of Honour for Ingenuity and Entrepreneurship of the Order of the House of Orange (June 17, 2024)
See also
In Spanish: Richard Krajicek para niños
