Yannick Noah facts for kids
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Yannick Noah (1979 Davis Cup)
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| Country (sports) |  France |
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| Born | 18 May 1960 Sedan, Ardennes, France |
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Turned pro | 1977 |
| Retired | 1996 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $3,440,660 |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2005 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 478–209 (69.58%) (69.6%) |
| Career titles | 23 |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (7 July 1986) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1990) |
| French Open | W (1983) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1979, 1985) |
| US Open | QF (1983, 1985, 1989) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | QF (1982) |
| Grand Slam Cup | 1R (1990) |
| WCT Finals | SF (1988) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 213–109 (66.1%) |
| Career titles | 16 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (25 August 1986) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1984) |
| US Open | F (1985) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | F (1982) |
Yannick Noah (born 18 May 1960) is a famous French former professional tennis player and a popular singer. He was added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. Noah won the French Open in 1983. He also led both France's Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams as captain.
During his almost 20-year career, Noah won 23 singles titles and 16 doubles titles. He reached his highest singles ranking of world No. 3 in July 1986. The next month, he became the world No. 1 doubles player. After he stopped playing tennis, Noah became a well-known music artist. He also started a charity for children who need help, with his mother. Yannick Noah is also the father of Joakim Noah, who used to play in the NBA (National Basketball Association).
Contents
Early Life and Tennis Beginnings
Yannick Noah was born in Sedan, France, in 1960. His father, Zacharie Noah, was a Cameroonian football player. His mother, Marie-Claire, was French. When Yannick was young, his family moved to Cameroon.
He started playing tennis there and was discovered at age 11 by famous tennis players Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell. They saw his amazing talent. Soon after, in 1971, he moved to France to train at the French Tennis Federation's center in Nice.
Yannick Noah's Tennis Career
Noah became a professional tennis player in 1977. He won his first professional title in Italy in 1977. His first major singles title was in 1978 in Manila. In 1983, he became a national hero in France. He was the first Frenchman in 37 years to win the French Open. This is one of the four biggest tennis tournaments, called Grand Slams.
During the 1983 French Open, he only lost one set in the whole tournament. In the final match, he beat the defending champion, Mats Wilander from Sweden, in straight sets. Yannick Noah is still the last Frenchman to win the French Open men's singles title.
Doubles Success and Rankings
Noah also won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984. He played with his friend and fellow Frenchman, Henri Leconte. He was also a runner-up in men's doubles at the 1985 U.S. Open (again with Leconte). In August 1986, Noah became the world's No. 1 doubles player. He held this top spot for 19 weeks.
At the end of 1986, other tennis players voted for him to receive the ATP Sportsmanship Award. This award is given to players who show great fairness and respect in the game. Noah reached the quarter-finals or better in Grand Slam tournaments 10 times.
Awards and Davis Cup Play
In 1992, Noah received the Legion of Honour medal, a very important award in France. In 2005, he was given the Philippe Chatrier Award. This is the highest honor from the ITF. He was also inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame that same year.
Yannick Noah is still France's highest-ranked male player since tennis rankings began in 1973. He played for France's Davis Cup team for eleven years. His overall record was 39 wins and 22 losses. In 1982, he was part of the French team that reached the Davis Cup final. They were defeated by the United States.
Leading Teams to Victory
Yannick Noah became a very successful captain for France's national tennis teams.
Davis Cup Captaincy
In 1991, Noah led the French team to win their first Davis Cup in 59 years. They beat a strong US team in the final. He repeated this success in 1996, coaching the French team to defeat Sweden in the final. In 2017, Noah guided France to another Davis Cup win, beating Belgium in the final.
Fed Cup Captaincy
In 1997, Noah also captained France's Fed Cup team. He led them to their first-ever victory in that competition. They defeated the Dutch team in the final.
Grand Slam Singles Performance
This table shows how Yannick Noah performed in the biggest tennis tournaments, the Grand Slams, each year.
| Tournament | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | SR | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A/A | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | NH | QF | 4R | 1R | SF | 0 / 6 | 11–6 | 64.71 |
| French Open | 1R | 3R | 2R | 4R | QF | QF | W | QF | 4R | 4R | QF | 4R | 1R | 3R | 1 / 14 | 40–13 | 75.47 |
| Wimbledon | A | 2R | 3R | A | 1R | A | A | A | 3R | A | 2R | A | A | 1R | 0 / 6 | 6–6 | 50.00 |
| US Open | A | 1R | 4R | 4R | 4R | 4R | QF | A | QF | 3R | A | 2R | QF | 2R | 0 / 11 | 28–11 | 71.79 |
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 3–4 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 7–3 | 7–2 | 11–1 | 4–1 | 9–3 | 5–2 | 8–3 | 7–3 | 4–3 | 8–4 | 1 / 37 | 85–36 | 70.25 |
| Year-end ranking | 305 | 49 | 26 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 40 |
Grand Slam Finals
Singles: 1 (1–0)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1983 | French Open | Clay |  Mats Wilander |
6–2, 7–5, 7–6(7–3) |
Doubles: 3 (1–2)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1984 | French Open | Clay |  Henri Leconte |
 Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd |
6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1985 | US Open | Hard | Henri Leconte |
 Ken Flach Robert Seguso |
7–6(7–5), 6–7(1–7), 6–7(6–8), 0–6 |
| Loss | 1987 | French Open | Clay | Guy Forget |
Anders Järryd Robert Seguso |
7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–2), 3–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
Music Career and Performances
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Yannick Noah
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Noah performing live at a concert in 2015
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| Background information | |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1991 – present |
After his tennis career, Noah started a successful career as a singer. He performs all over Europe. His first album, Black & What, came out in 1991. It included the popular song "Saga Africa". He even got the stadium to sing this song with his players after a famous Davis Cup win.
In 1993, he released Urban Tribu, followed by Zam Zam in 1998. His music career really took off in 2000 with his fourth album, Yannick Noah. This album featured songs written by famous songwriters. It also included songs by Bob Marley and the group Téléphone.
In 2005, Noah performed at Bob Geldof's Live 8 concert. This event raised money to help reduce poverty in Africa. In 2009, Noah performed for the first time in the U.S. at a festival in New York City's Central Park SummerStage. In 2010, he released his eighth album, Frontières. This album included "Angela", a song honoring Angela Davis. It also had a duet with the singer Aṣa. On 25 September 2010, he performed for almost 80,000 fans at the Stade de France.
Charity Work and Community Involvement
Yannick Noah is very active in charity work. He supports Enfants de la Terre (Children of the Earth). This charity was started by his mother, Marie-Claire, in 1988.
Noah also founded Fête le Mur (Celebrate the Wall) in 1996. This is a tennis charity that helps children in need, especially in poorer areas. He is the president of this organization. He also speaks for Appel des Enfants pour l'Environnement (Children's Call for the Environment), which was started by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
He has sung with Les Enfoirés to help Les Restos du Cœur, a charity that provides food to people in need. He has also participated in telethons and supported the Téléthon 2005. He also helps the Association Terre-des-Hommes in Switzerland. He donated money from his 2008 concert to Sol En Si, a charity that helps people affected by AIDS.
Noah is especially interested in UN-SDG6, which focuses on clean water. He supports the delivery of clean water through What Water ASBL. He has helped this cause many times, including hosting an event at his resort in Cameroon.
Because of his involvement in many charities, Noah was named the most favorite French personality in a survey in 2007.
Personal Life and Family
Yannick Noah first went to school in Yaounde, Cameroon. His parents had moved there after meeting and marrying in France. He later moved to France for a sports and study program. He left the program at 17 to focus on tennis full-time.
His father, Zacharie Noah, was a professional Cameroonian football player. He won the French Cup with Sedan in 1961. His mother, Marie-Claire, was a teacher and a former captain of France's basketball team.
Noah has six children. His first marriage in 1984 was to Cécilia Rodhe, who was Miss Sweden in 1978 and is now a sculptor. They have two children: Joakim (born in 1985) and Yelena (born in 1986). Joakim played in the NBA for 13 years and represented France in international basketball. Yelena is a model and creates jewelry.
With his second wife, British model Heather Stewart-Whyte, he has two daughters: Elijah (born 1996) and Jénayé (born 1997). After their divorce in 1999, Noah was given custody of his daughters. He then married French TV producer Isabelle Camus. They have a son named Joalukas (born 2004). He also owns a restaurant in Saint Barthélemy called Do Brazil.
He later met Malika, and they had a daughter named Keelaani, who was born on October 22, 2024.
Images for kids
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Yannick Noah, Rennes, 22 January 2011
See also
In Spanish: Yannick Noah para niños
