Yannick Noah facts for kids
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Yannick Noah (1979 Davis Cup)
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| Country (sports) |  France |
|---|---|
| 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%) |
| 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 |
| 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. He is also a popular singer. In 2005, he was honored by being added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Noah is well-known for winning the French Open in 1983. He also led both France's Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams as captain. During his long career, which lasted almost two decades, 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 in doubles. After he stopped playing tennis, Noah continued to be famous as a musician. He also started a charity with his mother to help children who are not as lucky. Yannick Noah is the father of NBA player Joakim Noah.
Contents
Early Life and Tennis Beginnings
Yannick Noah was born in Sedan, France, in 1960. His father, Zacharie Noah, was a professional footballer from Cameroon. His mother, Marie-Claire, was French. In 1963, after his father had a sports injury, the family moved to Cameroon.
Yannick started playing tennis in Cameroon. When he was 11, famous tennis players Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell noticed his amazing talent. Soon after, in 1971, he moved to France to train at the French Tennis Federation's center in Nice.
Tennis Career Highlights
Noah became a professional tennis player in 1977. He won his first professional title in Italy that same year. In 1978, he won his first major singles title in Manila.
His biggest moment came in 1983 when he won the French Open. This is one of the four major Grand Slam tennis events. He was the first Frenchman in 37 years to win this title. He played incredibly well, losing only one set during the whole tournament. In the final, he beat the defending champion, Mats Wilander, in straight sets. Yannick Noah is still the last Frenchman to have won the French Open men's singles title.
In 1984, Noah won the French Open men's doubles title with his friend Henri Leconte. He also reached the men's doubles final at the 1985 U.S. Open 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 players voted for him to receive the ATP Sportsmanship Award.
Noah was recognized for his achievements in 1992 with the Legion of Honour medal. In 2005, he received the Philippe Chatrier Award, which is the highest honor from the International Tennis Federation. He was also inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame that year. He is still France's highest-ranked male player since tennis rankings began in 1973. Noah played for France's Davis Cup team for eleven years. He had a strong record in both singles and doubles matches. In 1982, he helped the French team reach the Davis Cup final.
Leading Teams to Victory
Yannick Noah also had great success as a team captain. In 1991, he led the French Davis Cup team to win their first title in 59 years. They beat a very strong US team in the final. He repeated this amazing feat in 1996, coaching the French team to defeat Sweden. In 2017, Noah guided France to a third Davis Cup win under his leadership, beating Belgium in the final.
In 1997, he also led France's Fed Cup team to their first-ever victory in that competition. They defeated the Dutch team in the final.
Music Career
After his tennis career, Noah started a successful career as a singer. He performed 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 big Davis Cup final win. He released more albums like Urban Tribu in 1993 and Zam Zam in 1998.
His music career really took off in 2000 with his self-titled album Yannick Noah. This album featured songs by famous artists like Bob Marley. In 2005, Noah performed at Bob Geldof's Live 8 concert, which raised money to help reduce poverty in Africa. He even performed in New York City's Central Park SummerStage in 2009. In 2010, he released his eighth album, Frontières, which included a song called "Angela" as a tribute to Angela Davis. That same year, he performed for nearly 80,000 fans at the Stade de France.
Charity Work
Yannick Noah is very active in charity work. He supports Enfants de la Terre, a charity started by his mother, Marie-Claire, in 1988. In 1996, Noah also founded Fête le Mur. This charity uses tennis to help underprivileged children, especially those in poorer areas. Noah himself leads this organization. He is also a spokesperson for the Appel des Enfants pour l'Environnement, 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 sponsored the Téléthon in 2005. He supports the Association Terre-des-Hommes in Switzerland. He donated money from his 2008 concert to Sol En Si, a charity that helps people with AIDS.
Noah is especially interested in UN-SDG6, which focuses on providing 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, where his parents lived. He later moved to France for a special sports and study program. He left the program at age 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 two children, Joakim (born 1985) and Yelena (born 1986), are from his first marriage to Cécilia Rodhe. 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). He later married French TV producer Isabelle Camus, and they have a son named Joalukas (born 2004). He also has a restaurant in Saint Barthélemy called Do Brazil. His sixth child, a daughter named Keelaani, was born in October 2024.
Images for kids
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Yannick Noah performing in Rennes, 2011
See also
In Spanish: Yannick Noah para niños
