Yevgeny Kafelnikov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Yevgeny Kafelnikov in 2023
Full name	Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov
Country (sports)	Russia
Residence	Sochi, Russia
Born	(1974-02-18) 18 February 1974 (age 51) Sochi, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Turned pro	1992
Retired	2010 (last match 2003)
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	,883,797 20th all-time leader in earnings
Int. Tennis HoF	2019 (member page)
Singles
Career record	609–306 (66.56%)
Career titles	26
Highest ranking	No. 1 (3 May 1999)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (1999)
French Open	W (1996)
Wimbledon	QF (1995)
US Open	SF (1999, 2001)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	F (1997)
Grand Slam Cup	SF (1995, 1996)
Olympic Games	W (2000)
Doubles
Career record	358–213 (62.7%)
Career titles	27
Highest ranking	No. 4 (30 March 1998)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (1995, 1999)
French Open	W (1996, 1997, 2002)
Wimbledon	SF (1994, 1995)
US Open	W (1997)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (2002)
Medal record Olympic Games – Tennis Gold 2000 Sydney Singles

Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov (born 18 February 1974) is a famous Russian former tennis player. He was once ranked the world's number one singles player. Yevgeny won two major tennis tournaments called Grand Slam singles titles. These were the French Open in 1996 and the Australian Open in 1999.

He also won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Kafelnikov won four Grand Slam doubles titles too. He is the most recent male player to win both the singles and doubles titles at the same Grand Slam event. He did this at the 1996 French Open. In 2019, Yevgeny Kafelnikov was honored by being added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Yevgeny's Tennis Career Highlights

Starting Strong in Tennis

In 1994, Yevgeny had a great year. He won three tennis titles. He also reached the final of a big tournament in Hamburg. His ranking jumped from 102 to 11 by the end of that year.

In 1995, he made it to his first Grand Slam semifinals. He beat the world's number one player, Andre Agassi, in the quarterfinals. He also won a title in Milan, beating three top-10 players.

Winning Grand Slam Titles

At the French Open in 1996, Kafelnikov made history. He became the first Russian to win a Grand Slam title. He defeated Michael Stich in the final. Before that, he had beaten the world's number one, Pete Sampras, in the semifinals.

In 1997, he was a finalist at the ATP Tour World Championships. He also won three titles that season. In doubles, he won both the French Open and US Open with his partner Daniel Vacek.

At the 1999 Australian Open, Kafelnikov won his second singles Grand Slam title. He beat Thomas Enqvist in the final. He also won tournaments in Rotterdam and Moscow. He reached the semifinals of the US Open that year.

Olympic Gold and More Wins

As the fifth-seeded player, Kafelnikov won the gold medal. This was in the men's singles at the 2000 Olympic Games. He defeated Gustavo Kuerten and Tommy Haas to win the gold. He also reached the final of the Australian Open.

In 2001, he beat world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten at the US Open. He then lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals. Kafelnikov also reached the finals in Paris. He won a record fifth straight title in Moscow.

In 2002, Kafelnikov won his fourth and last doubles Grand Slam. This was at the French Open with Paul Haarhuis. He also won his final singles title in Tashkent. He was part of Russia's team that won the Davis Cup in 2002.

Kafelnikov played his last professional match in October 2003. In total, he won 53 titles in singles and doubles. He is still the last male player to win both singles and doubles titles at the same Grand Slam.

Kafelnikov in the Kremlin, 2002

Life After Tennis

After retiring from tennis, Kafelnikov tried his hand at poker. He also played golf on the European Tour several times. He did not make the final cut in any of these golf tournaments.

From 2009 to 2010, he played in the ATP Champions Tour. This is for retired professional tennis players. He finished third in tournaments in Chengdu, Bogota, and São Paulo.

In 2019, Kafelnikov was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He had been nominated before but finally received enough votes.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov has also shared his thoughts on how tennis players' earnings compare to golfers'. He felt that golfers made much more money. He said it was "quite bizarre" to see such a difference.

Team Titles and Achievements

• 2002 – Davis Cup winner with Russia
• 2000, 2001, 2002 - World Team Cup finalist with Russia

Other Interests and Fun Facts

• Kafelnikov is a big fan of Spartak Moscow FC, a football club.
• He is also a professional golfer. He won the Russian Amateur Open Championship of Golf in 2011.
• Kafelnikov was a character in Virtua Tennis, a popular arcade tennis game.

Awards and Recognition

• 1994–1999, 2001: The Russian Cup for Male Player of the Year
• 2000: The Russian Cup for Male Player of the Century
• 2002: The Russian Cup for Team of the Year (with his teammates)

See also

In Spanish: Yevgueni Káfelnikov para niños

• Match fixing in tennis