Ivan Lendl

Ivan Lendl is a Czech player of Tennis born the March 7th 1960 with Ostrava, domiciled with Greenwich Connecticut. Cut 1 meter 87. Become American citizen in 1992. Lendl is incontestably one of the players who will have marked the most the history of the Tennis.

The Lendl revolution in tennis pro

Lendl marked the history by its basic Jeu of short, more offensive than those of its predecessors (Björn Borg, Guillermo Vilas) but also by his professionalism with any test. Ivan Lendl carried out a physical and strategic preparation very thorough with its trainer the Australia N Tony Roche, former winner of Roland-Garros.

The public, in particular French, supported little Lendl reproaching him an antipathetic side. Lendl has one of the most beautiful prize lists of the history of modern tennis: 270 weeks world number one with the ATP, 8 tournaments of the large slam, 144 titles (including 94 recorded by the ATP), 1 Coupe Davis.

John McEnroe one of his keenest adversaries recognizes in its Lendl biography as a frightening adversary which transformed more tennis than any of its immediate contemporaries.

The approach extremely posed that certain pros of today adopt (Andre Agassi or Justine Henin for example) locates in the line line of what did of Ivan Lendl one of the great champions of the XXe century. Lendl provides a work of every moment and a methodical approach perfectly adapted to the requirements of the modern sport.

If it can appear traditional, the preparation Lendl (which the young person Sampras at the winter 1989 undergoes - 1990, little before its first triumph with the US Open) clashed in the Années 1980. The players of the time refused neither left, nor drinks. The minimal standards of Diététique were at the time bottom. With Lendl, all changed, and tennis entered the era of professionalism.

wet hen wet hen

From the point of view of the career, Ivan Lendl resulting from a family of tennismen (her mother Czechoslovakian number one), was the first world champion juniors of the history in 1978. Quickly, it took a lead in the large circuit where still the 4 aces of the time reigned, Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Guillermo Vilas. Winner of 7 tournaments in 1980, it reached his first final of large slam with Roland-Garros 1981, where it took two sets with Björn Borg, which gained there its last title of the Grand Slam. Until 1984, Ivan Lendl trailed the reputation to be what Connors called one wet hen . Indeed, he managed to very often be essential on the circuit: 10 titles in 1981, 15 in 1982, 7 in 1983, but failed unceasingly finally of Grand Slam.

The US Open 1982 (Connors), 1983 (Connors), in Australia the same year (Wilander), like Masters 1980 and 1983, Lendl had failed. Like large titles, the day before the season 1984, it counted only two Masters (1981, 1982) and a Coupe Davis (1980).

The duel with McEnroe

But its perseverance ends up overriding McEnroe: with Roland-Garros in 1984, in a dramatic final, it went from two sets t0 0, three balls of station-wagon in the 3rd handle for finally imposing against an American ploughed up.

At 24 years, much more tardily than the other large players of its sport, Lendl entered the history. It left certainly the continuation of the season 1984 in McEnroe (which beat it with US Open), before definitively taking the top on the American in 1985, at his place, at the time of the US Open.

Whereas it had lost vis-a-vis Wilander the tournament of Roland-Garros in 1985, and that McEnroe had been surprised in quarters of Wimbledon by the South-African Kevin Curren, the two players found themselves to play the first world place finally. In fact of match, one attended the rider alone of Czechoslovakian which took the first world place for the 3 years which followed. John McEnroe did not regain any more a large slam. Lendl connected by a victory in Masters 1985.

The Lendl-McEnroe duels had this of private individual whom they constituted a total opposition: the side grips without laughing, cold, methodical of a basic player of short worker against the approach inspired of a genius of the play of attack, often unverifiable. This opposition, which knew a dramatic apogee with Roland-Garros in 1984, was completed with the crisis of confidence which the American at the end of 1985 knew. Would remain the memories and for the American, the regrets not to have gained the large title which it misses.

The reign 1985-1990

In 1986, it crushed competition with Paris and New York but failed finally of Wimbledon vis-a-vis the German young person of the west Boris Becker. For Lendl, the London tournament was going to become its way of cross. One 4th victory in Masters did not correct this feeling. In 1987, Lendl continued on its impetus, gaining the titles Parisian (Roland-Garros) and New Yorkean (US Open and Masters). But once again it failed Wimbledon, this time vis-a-vis Australian the Pat Cash, player fragile and odd who was this year in a state of grace.

1988, Wilander year, saw Lendl failing everywhere: in Australia, another tournament which refused with him, in France, in London and US Open. Even Masters does not smile to him. Many thought whereas between the Swedish 23 years and the Czechoslovakian 28 years the torch came to pass. And yet Wilander, at the end of its small slam, replaced first Lendl in vain, it was maintained there only 20 weeks before sinking definitively.

And Lendl to take again and keep its first place until the summer 1990. He managed to be essential in Australia twice (vis-a-vis Mečíř and Edberg) but will fail Roland-Garros in 1989 in eighth of finale in a match, remained in the memories, vis-a-vis the young American Michael Chang. In 5 sets, this 17 year old teenager, anchylosed over cramps at the end of his match, triumphed over the favorite and world number one. Using of all the possible stratagems, not hesitating to be used for the spoon or to place themselves near the line of square of service to turn over, Chang caused the fury of Czechoslovakian which left Roland-Garros and returned there only in 1992: he wanted to devote himself to Wimbledon, his tournament cursed.

Slow decline

That was not to him of any utility: it never gained in London. For a basic player of runs like him, it would have been necessary to arrive during one less fertile time as excellent players of grass (McEnroe, Edberg and Becker). It also lost the final of US the Open 1989, its 8th consecutive in New York (absolute records).

The last years were only one slow retreat: last final in large slam vis-a-vis Becker with the Australian 91, last semi-final with the US Open the same year vis-a-vis Edberg, it leaves 10 the best at the end 1992 (whereas it had just taken American nationality), then, caught up with by problems of back, gave up professional tennis with the autumn 1994. He then reconverts some time into the Golf, where he was hardly success.

Prize list in Large Slam:

Victories: (8)

Finales: (11)

Prize list in Masters:

Victories: (5)

Finales: (4)

Detail of its performances in Large Slam and with Masters:

Other striking facts in its career:

He is the Player who disputed the most Finales of Large Slam in the history (19), that which gained the most matches in Masters (40), the 2nd longer reign of the open era in the first world place of the ATP (270 weeks) behind Pete Sampras (286). He was regarded by the experts as the better player of the world three years of continuation, of 1985 to 1987. He is also the Player more titrated open era with 144 tournaments gained right in front of Jimmy Connors which adds up as for him 138 of them.

Other results in the Great Tournaments:

Gained tournaments: 144

(See various Records since the beginnings of tennis for the most titrated players history)

Titles into Simple recorded by the ATP: 94

Titles not listed by the Web site of the ATP: 37 (Tournament of 8-Players and more)

Titles not listed by the Web site of the ATP: 13 (Tournament on invitation with 4 or 6-Players)

Lost finales: 52 (50 listed by the Web site of the ATP and *2 observers in the ATP Player' S Guides)

  • 1 Final definitively stopped following a bomb scare.
  • ² Finale stopped to 4-1 with the 2ère set and not taken again following the bad weather (rain).

Lost finales not listed by the Web site of the ATP: 8

Sources for this section

  • John Barrett, editor, World off Tennis Yearbooks , London, of 1976 to 1983.

  • Michel Sutter, Victorious Winners 1946-2003 , Paris, 2003. Sutter, initially, tried to count all the international tournaments of 1946 with the autumn 1991. For each tournament it indicated the city, the date of the finale, the winner, the finalist and the score of the finale. A tournament is included in its list if: (1) the table includes/understands at least eight players (with some exceptions near like the tournaments Pepsi Grand Slam of second half of the years 1970; and (2) the level of the tournament was at least equal to that of the tournaments challenger of now. The book of Sutter is probably the most exhaustive source of tournaments since the Second world war, even if some professional tournaments of the period previous the open era are not recorded. Thereafter Sutter published an 2nd edition, with for only indications the players, their victories and the years corresponding, over the period 1946 - April 27th, 2003.

See too

  • Tennis players world numbers 1

External bonds

  • Data sheet on Lendl major Characteristics of its play and some quotations

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