Mats Wilander

Mats Wilander is a famous player of Tennis, born with Växjö in Sweden, the August 22nd 1964. During its career, it reached the place of world number 1 in 1988 and gained in particular 7 tournaments of the Grand Slam.

Biography

A regular rise

Mats Wilander begins tennis very early and starts to shine in the tournaments juniors. It indeed gains the tournament of Roland-Garros junior and the championships European of less than 16 years and 18 years. It also gains the Orange Bowl of Miami of less than 16 years.

As of its beginnings like professional, Wilander shows his exceptional qualities. It gains Roland Garros in 1982, at the 17 years and 9 months age vis-a-vis Guillermo Vilas (record at the time of the youngest player to gain a tournament of the Grand Slam).

Its rise is then regular. It reaches the final of Roland Garros the following year (that it loses vis-a-vis Yannick Noah) but gains its second Grand Slam in Australia, over grass, by successively beating John McEnroe in half final and Ivan Lendl finally. Consequently, it becomes certain that it has the potential to be number 1 and to perhaps gain the four major tournaments of the professional circuit.

However Mats Wilander has extremely to make. Although it gains once again the Open of Australia in 1984 and Roland Garros in 1985, it loses finally against Stefan Edberg the same year in Australia. It becomes world number 2 behind Lendl in 1986. It is the latter which bars to him the road for the classification ATP because it finally beats it successively with Roland Garros and with the US Open in 1987.

World number one

Thanks to an astonishing coolness, a regularity and a direction of the imperturbable play, Mats Wilander succeeds in 1988 one nearly perfect season. It finally beats of two Grand Slam the pets of the local public: Stalemate Cash in Australia and Henri Leconte in France. With Wimbledon, it can make better only quarter of finalist. It is with the US Open that it gives once again its full measurement. After a battle baited in five sets against Lendl, world number 1, it gains the match, new a Grand Slam (the third of the year) and succeeds to him the head of the classification ATP. It puts an end to the three years reign of Lendl and keeps the place until in 1989.

In 1988, Wimbledon is thus the tournament which ruins Wilander in its search of the four titles of the Grand Slam. It is besides the only tournament which he does not manage to gain (into simple) before his retirement.

The Coupe Davis

Parallel to its career into simple, Wilander attempts to take part in the Coupe Davis for the Sweden. With all its rigor and its talent, it reaches its first final (lost) as of 1983 against the Australia.

Then, the player allows the Sweden to gain the Coupe Davis in 1984 and 1985. Finally in 1986, Wilander declines the selection because it Marie. The Sweden then loses the Cut vis-a-vis the Australia. It is thus in 1987 that the player gains his third and last salad bowl of money in a match gained 5-0 vis-a-vis the India.

Thereafter, in 1988 and 1989, the Sweden is inclined finally vis-a-vis the Germany. Mats Wilander will have allowed her national team to take part in seven consecutive finales of Coupe Davis!

End of a career

Wilander takes its retirement in 1996. It takes part all the same in some tournaments seniors. It is not far away from the world of tennis since it was a time captain of the team of Sweden in Coupe Davis and trainer of the Russian player Marat Safin.

Since August 2007, it is the coach of the Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin. In addition, it holds a regular chronicle with the newspaper the team.

Anecdotes

In semi-final of Roland-Garros 1982, Mats Wilander returns the point to her adversary, Jose Luis Clerk on a match point in its favor, whereas the referee declared: “play, set and Wilander match”. It will gain a few minutes nevertheless later and will be qualified for the final. Throughout its career, Wilander will be regarded as one of the most fair-play players of the circuit.

Wilander disputed against American John McEnroe in July 1982 the longest match of the history of the Coupe Davis: a defeat 9-7 6-2 15-17 3-6 8-6 in 6 hours and 22 minutes.

Prize list

Titles into simple

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Titles in double

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Performances in the major tournaments

(1): tournament disputed alternatively with Toronto even years and with Montreal odd years. NP = Not participation in the tournament. HF = Demolished in eighth of finale, QF = Demolished in quarterfinal, DF = Demolished in semi-final, F = Demolished finally, V = gained Tournament.

Results in Coupe Davis

That is to say a total into simple of 36 victories against 16 defeats and in double of 7 victories against 2 defeats.

Partner in double: (1) = Anders Jarryd, (2) = Joakim Nyström, (3) = Stefan Edberg.

Confrontations with its main adversaries

Confrontations at the time of the various tournaments ATP, with the Masters and in Coupe Davis.
Classification per percentage of victories. Order: victories - defeats.

Sources: official site of the ATP

See too

Tennis players world numbers 1

External bonds

Data sheet on the play of Wilander and quotation of Yannick Noah
Wilandertribute.com

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