Ivan Lendl

Ivan Lendl is a Czech and American former professional tennis player and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He was ranked as the World No. 1 for 270 weeks, and won eight majors and seven year-end championships.

Commonly referred to as the "Father of Modern Tennis," Lendl pioneered the style of aggressive baseline power tennis that is common today.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Ivan Lendl was born on March 7, 1960, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, into a tennis family. His father, Jiří, was a lawyer and a former tennis player, and his mother, Olga, was at one point the No. 2 female player in the country. Lendl began playing tennis at the age of three and became a U.S. citizen on July 7, 1992.

On September 16, 1989, he married Samantha Frankel, and they have five daughters: Marika, Isabelle, Caroline, Daniela, and Nikola. After retiring from tennis, Lendl took up golf and played on the Celebrity Tour.

He is also a noted collector of Alphonse Mucha posters, a collection that was sold in 2014. He has recently taken up pickleball and is set to compete in a professional event on the PPA Tour.

Early Life and Junior Career

Lendl first came to the tennis world's attention as a junior player. In 1978, he won the boys' singles titles at the Italian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon, and was the world's No. 1 ranked junior player.

Professional Career

Lendl turned professional in 1978. He was a dominant force in the sport for over a decade, with a match-winning percentage of over 90% in five different years.

He won 94 career singles titles and was ranked World No. 1 for 270 weeks, finishing as the year-end No. 1 four times. His eight major singles titles came at the French Open (three), the Australian Open (two), and the US Open (three). His total of 19 Grand Slam singles finals has only been surpassed by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.

Lendl's playing style, built around his forehand, is credited with popularizing modern baseline power tennis.

His head-to-head records against his two biggest rivals, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, were 22–13 and 21–15, respectively. In doubles, he won six titles and achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 20. Lendl retired from professional tennis in 1994 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001.

Coaching Career

After his retirement, Lendl became a tennis coach, most notably for Andy Murray.

Under his guidance, Murray won three majors and reached the World No. 1 ranking. Lendl has also coached Alexander Zverev and is currently coaching Hubert Hurkacz.

Career Record

Singles

• Career record: 1068–242 (81.5%)
• Career titles: 94
• Highest ranking: No. 1 (February 28, 1983)

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Australian Open – W (1989, 1990)
• French Open – W (1984, 1986, 1987)
• Wimbledon – F (1986, 1987)
• US Open – W (1985, 1986, 1987)

Other tournaments (Singles)

• Tour Finals – W (1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987)
• WCT Finals – W (1982, 1985)

Doubles

• Career record: 187–140 (57.2%)
• Career titles: 6
• Highest ranking: No. 20 (May 12, 1986)

Best Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• Australian Open – 3R (1984)
• French Open – SF (1980)
• Wimbledon – 2R (1985)
• US Open – 3R (1980)

Team competitions

• Davis Cup – W (1980)