Patrick Rafter
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Image:Rafter at us open.jpg Patrick Michael Rafter (born December 28 1972, in Mount Isa, Australia) is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Australia. He is best remembered as a two-time men's singles champion at the US Open, and a two-time runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.
Rafter was well known for his attacking serve and volley game, and possessed one of the finest volleys in tennis.
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Tennis career
Rafter turned professional in 1991, and won his first career singles title in 1994 in Manchester. Prior to 1997, this was the only ATP singles title he had won.
Rafter's major breakthorugh came in 1997 at the US Open, when he reached the final against Greg Rusedski and won in four sets to claim his first Grand Slam title.
In 1998, he won back-to-back singles titles at the ATP Masters Series events in Canada and Cincinnati, a rare feat. (Only Andre Agassi, in 1995, and Andy Roddick, in 2003, have done the same.)
He defeated Richard Krajicek in the Canadian final to take his first AMS title, and then in Cincinnati he beat Guillaume Raoux, Todd Martin, Petr Korda, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Pete Sampras to win there. All five of the players he beat in Cincinnati were in the Top 50, and three were in the Top 10: Korda (No. 4), Kafelnikov (No. 10) and Sampras (No. 2). The average ranking of all five players Rafter defeated in Cincinnati was just 18.8.
After Cincinnati, he reached the US Open final again and defeated fellow Aussie player Mark Philippoussis in four sets.
In July 1999, Rafter reached the world No. 1 men's singles ranking. He held it for just one week, however, making him the shortest-reigning world No. 1 in tour history.
Rafter won the Australian Open men's doubles title in 1999 (partnering Jonas Björkman). He and Bjorkman also won doubles titles at the ATP Masters Series events in Canada (1999) and Indian Wells (1998).
In 2000, Rafter reached the men's singles final a Wimbledon where he faced Pete Sampras who was gunning for a record-breaking seventh title. Rafter made a strong start to the match and took the first set. But after the match he claimed that he had "choked" part way through the second set, and was then not able to get back into his game. Sampras won in four sets.
In 2001, Rafter made the Wimbledon final again. He faced Goran Ivanisevic, who had reached the Wimbledon final three times before but had slid down the world rankings to No. 125 following injury problems. After a titanic five-set struggle, lasting just over three hours, Ivanisevic prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7.
Rafter was on the Australian Davis Cup teams which lost in the final in 2000 (to Spain) and 2001 (to France). Ironically, he was unable to play in the 1999 Davis Cup final – where Australia beat France to win the cup – because of injury (though he won important matches in the earlier rounds to help the team qualify).
Rafter was on the Australian teams which won the World Team Cup in 1999 and 2001.
He retired from the professional tour at the end of 2002 after winning a total of 11 singles titles and 10 doubles titles. He returns to the courts annually to play World Team Tennis for the Philadelphia Freedoms.
Career review
- Singles Record: 358 - 191
- Singles Titles: 11
- Highest singles ranking: 1
- Doubles Record: 214 - 110
- Doubles Titles: 10
- Highest doubles ranking: 6
- Career Prize Money: $11,127,058
Personal and family life
Rafter was born in Mount Isa, Queensland, and is third-youngest in a family of nine children. He began playing tennis at the age of five with his father and three older brothers.
In April 2004, Rafter married his longtime girlfriend Lara Feltham (with whom he had a son, Joshua) at a resort in Fiji. Their daughter, India, was born in May 2005.
His nickname amongst mates is "Skunky".
In 2002 he was bestowed the title of Australian of the Year.
Was first recognised for his generosity after donating the winnings from his 1998 US Open win to the Starlight Children's Foundation for the construction of Queensland's first Starlight Express Room at the Mater Hospital. Rafter has since launched his own charity that raises funds and distribute them to worthy children's causes each year.
Grand Slam singles finals
Wins (2)
Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final 1997 US Open Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 1998 US Open Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0
Runner-ups (2)
Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final 2000 Wimbledon Pete Sampras 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 2001 Wimbledon Goran Ivanisevic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7
ATP Masters Series singles finals
Wins (2)
Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final 1998 Canada Richard Krajicek 7-6(3) 6-4 1998 Cincinnati Pete Sampras 1-6 7-6(2) 6-4
Runner-ups (4)
Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final 1999 Rome Gustavo Kuerten 4-6 5-7 6-7(6) 1999 Cincinnati Pete Sampras 6-7(7) 3-6 2001 Canada Andrei Pavel 6-7(3) 6-2 3-6 2001 Cincinnati Gustavo Kuerten 1-6 3-6
All Titles And Finals
Career Singles Titles (11):
- 1994 - Manchester
- 1997 - US Open
- 1998 - US Open, Canada, Cincinnati, Chennai, 's-Hertogenbosch, Long Island
- 1999 - 's-Hertogenbosch
- 2000 - 's-Hertogenbosch
- 2001 - Indianapolis
Career Singles Finals (14):
- 1994--Hong Kong
- 1997--Grand Slam Cup, Hong Kong, Long Island, New Haven, Philadelphia, St. Poelten
- 1999--Cincinnati, Rome
- 2000--Wimbledon, Lyon
- 2001--Wimbledon, Cincinnati, Canada
Career Doubles Titles (10):
- 1999--Australian Open, Canada, Halle
- 1998--Indian Wells, Los Angeles
- 1997--London/Queen's Club, Adelaide
- 1996--Pinehurst
- 1995--Adelaide
- 1994--Bologna
Career Doubles Finals (8):
- 2001--Halle;
- 1997--Cincinnati, Indian Wells, Tokyo
- 1996--Bermuda;
- 1995--Ostrava;
- 1994--Hong Kong, Lyon
External links
- Official ATP Profile
- Davis Cup record
- Pat Rafter Cherish the Children (Charity)
- 2002 Australian of the Year
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