Ivan Lendl

Lore & Background

Lendl was born into a tennis family in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, the only child of Jiří, a lawyer and former tennis player, and Olga, a former top-ranked female player. He began playing at age three, and by 14 he defeated his mother. As a junior in 1978, he won the boys' singles titles at the Italian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon, becoming world No. 1 junior. He turned professional in 1978 and won seven singles titles in 1980, including three in three consecutive weeks. He was part of Czechoslovakia's Davis Cup winning team in 1980 but stopped playing after moving to the United States in 1986, as the Czechoslovak Tennis Association viewed him as an 'illegal defector.'

Reader's Guide

Ivan Lendl's significance lies in his revolutionary style of play, built around a heavy topspin forehand, which popularized aggressive baseline power tennis. He is the only man in professional tennis history to have a match winning percentage over 90% in five different years (1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989). His dominance is reflected in his head-to-head records against rivals Jimmy Connors (22–13) and John McEnroe (21–15), and his record nine consecutive year-end championship finals. After retirement, he coached Andy Murray to three majors and the world No. 1 ranking. Lendl's legacy as a pioneer of modern tennis is cemented by his eight major titles, 94 career singles titles, and his influence on the sport's evolution.

Did You Know?

• Lendl is the only man in professional tennis history to have a match winning percentage over 90% in five different years.
• He holds a record eight consecutive US Open finals appearances.
• He led the head-to-head against Jimmy Connors (22–13) and John McEnroe (21–15).
• He was expelled from the Czechoslovak Davis Cup team after playing exhibition matches in Sun City, South Africa, in 1983.