Goran Ivanisevic

About

Goran is a retired Croatian professional tennis player and a national hero. He is the only ever player to win a Grand Slam as a wildcard entry. He was a 3 time men’s singles runner-up at Wimbledon (1992, 1994 and 1998), before winning the championship title in 2001.

Goran Ivanisevic turned professional in 1988 and later that year, with Rudiger Haas, won his first career doubles title in Frankfurt.

Ivanisevic made his first significant impact on the tour in 1990, knocking Boris Becker out of the first round of the French Open men’s singles and went on to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament. In 1992, Ivanisevic steam-rolled his way to reach his first Wimbledon singles final, having defeated Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, and Pete Sampras in succession.

To date, he is the only male entrant to have won a Grand Slam as a wild-card. His Wimbledon success was rated sixteenth at the list of 100 Greatest Sporting Moments by a British television programme.

A multi-talented individual, Ivanisevic also played football for the Croatian team Hajduk Split in 2001. He is also a well-known supporter of West Bromwich Albion and was seen wearing an Albion shirt whilst warming up prior to the 2006 BlackRock Masters final.

Goran was also the flag-bearer for Croatia in the Opening Ceremonies of the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, and then again for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He has also represented his country at the international Davis Cup tournaments.

In December 1995, he established the Help Children in Need foundation to assist kids in his country, and served as the ATP Charities Chairman in 1999.

Following his famous win at Wimbledon in 2001, Goran was greeted by nearly 200,000 fans in his hometown of Split. He dedicated his victory to fellow countryman and former NBA star Drazen Petrovic, who died in a car accident in 1993.

Goran was also the recipient of the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award in 2001.

One of the most respected figures in tennis, Goran Ivanisevic is in demand as an after dinner speaker for his tennis related anecdotes and memories.