Yannick Noah
After turning professional in 1977, it wasn’t long before Yannick began to fulfill his enormous potential, winning his first Tour-level singles title in Manila the following year.
He went on to have a career spanning a formidable two decades, during which he became France's most prominent tennis hero by becoming the first Frenchman in 37 years to win the French Open in 1983. He dropped only one set during the two-week tournament, and defeated the defending-champion Mats Wilander in straight sets in the final 6–2, 7–5, 7–6. Noah also became only the second black male to win a Grand Slam singles event (after Arthur Ashe).
Yannick also won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984 (with compatriot and best friend Henri Leconte). He was the men's doubles runner-up at the 1985 U.S. Open (with Leconte), and the 1987 French Open runner-up (with compatriot Guy Forget). In August 1986, Noah attained the World No. 1 doubles ranking, which he would hold for a total of 19 weeks.
In 1991, Yannick captained the French team to its first Davis Cup title for 59 years, defeating a heavily-favoured US team 3–1 in the final. This feat was repeated in 1996, when France defeated Sweden 3–2 in the final held in Malmö. In 1997, Yannick also captained France's Fed Cup team to its first-ever victory in that competition.
Yannick was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005, and he remains the highest ranked player France has had since the introduction of rankings in 1973.
Since retirement, Yannick has remained in the public eye as a popular music performer, with several hit albums in France and the USA. He has also been involved with several charities, including 'Enfants de la Terre', a charity run by his mother, Marie-Claire. Yannick also founded his own charity, 'Fête le Mur' in 1996, a tennis charity for underprivileged children.
