Cedric Pioline
One of the most stylish players in tennis, Cedric is a two time former Grand Slam finalist, having reached the men's singles final at the 1993 US Open and at Wimbledon in 1997. On both occasions, he was beaten by Pete Sampras in straight sets, but he gained revenge against the American at the Masters Tennis event in London in December 2008. He plays mostly from the baseline with a graceful, one-handed backhand, but he is also comfortable at the net, which explains how he won a title on grass (Nottingham) and reached the Wimbledon final.
Pioline won five singles titles in his career, the biggest at the ATP Masters Series event in Monte Carlo in 2000 - his last ever final on the professional tour. In addition to his final appearances at the US Open and Wimbledon, he reached ten other singles finals, including Monte Carlo in 1993 and 1998. Interestingly, Cedric holds the unusual record of being one of only two players to have reached the top ten in the ATP rankings without ever winning a tournament, the only other being Marcos Baghdatis in 2006.
Pioline also competed for France in Davis Cup, winning the cup in 1991 and 1996. In the latter year, Cedric played a major role in the French team’s success by winning a crucial singles rubber against Stefan Edberg in the final. France went on to defeat Sweden 3-2.
After retiring from the professional tour in 2002, Cedric became a regular on the ATP Champions Tour, in addition to becoming the tournament director of the ATP Masters Series event in Paris.
