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Jan 24, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Rising Frenchman on the ATP TourJo-Wilfried Tsonga, born in 1985 in Le Mans, France, had been a very successful and promising junior player, claiming the boys’ title at the 2003 US Open. Unfortunately, his early career was hampered by a severe back injury, and it wasn’t until 2007 that he broke into the top 100.
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Jan 23, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
On this day, January 23, 1988, at the Australian Open, Steffi Graf defeated Chris Evert (6-1, 7-6), in a final that would go down in tennis history for at least three reasons. Not only was this the first Grand Slam final ever played indoors, under the brand new retractable roof of the new Flinders Park venue, but it was also the last appearance of the all-time great Evert in a major final as well as Graf’s first step towards the Golden Grand Slam.
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Jan 23, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
The two women erased the previous Grand Slam record (four hours and 19 minutes) set a year earlier by Sandra Zahlavova-Strycova and Regina Kulikova at the 2010 Australian Open. Francesca Schiavone: The Grand Slam champion from ItalyFrancesca Schiavone, born in 1980, turned pro in 1998. The Italian entered the top 100 two years later, in 2000, the year she reached her first WTA final, in Tashkent (lost to Iroda Tulyaganova, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3).
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Jan 20, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
In the first of their 31 all-sisters clashes, Venus, 17 years old at the time and runner-up at the previous US Open, defeated 16-year-old Serena, 7-6, 6-1, before making her way into the quarter-finals of the tournament. Venus Williams: groundbreaking prodigyVenus Williams was born in 1980 in the United States. Coached by her father Richard, she was heralded as a tennis prodigy since her first steps on the Tour, in 1994.
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Jan 20, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
It would later appear that McEnroe wasn’t aware of a recent change in the rules: players now needed only three code violation warnings to be defaulted, instead of four in the past, and thus became the first player in the Open era to be disqualified in a Grand Slam tournament. John McEnroe, tennis’ enfant terribleJohn McEnroe, an American player born in 1959, had been world No 1 for 170 weeks between 1980 and 1985.
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Jan 19, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
Lleyton Hewitt: Australia’s newest Grand Slam championLleyton Hewitt, the son of a professional Australian football player and a physical education teacher, was born in 1981. He was a great mover, very skilled at returning serves and, above all, he was an incredible fighter: his trademark “come on!” was famous in the world of tennis.
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Jan 18, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
The Swede, who had already struggled with motivation at the end of his greatest season, admitted that being No 1 put a lot of pressure on his shoulders. This second-round loss against Krishnan marked the start of Wilander’s decline, as he would never reach another Grand Slam final in his career. Mats Wilander, the Swedish superstarMats Wilander, born in 1964 in Vaxjo, Sweden, had achieved incredible success in his teen years.
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Jan 15, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
Maria Sharapova: The champion from RussiaMaria Sharapova was born in 1987 in Belarus, but she started playing tennis as a young child in Sochi, where her parents had moved after the Chernobyl disaster. Her father, Yuri, took her to Florida when she was only seven years old to give her the best chance to become a professional tennis player. This happened quickly, as young Sharapova turned pro at the age of 14, and after a year on the tour, she was already ranked in the world’s top 200.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
The first top seed to be defeated in the opening round of the Australian Open, Hewitt had been struck by chickenpox less than two weeks before the tournament and had not fully recovered. It was devastating news for the tournament: after Andre Agassi’s withdrawal and Gustavo Kuerten’s first-round loss, the three top seeds were out before the second round. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia’s starLleyton Hewitt was born in 1981.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
tennismajors.com | Alexandre Sokolowski
A few days later, he would win the tournament. Bjorn Borg, gamechangerBjorn Borg, born in 1956, was the champion who changed the game of tennis forever. His unprecedented stardom and his numerous successes were the main reasons why tennis became such a popular sport in the 1970s. His game style, which involved heavy topspin and a two-handed backhand, was revolutionary and would be copied all around the world.
