Tennis’ greatest male players of all times: (Part Five) Ivan Lendl – Tennis Special
History books of ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) are filled with tennis legends. However, the icon we are about to overview in this edition of series is the one who has retired from the professional circuit, yet very
influential and active in ATP World Tour. He is currently coaching the British number one, Andy Murray, taming the world number four to reach those heights at which he left his own career. You must have got to the name of that Czech-born American tennis legend.
Ivan Lendl – the United States of America
Currently 52 years of age, Ivan Lendl is still a source of inspiration for the upcoming tennis players. The ‘angry young man’ of tennis has been the real powerhouse in 1980’s, dominating the tennis courts with his exceptional hitting
and crafty skills. The American turned pro in 1978 and five years’ labour propelled him to the world number one spot in 1983.
Lendl was among the few tennis players to claim the world number one spot without any Grand Slam title in their bag. He received massive criticism in those days of his career, with some tennis fanatics even calling him ‘unworthy’
to be the number one player in the world, all just because he hadn’t had his hands on a Grand Slam trophy. The outburst got even worse when the right-handed American lost his fourth straight Grand Slam final to enrage his detractors.
All the negative hype came to an end when Lendl won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 1984 French Open. It was the beginning of a new voyage for the American, as he went on to conquer titles after title, bagging seven more Major
trophies to shut the tennis critics and stamp his authority over the game. By the time he retired from the ATP World Tour, he had gathered 92 championship titles, including eight Grand Slams, two WCT (World Championship Tennis) titles and five of the coveted
Masters Grand Prix championships.
Lendl possessed one of the most powerful forehand strokes in his arsenal, something he used as the primary weapon of destruction in his entire career. His one-handed backhand was as elegant as any other legendary tennis player.
His supremacy over the Roland Garros and the US Open has been absolutely phenomenal but he failed to complete his Career Slam, missing out the Wimbledon Championship in his show case of trophies. He was the finalist at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club
on two successive occurrences (in 1986 and 1987) but couldn’t win the title both times.
Albeit Lendl is a Hall of Famer and one of the finest tennis players in the history of the sport, his low success rate on the grass courts is something beyond my comprehension. Out of 92 titles of his career, only two were won
on grass. His laborious efforts to bag the coveted Wimbledon crown became an insignia of failure, rather than of any sort of esteem but his overall career performance still keeps him in the list of Greatest of All times.
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