Jim Courier
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| Country | ||
|---|---|---|
| Residence | New York City, New York, USA | |
| Date of birth | August 17, 1970 | |
| Place of birth | Sanford, Florida, USA | |
| Height | 6 ft 1.75 in (1.87 m) | |
| Weight | 182 lb (83 kg; 13.0 st) | |
| Turned pro | 1988 | |
| Retired | 2000 | |
| Plays | Right-handed; two-handed backhand | |
| Career prize money | $14,034,132 | |
| Int. Tennis HOF | 2005 (member page) | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record | 506–237 | |
| Career titles | 23 (27th in overall rankings) | |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (February 20, 1992) | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | W (1992, 1993) | |
| French Open | W (1991, 1992) | |
| Wimbledon | F (1993) | |
| US Open | F (1991) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record | 124–97 | |
| Career titles | 6 | |
| Highest ranking | No. 20 (October 9, 1989) | |
| Last updated on: June 29, 2006. | ||
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. (born August 17, 1970, in Sanford, Florida) is a former world number one professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles – two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open.
Contents |
[edit] Tennis career
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As a junior player in the 1980s, Courier attended the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy and won the prestigious Orange Bowl in 1986 and 1987, as well as the French Open junior doubles title.
Courier turned professional in 1988 and made his Grand Slam breakthrough in 1991 when he won the French Open singles title, defeating his former Bollettieri Academy-mate Andre Agassi in five sets. He also reached the final of the US Open that year, where he lost to Stefan Edberg.
1992 saw Courier win both the Australian Open and French Open titles and enjoy a 25 match winning streak. In February of that year, he became the tenth player to reach the World No. 1 ranking since the ranking system was implemented in 1973. He finished 1992 as the World No. 1 ranked player. Courier also was a member of the US team that won the 1992 Davis Cup. In 1992, Courier was the top seeded player at the Olympics in Barcelona where he lost in the third round to eventual gold medalist Marc Rosset from Switzerland.[1]
In 1993, Courier again won the Australian Open. He reached his third consecutive French Open final, which he lost to Sergi Bruguera. He also reached the 1993 Wimbledon final, which he lost to Pete Sampras. Courier again was part of the US team that won the 1995 Davis Cup.
Courier captured a total of 23 singles titles and 6 doubles titles during his career. He spent a total of 58 weeks ranked as the World No. 1 in 1992 and 1993. He reached the finals of all four major championships during his career. Courier retired from the ATP tour in 2000. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005.
[edit] After retirement from top-level tennis
Since his retirement as top-level player, Courier has served as a tennis analyst and commentator for the USA Network, NBC Sports, TNT and the Seven Network. He is a frequent commentator on the Seven Network for Australian Open men's matches.
In 2004, Courier founded InsideOut Sport & Entertainment, a New York-based event promotion company that owns and operates the Outback Champions Series, the Ultimate Fantasy Camp, and the Legendary Nights exhibition series.
He also founded Courier's Kids, a non-profit organization that supports tennis programs in the inner city of St. Petersburg, Florida. Courier serves on the board of directors of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Courier's Kids, First Serve, and The Gullikson Foundation.
Courier currently competes on the BlackRock Tour of Champions and the Outback Champions Series and in various charity exhibition matches. In 2004, he won three of the six BlackRock tournaments he played. In 2005, he finished as the No. 1-ranked player on that tour with two more tournament wins.
In March 2006, Courier won the Outback tournament in Naples, Florida, defeating Pat Cash in the final, and in Charlotte, North Carolina, defeating Todd Martin in the final. Courier finished the year as the No. 1 player in the Outback series. Courier is currently scheduled to play in the Outback Champions Series tournaments in Naples, Boston, Newport, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston and Dubai as well as select exhibitions and events worldwide.
[edit] Major finals
[edit] Grand Slam finals
[edit] Singles: 7 (4-3)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner (1/1) | 1991 | French Open | Clay | 3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
| Runner-up (2/1) | 1991 | US Open | Hard | 6–2, 6–4, 6–0 | |
| Winner (3/2) | 1992 | Australian Open | Hard | 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 | |
| Winner (4/3) | 1992 | French Open (2) | Clay | 7–5, 6–2, 6–1 | |
| Winner (5/4) | 1993 | Australian Open (2) | Hard | 6–2, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5 | |
| Runner-up (6/2) | 1993 | French Open | Clay | 6–4, 2–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 | |
| Runner-up (7/3) | 1993 | Wimbledon | Grass | 7–6, 7–6, 3–6, 6–3 |
[edit] ATP Tour Championships finals
[edit] Singles: 2 (0-2)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-up | 1991 | Frankfurt | Hard (i) | 3–6, 7–6(5), 6–3, 6–4 | |
| Runner-up | 1992 | Frankfurt | Hard (i) | 6–4, 6–3, 7–5 |
[edit] Masters Series finals
[edit] Singles: 5 (5-0)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | 1991 | Indian Wells | Hard | 4–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(4) | |
| Winner | 1991 | Key Biscayne | Hard | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 | |
| Winner | 1992 | Rome | Clay | 7–6(3), 6–0, 6–4 | |
| Winner | 1993 | Indian Wells (2) | Hard | 6–3, 6–3, 6–1 | |
| Winner | 1993 | Rome (2) | Clay | 6–1, 6–2, 6–2 |
[edit] Career finals
[edit] Singles: 36 (23-13)
- Wins (23)
|
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| 1. | October 9, 1989 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | 7–6, 3–6, 2–6, 6–0, 7–5 | |
| 2. | March 11, 1991 | Indian Wells, USA | Hard | 4–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(4) | |
| 3. | March 25, 1991 | Key Biscayne, USA | Hard | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 | |
| 4. | June 10, 1991 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | 3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
| 5. | January 27, 1992 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 | |
| 6. | April 13, 1992 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | 6–4, 6–4, 7–6(3) | |
| 7. | April 20, 1992 | Hong Kong, UK | Hard | 7–5, 6–3 | |
| 8. | May 18, 1992 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 7–6(3), 6–0, 6–4 | |
| 9. | June 8, 1992 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | 7–5, 6–2, 6–1 | |
| 10. | February 1, 1993 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | 6–2, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5 | |
| 11. | February 15, 1993 | Memphis, USA | Hard (i) | 5–7, 7–6(4), 7–6(4) | |
| 12. | March 8, 1993 | Indian Wells, USA | Hard | 6–3, 6–3, 6–1 | |
| 13. | May 17, 1993 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 6–1, 6–2, 6–2 | |
| 14. | August 23, 1993 | Indianapolis, USA | Hard | 7–5, 6–3 | |
| 15. | January 9, 1995 | Adelaide, Australia | Hard | 6–2, 7–5 | |
| 16. | March 6, 1995 | Scottsdale, USA | Hard | 7–6(2), 6–4 | |
| 17. | April 17, 1995 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 18. | October 2, 1995 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | 6–7(2), 7–6(5), 5–7, 6–2, 7–5 | |
| 19. | March 4, 1996 | Philadelphia, USA | Carpet | 6–4, 6–3 | |
| 20. | January 6, 1997 | Qatar, Doha | Hard | 7–5, 6–7(5), 6–2 | |
| 21. | July 28, 1997 | Los Angeles, USA | Hard | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 22. | October 6, 1997 | Beijing, China | Hard (i) | 7–6(10), 3–6, 6–3 | |
| 23. | April 27, 1998 | Orlando, USA | Clay | 7–5, 3–6, 7–5 |
- Runner-ups (13)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| 1. | September 9, 1991 | US Open, New York City, USA | Hard | 6–2, 6–4, 6–0 | |
| 2. | November 18, 1991 | ATP Championships, Frankfurt, Germany | Carpet | 3–6, 7–6, 6–3, 6–4 | |
| 3. | February 10, 1992 | San Francisco, USA | Hard (i) | 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 4. | February 17, 1992 | Brussels, Belgium | Carpet | 6–7(5), 2–6, 7–6(10), 7–6(5), 7–5 | |
| 5. | August 24, 1992 | Indianapolis, USA | Hard | 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 6. | November 23, 1992 | ATP Championships, Frankfurt, Germany | Carpet | 6–4, 6–3, 7–5 | |
| 7. | April 19, 1993 | Hong Kong, UK | Hard | 6–3, 6–7(1), 7–6(2) | |
| 8. | June 7, 1993 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | 6–4, 2–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 | |
| 9. | July 5, 1993 | Wimbledon, London, UK | Grass | 7–6(3), 7–6(6), 3–6, 6–3 | |
| 10. | April 18, 1994 | Nice, France | Clay | 6–4, 6–2 | |
| 11. | October 24, 1994 | Lyon, France | Carpet | 6–4, 7–6(2) | |
| 12. | October 9, 1995 | Toulouse, France | Hard (i) | 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–0 | |
| 13. | February 26, 1999 | Memphis, USA | Hard (i) | 6–4, 6–1 |
[edit] Doubles: 11 (6-5)
- Wins (6)
| No. | Date | Tournament Name | Tournament Location | Surface | Partnering | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | May 22, 1989 | Italian Open | Rome | Clay | 6–4, 6–3 | ||
| 2. | May 14, 1990 | Masters Series Hamburg | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | 7–6, 6–2 | ||
| 3. | March 11, 1991 | Newsweek Champions Cup | Indian Wells, California, U.S. | Hard | 7–6, 3–6, 6–3 | ||
| 4. | April 19, 1993 | Canadian Open | Montreal, Canada | Hard | 6–4, 7–6 | ||
| 5. | January 9, 1995 | Australian Hardcourt Championships | Adelaide, Australia | Hard | 7–6, 6–4 | ||
| 6. | April 26, 1999 | U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships | Orlando, Florida, U.S. | Clay | 7–6(4), 6–4 |
- Runner-ups (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament Name | Tournament Location | Surface | Partnering | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | May 8, 1989 | Forest Hills Classic | Forest Hills, New York, U.S. | Clay | 6–4, 6–2 | ||
| 2. | May 21, 1990 | Italian Open | Rome | Clay | 7–6, 7–5 | ||
| 3. | April 11, 1994 | Open Seat | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | 5–7, 6–1, 6–4 | ||
| 4. | October 6, 1997 | China Open | Beijing, China | Hard (i) | 7–5, 7–6 | ||
| 5. | January 11, 1999 | Australian Hardcourt Championships | Adelaide, Australia | Hard | 6–4, 6–4 |
[edit] Major tournament singles performance timeline
| Tournament | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | 2R | 4R | W | W | SF | QF | QF | 4R | A | 3R | 1R | 2 / 10 |
| French Open | A | 4R | 4R | W | W | F | SF | 4R | QF | 1R | 2R | 2R | A | 2 / 11 |
| Wimbledon | A | 1R | 3R | QF | 3R | F | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 4R | A | 0 / 11 |
| U.S. Open | 2R | 3R | 2R | F | SF | 4R | 2R | SF | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | 0 / 10 |
| Grand Slam SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 2 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 1 | 4 / 42 |
| ATP Tour World Championships | A | A | A | F | F | RR | A | RR | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 4 |
| Year End Ranking | 43 | 24 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 26 | 21 | 77 | 34 | 290 | N/A |
A = did not participate in the tournament
SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played
[edit] Records
- These records were attained in Open Era of tennis.
| Grand Slam | Years | Record accomplished | Player tied |
| Australian Open | 1992-93 | 2 consecutive wins | Ken Rosewall Guillermo Vilas Johan Kriek Mats Wilander Stefan Edberg Ivan Lendl Andre Agassi Roger Federer |
[edit] Outback Champions Series titles
- 2005: Stanford Cup Houston - defeated Todd Martin 6-2, 6-3
- 2006: Champions Cup Naples - defeated Pat Cash 6-4, 7-6(8)
- 2006: The Championships at the Palisades - defeated Martin 5-7, 7-6(6), 10-4 (tiebreaker)
- 2008: The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championship - defeated Wayne Ferreira 7-6(3), 7-6(1)
NOTE: In Outback Champions Series tournaments, there are only two sets. A tiebreaker to ten is held instead of a third set.
[edit] References
- ^ David Wallechinsky and Jaime Louky, The Complete Book of the Olympics, 2008 edition. (London: Aurum, 2008), p. 1022.
[edit] External links
- Jim Courier at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Jim Courier at the International Tennis Federation
- Jim Courier at Davis Cup
- International Tennis Hall of Fame Profile
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