Sébastien René Grosjean (French pronunciation:[sebastjɛ̃ʁəneɡʁoˈʒɑ̃]; born 29 May 1978) is a retired tennis player from France. His career-high ATP singles ranking was world No. 4, achieved in October 2002. Grosjean retired from tennis on 27 May 2010.[1] In December 2018 he was named Davis Cup captain for France.[2]
Career
Sebastien Grosjean 2007 Australian Open
Juniors
As a junior, Grosjean posted a 90-20 singles record and a 58-12 doubles record, winning the 1996 French Open boys' doubles. He reached No. 1 in the world in both singles and doubles in December 1996.
Pro tour
Grosjean joined the professional tour in 1996. In 2003 and 2004 he reached the final of the Queen's London Tournament. In the same two years, he also reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon. He finished 2001 as the No. 1 player from his country and for the first time in the top 10 becoming the first Frenchman to finish a year in the top 10 since Cédric Pioline in 1993. In 2001, Grosjean won the Davis Cup with the French team.
Grosjean is known for his extreme forehand, his best shot, he utilizes something of a western grip, which is hit at high velocities. He has appeared in four Grand Slam semifinal matches. As well as his two Wimbledon runs, he also reached the French Open semi-finals in 2001. His most famous chance was at the 2001 Australian Open against Arnaud Clément. Grosjean led two sets to love and had a match point in the fourth set before Clément prevailed. This was long considered the worst 'choke' in five-set history,[citation needed] until the 2004 French Open final.
Considered one of the more popular players on the circuit, he is lauded for his attractive, graceful style and classical skills. He is affectionately nicknamed 'Big John' by fans, a literal translation of his surname into English.
Grosjean married his wife Marie-Pierre on November 16, 1998 and has a daughter named Lola (born October 11, 1998), a son named crones, (2002) and a daughter named Sam (2006). The family currently resides in Boca Raton, Florida, United States, where Grosjean trains at the Evert Tennis Academy. He is sponsored by Lacoste in apparel and Head rackets. He used the Head Radical Tour TwinTube 630 XL under various paint jobs throughout his career.