Marat Safin

"Safin" redirects here. For other people, see Safin (name). For the footballers, see Marat Safin (footballer, born 1985) and Marat Safin (footballer, born 1972).

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Mubinovich and the family name is Safin.
Marat Safin
Marat Safin in 2006
Full nameMarat Mubinovich Safin
Native nameМарат Мубинович Сафин
Country (sports) Russia
ResidenceMonte Carlo, Monaco
Born (1980-01-27) 27 January 1980 (age 44)
Moscow, Soviet Union
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Turned pro1997
Retired11 November 2009
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS$14,373,291
Int. Tennis HoF2016 (member page)
Singles
Career record422–267 (61.2%)
Career titles15
Highest rankingNo. 1 (20 November 2000)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (2005)
French OpenSF (2002)
WimbledonSF (2008)
US OpenW (2000)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsSF (2000, 2004)
Olympic Games2R (2004)
Doubles
Career record96–120 (44.4%)
Career titles2
Highest rankingNo. 71 (22 April 2002)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open1R (2000, 2009)
French Open1R (2001)
Wimbledon3R (2001)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (2002, 2006)
Hopman CupF (2009)
Last updated on: 16 July 2016.

Marat Mubinovich Safin (Russian: Мара́т Муби́нович Са́фин, IPA: [mɐˈrat ˈsafʲɪn] ⓘ; Tatar: Марат Мөбин улы Сафин; born 27 January 1980) is a Russian former world No. 1 tennis player and former politician.[2] Nicknamed 'Safinator',[3] he achieved the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) top singles ranking on 20 November 2000. Safin began his professional tennis career in 1997, and held the No. 1 ranking for a total of nine weeks between November 2000 and April 2001. When Safin became the world's number one player in 2000, he became (at the time) the youngest world number one in tennis history.[4] He won his first major title at the 2000 US Open, defeating Pete Sampras in the final, and his second at the 2005 Australian Open, defeating Lleyton Hewitt in the final. Safin helped lead Russia to Davis Cup victories in 2002 and 2006. Despite his dislike of grass courts, he became the first Russian man to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in 2008.

At the time of his retirement in November 2009, he was ranked world No. 61. In 2011, he became a member of the State Duma representing the United Russia party. In 2016, he became the first Russian tennis player inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[5][6] Safin is also the older brother of former women's WTA world No. 1 player Dinara Safina. They are the only brother-sister tandem in tennis history to have both achieved No. 1 singles rankings.[7][8]

Safin is the recipient of four ATP Awards: 1998 Newcomer of the Year, 2000 Most Improved Player, 2001 Fans' Favourite, 2002 Fans' Favourite.[9] Since its inception in 2000, Safin is the only player alongside Roger Federer to have won the award multiple times.[10] He is one of the few tennis players to have a perfect 100% record against Novak Djokovic, having beaten him both times they played, in Australian Open 2005 and Wimbledon 2008, both times in straight sets.

  1. ^ "Marat Safin". Celeb heights. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference polit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Floored genius Safin soaring again". 22 January 2005.
  4. ^ "The youngest tennis players to be number 1 in the ATP". 13 September 2022.
  5. ^ Marat Safin, Justine Henin inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame. Associated Press (17 July 2016)
  6. ^ "Marat Safin". International Tennis Hall of Fame.
  7. ^ Christopher, Clarey (17 April 2009). "When Winning is All in the Family". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  8. ^ "Dinara Safina Clinches Top Spot in Women's Tennis Rankings". India Server. 21 April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 December 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  9. ^ "ATP Awards Honour Roll | ATP Tour | Tennis".
  10. ^ "ATP Awards Honour Roll | ATP Tour | Tennis".