Ivan Lendl

By Allyson Turner

Ivan Lendl won eight Grand Slam tournaments and a total of 94 titles. He reached the final of the U.S. Open eight consecutive years and was the first male player to surpass $20 million in career prize money. Lendl shares the Grand Prix record for tournaments won in a year, with 15 in 1982. He is the only player in the Open Era to win three tournaments in successive weeks on three different surfaces.

Ivan Lendl was ranked No. 1 for 270 weeks, the longest of any male player since 1973, the year the computer rankings were created. (Allsport)

You won the U.S. Open three times. What is your fondest memory of that tournament?
Winning the first time is always more special than the others. Every time you win it's great, but the first was definitely the best.

You reached the final in the U.S. Open eight straight years. How did you maintain such consistency each year?
I was living in Connecticut at the time and would only come over for matches. It was much nicer and relaxing. Everyone complained about the Open; it was too hectic, too this and too that. I was home in Greenwich and I think, for me, that was a big advantage.

It's 1984, the French Open final and you're down two sets to McEnroe. Do you remember what was going through your mind entering the third set?
Of course. I just wanted to last more than two hours. We played the first two sets in one hour. I just told myself, 'Play one point at a time' and it turned into a great match.

You won eight Grand Slam tournaments and 94 titles overall. Does one moment stand out as the highlight of your career?
The first major that I won was probably the highlight. The first major in each of the slams that I won would also be. The French Open match you mentioned against McEnroe was definitely an interesting match and a very exciting one all together, and I think it helped me to win other majors.

What was the low point?
It's always a low point when you play well and don't win. Everytime I lost a match, that was a low point. Losing a Grand Slam was more disappointing, but whenever you lose, it's a disappointment.

Does it still bother you that you never won Wimbledon?
You may not believe it when I say that it doesn't bother me at all. Knowing my record at Wimbledon and what it took for me to get that kind of record makes me more proud than the rest of it.

What are your thoughts on the state of men's tennis today?
The men's game has always taken criticism. They attacked Laver and said that he was boring the same as they do today for Pete Sampras. It always happened. Generations before they always said it. I think Pete Sampras is a great role model. They said the same thing about me. I do see a problem for the game right now. It's too fast. Some say it's the racket. The balls and the courts, they're too fast and they speed up. If they can somehow control the speed of the match, I think they would get a good handle on it. Some will be happy and some will not. Who is to decide? It's not a big question. I think some slowing down would be better.

What are your thoughts on the popularity of women's tennis and the dominating players on the tour?
I think most popularity of course comes from the personalities of Hingis and Venus and the intrigue of Monica and Steffi coming back. Women's tennis is very watchable. Spectators can relate to the game. Watching Philippoussis and Ivanisevic play, how can you relate to it? How long can you watch two guys serve like that?

Your daughter is currently playing in a golf tournament. Describe what it's like to watch her play?
She also played in a tennis tournament. I get frustrated when they miss because I know they weren't paying attention. But that's all part of learning.

Would you like to see any of your children pursue a career in professional sports and what advice would you give them?
If that is what they want then I would teach them to work hard and have fun.

Currently you've turned your focus to golf, do you have aspirations to make the pro tour?
I want to play as well as I can. I enjoy the game but to say that I would like to be on the PGA Tour would be obnoxious. These guys are great players and just because I played another sport I would never say that I could play on the tour. That wouldn't be right. I love the game and I enjoy my time playing.

What's a typical day for now?
First, I decide and see if I have any business to do, which I did today. I had a business meeting in the morning. I see what the schedule is for the kids and I try to plan my time around them. If they go to school from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., then I'll do all the things I have to do around that time. Then I'll play sports with them. We do a lot of biking, tennis and golf.

What was the best part about being a professional athlete?
When you play sports, you get to see a lot of cities and, if you're lucky, you make enough money to not have to worry about that. You get to travel a lot and meet interesting people.

What was the downfall?
Did you ever hear the quote, 'A bad day of golf is better than a good day at the office?' That was the downfall.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans?
I would to thank the fans for all their support. I think the fans should know I enjoyed playing tennis a lot and I had great time playing. Now I'm playing golf and having a great time.