Yannick Noah

Yannick Noah, born on 18 May 1960 in Sedan, France, is a former professional tennis player and singer who entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. His father, Zacharie Noah, was a Cameroonian footballer, and his mother, Marie-Claire, is French. After his father suffered a sports injury in 1963, the family moved back to Africa, and Yannick grew up in Cameroon, where he first picked up a tennis racket. At age 11, Arthur Ashe spotted his talent, leading to his enrollment at the French Tennis Federation’s training center in Nice in 1971.

Noah turned professional in 1977, claiming his first pro title that year on the Italian Spring Satellite circuit and his first top-level singles crown in 1978 in Manila, where he beat Peter Feigl in the final. He became a national hero in 1983 by winning the French Open, the first Frenchman to do so in 37 years. He lost only one set over the two-week tournament and defeated defending champion Mats Wilander in straight sets, charging the net and pushing Wilander out of his baseline comfort zone. Noah remains the most recent French man to win the French Open singles title. The following year, he took the French Open men’s doubles title with his best friend and compatriot Henri Leconte. He also finished as runner-up in men’s doubles at the 1985 U.S. Open (with Leconte) and the 1987 French Open (with Guy Forget). In August 1986, he reached world No. 1 in doubles, a ranking he held for 19 weeks. At the end of 1986, fellow ATP players voted him the ATP Sportsmanship Award. Over his career, he reached at least the quarterfinals at Grand Slam events ten times. He admitted to using marijuana before matches in 1981, arguing that amphetamines were the real issue in tennis because they enhanced performance.

Noah received the Legion of Honour medal in 1992. In 2005, he was awarded the Philippe Chatrier Award, the ITF’s highest honor, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He remains the highest-ranked French male player since rankings began in 1973. Over 11 years on France’s Davis Cup team, he compiled a 39–22 record (26–15 in singles, 13–7 in doubles). In 1982, he helped France reach the Davis Cup final, where they lost 4–1 to the United States.

As captain, Noah led France to its first Davis Cup victory in 59 years in 1991, beating a heavily favored U.S. team 3–1 in the final. He repeated this in 1996,