Marat Safin

Profession: Tennis Player

Nationality:

Biography: Marat Safin is a Russian professional tennis player and former politician. He has held the world No. 1 ranking and won two Grand Slam titles. Following his retirement from tennis, Safin transitioned into politics, serving as a member of the Russian Parliament before resigning.

Safin began his professional tennis career in 1997. By November of 2000, he became the youngest ATP world No. 1 at that time, a position he held for nine weeks. He achieved two Grand Slam titles: the US Open (2000) and the Australian Open (2005).

Additionally, he played a crucial role in Russia's Davis Cup victories in 2002 and 2006 and won five ATP Masters Series titles. Safin earned a reputation for defeating top players like Pete Sampras, Lleyton Hewitt, and Roger Federer. He retired in November 2009 with a final rank of world No. 61.

Safin was known for his offensive baseline game, powerful serve, and one of the best two-handed backhands in the sport. Off the court, his emotional outbursts were also well-known, as he was estimated to have broken over 1,000 rackets during his career.

In 2016, he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the first Russian to achieve this honor.

After retirement, Safin joined the ATP Champions Tour in 2011 and entered politics, becoming a member of the Russian Parliament in December 2011. He represented Nizhny Novgorod for the United Russia party but left his political role in May 2017.

Marat Safin's legacy includes individual accolades such as four ATP Awards, including the 1998 Newcomer of the Year. He and his sister Dinara Safina are the only brother-sister pair in tennis history to each reach No. 1 singles rankings.

Born: January 27, 1980
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Age: 44 years old

Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Sign: Aquarius