Henri Leconte

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Henri Leconte bigraphy, stories - French tennis player

Henri Leconte : biography

July 4, 1963 –

Henri Leconte (born July 4, 1963) is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men’s singles final at the French Open in 1988, won the French Open men’s doubles title in 1984, and helped France win the Davis Cup in 1991. Leconte’s career-high singles ranking was World No. 5.

Biography and career

Leconte first came to the tennis world’s attention as an outstanding junior player who won the French Open junior title in 1981. He turned professional that year and won his first career doubles title at Bologna, and his first top-level singles title the following year, 1982, in Stockholm. Leconte played in the Davis Cup final for the first time in 1982, when France was defeated 4–1 by the United States.

Leconte teamed up with Yannick Noah to win the men’s doubles title at the French Open in 1984. In 1985, Leconte and Noah reached a second Grand Slam doubles final at the US Open, where they finished runners-up. Leconte reached his career-high doubles ranking of World No. 6 in 1985. In singles in 1985, Leconte reached the quarter-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon, the latter run of which included a dazzling win over world no. 2, Ivan Lendl, in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

1986 saw Leconte reach two Grand Slam singles semi-finals at the French Open and Wimbledon, and attain his career-high singles ranking of world no. 5. Leconte also played on the French team that won the World Team Cup that year.

In 1988, Leconte reached the men’s singles final at the French Open. In the final, despite strong support from the French crowd, Leconte could not overcome two-time former champion Mats Wilander, who defeated him in straight sets, 5–7, 2–6, 1–6.

In 1991, Leconte was involved in the Davis Cup final for a second time. France again faced the US, and this time Leconte defeated Pete Sampras in straight sets in a critical singles rubber, and also teamed with Guy Forget to win the doubles rubber, as France upset the heavily-favoured US team 3–1.

In total, Leconte played for France’s Davis Cup team for a total of 13 consecutive years, compiling a 41–25 record. He compiled a doubles record of 17–5 and was undefeated with Guy Forget (11 wins), winning his last 14 doubles matches (from March 1985 to July 1993).

Leconte won his final top-level singles title in 1993 in Halle. He also won his final doubles title that year at Indian Wells.

Leconte (better known in some circles as Ryo), who currently sports a full beard, retired from the professional tour in 1996, having won a total of 9 career singles titles and 10 doubles titles. Playing on the ATP Champions Tour for over-35’s, he formed a doubles partnership with the Iranian player Mansour Bahrami.

He is now the manager of an event company (HL Event) based in Belgium and opened a tennis academy in Fès, Morocco, in 2006.

In 2010, Leconte appeared on Australian television as a commentator for the 2010 Australian Open. There, he obtained a cult following as a result of a zany exhibition doubles performance, and his passionate and often parochial commentary, especially for compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, whose winning shots he routinely described as "unbelievable!""". Herald Sun. Published and accessed January 27, 2010.

Doubles finals 19 (10-9)

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Winner 1. 1981 Bologna, Italy Carpet USA}} Sammy Giammalva Jr. TCH}} Tomáš Šmíd Balázs Taróczy 7–6, 6–4
Winner 2. 1982 Nice, France Clay FRA}} Yannick Noah AUS}} Paul McNamee Balázs Taróczy 5–7, 6–4, 6–3
Runner-up 1. 1982 Bournemouth, England Clay ROU|1965}} Ilie Năstase AUS}} Paul McNamee Buster Mottram 6–3, 6–7, 3–6
Winner 3. 1982 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) FRA}} Yannick Noah USA}} Fritz Buehning Pavel Složil 6–2, 6–2
Winner 4. 1982 Vienna, Austria Carpet TCH}} Pavel Složil USA}} Mark Dickson Terry Moor 6–1, 7–6
Runner-up 2. 1983 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay FRA}} Yannick Noah SUI}} Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy 2–6, 4–6
Winner 5. 1983 Aix-en-Provence, France Clay FRA}} Gilles Moretton CHI}} Ivan Camus Sergio Casal 2–6, 6–1, 6–2
Runner-up 3. 1984 Philadelphia, U.S. Carpet FRA}} Yannick Noah USA}} Peter Fleming John McEnroe 2–6, 3–6
Winner 6. 1984 French Open, Paris Clay FRA}} Yannick Noah TCH}} Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd 6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Winner 7. 1984 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay FRA}} Pascal Portes GBR}} Colin Dowdeswell Wojtek Fibak 2–6, 7–6, 7–6
Winner 8. 1984 Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) TCH}} Tomáš Šmíd IND}} Vijay Amritraj Ilie Năstase 3–6, 7–6, 6–4
Runner-up 4. 1985 U.S. Open, New York Hard FRA}} Yannick Noah USA}} Ken Flach Robert Seguso 7–6, 6–7, 6–7, 0–6
Winner 9. 1988 Nice, France Clay FRA}} Guy Forget SUI}} Heinz Günthardt Diego Nargiso 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Runner-up 5. 1988 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay TCH}} Ivan Lendl ESP}} Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez 0–6, 3–6
Runner-up 6. 1990 London/Queen’s Club, England Grass TCH}} Ivan Lendl GBR}} Jeremy Bates Kevin Curren 2–6, 6–7
Runner-up 7. 1991 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard FRA}} Guy Forget USA}} Jim Courier Javier Sánchez 6–7, 6–3, 3–6
Runner-up 8. 1992 Toulouse, France Hard (i) FRA}} Guy Forget USA}} Brad Pearce Byron Talbot 1–6, 6–3, 3–6
Winner 10. 1993 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard FRA}} Guy Forget USA}} Luke Jensen Scott Melville 6–4, 7–5
Runner-up 9. 1994 Halle, Germany Grass RSA}} Gary Muller FRA}} Olivier Delaître Guy Forget 4–6, 7–6, 4–6