Yannick Noah

Yannick Noah,

Yannick Noah (born May 18, 1960 in Sedan, Ardennes) is a pop-soul singer and former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams. Since his retirement from the game, Noah has remained in the public eye as a popular music performer and as the co-founder, with his mother, of a charity organization for underprivileged children.

Tennis career

Noah turned professional in 1977, and won his first top-level singles title in 1978 in Manila.

Noah became France's most prominent tennis hero in 1983, becoming the first Frenchman in 37 years to win the French Open. He dropped only one set during the two-week long tournament, and defeated the defending-champion Mats Wilander in straight sets in the final 6–2, 7–5, 7–6. Noah also became only the second black male to win a Grand Slam singles event (after Arthur Ashe). He remains the last native to have won the French Open men's singles title.

During his career, which spanned almost two decades, Noah captured a total of 23 singles titles and 16 doubles titles. His highest singles ranking was third in the world, in 1986.

Noah won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984 (with compatriot and best friend Henri Leconte). He was also the men's doubles runner-up at the 1985 U.S. Open (with Leconte), and the 1987 French Open (with compatriot Guy Forget). In August 1986, Noah attained the World No. 1 doubles ranking, which he would hold for a total of 19 weeks.

Noah played on France's Davis Cup team for eleven years, with an overall win–loss record of 39–22 (26–15 in singles, and in 13–7 doubles). In 1982, he was part of the French team which reached the Davis Cup final, where they were defeated 4–1 by the United States.

Nine years later, in 1991, Noah captained the French team which won the Davis Cup for first time in 59 years, defeating a heavily-favoured US team 3–1 in the final. This feat was repeated in 1996, when France defeated Sweden 3–2 in the final held in Malmö.

In 1997, Noah captained France's Fed Cup team to its first-ever victory in that competition.

He notably admitted using marijuana prior to matches in 1981,saying that amphetamines were the real problem in tennis as they were performance enhancing drugs.

Noah was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. He remains French highest ranked player since the introduction of rankings in 1973,

Post-tennis career

Since retiring from playing tennis, Noah has developed a career as a popular singer, performing throughout Europe. He began his music career in 1991 with the album Black or What, featuring the popular track Saga Africa which he made the stadium sing with his players after the famous Davis Cup final win.

In collaboration with Jean-Jacques Goldman, Noah released a second album in 2000 entitled simply Yannick Noah, and in October 2006, scored major French radio airplay hit with the singles Donne-moi une vie and Aux arbres citoyens from a new album entitled Charango.

In 2005, Noah performed at Bob Geldof's Live 8 concert – a fundraiser aimed at alleviating poverty in Africa.

On July 21, 2009, Noah made his U.S. live debut, headlining a concert in front of a packed house at the popular free outdoor performing arts festival in New York City, Central Park SummerStage. The performance was part of France's global music celebration Fête de la Musique.

Noah is very active in charity work. He supports 'Enfants de la Terre', a charity run by his mother, Marie-Claire, and founded 'Fête le Mur' in 1996, a tennis charity for underprivileged children, and was mentioned in association with this charity in the June 2008 French GCSE listening paper in England.

He is also the owner of a restaurant in Saint Barthelemy in the French West Indies called Do Brazil.

Family

Yannick is the son of former school teacher Marie-Claire Échalier-Perrier and Zacharie Noah, a former Cameroonian football star. Zacharie Noah played professionally for Sedan-Torcy (France) in the 1960s and became a hero by leading the side to the French Cup.

From his first marriage to Cécilia Rodhe (Miss Sweden 1978), Yannick has two children, Joakim and Yélena. The 6'11" Joakim played college basketball for the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball National Champions the University of Florida Gators, and was drafted by the Chicago Bulls of the NBA as the 9th overall pick. His current contract with the Bulls extends through the 2011–2012 season.

From his second marriage to model Heather Stewart-Whyte, Noah has two children named Elijah and Jénayé.

With his current wife, French producer Isabelle Camus, he has a son named Joalukas.

Major finals

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1 (1–0)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent in the final Score in the final

Winner 1983 French Open Clay Mats Wilander 6–2, 7–5, 7–6(3)

[edit]Doubles: 3 (1–2)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponent in the final Score in the final

Winner 1984 French Open Clay Henri Leconte Pavel Složil

Tomáš Šmíd 6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2

Runner-up 1985 US Open Hard Henri Leconte Ken Flach

Robert Seguso 6–7(5), 7–6(1), 7–6(6), 6–0

Runner-up 1987 French Open Clay Guy Forget Anders Järryd

Robert Seguso 6–7(5), 6–7(2), 6–3, 6–4, 6–2

Singles finals (36)

Wins (23)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score

1. 1978 Manila, Philippines Clay Peter Feigl 7–6, 6–0

2. 1978 Calcutta, India Clay Pascal Portes 6–3, 6–2

3. 1979 Nancy, France Hard (i) Jean-Louis Haillet 6–2, 5–7, 6–1, 7–5

4. 1979 Madrid, Spain Clay Manuel Orantes 6–3, 6–7, 6–3, 6–2

5. 1979 Bordeaux, France Clay Harold Solomon 6–0, 6–7, 6–1, 1–6, 6–4

6. 1981 Richmond WCT, United States Carpet Ivan Lendl 6–1, 3–1, ret.

7. 1981 Nice, France Clay Mario Martinez 6–4, 6–2

8. 1982 La Quinta, United States Hard Ivan Lendl 6–3, 2–6, 7–5

9. 1982 South Orange, United States Clay Raúl Ramírez 6–3, 7–6

10. 1982 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Mats Wilander 6–4, 6–2, 6–3

11. 1982 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Tomáš Šmíd 6–3, 6–2

12. 1983 Madrid, Spain Clay Henrik Sundström 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–4

13. 1983 Hamburg, Germany Clay José Higueras 3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–0

14. 1983 French Open, Paris Clay Mats Wilander 6–2, 7–5, 7–6(3)

15. 1985 Rome, Italy Clay Miloslav Mečíř 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6(4)

16. 1985 Washington D.C., United States Clay Martín Jaite 6–4, 6–3

17. 1985 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Tomáš Šmíd 6–4, 6–4

18. 1986 Forest Hills, United States Clay Guillermo Vilas 7–6(3), 6–0

19. 1986 Wembley, England Carpet Jonas Svensson 6–2, 6–3, 6–7(12), 4–6, 7–5

20. 1987 Lyon, France Carpet Joakim Nyström 6-4, 7-5

21. 1987 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Ronald Agenor 7–6(6), 6–4, 6–4

22. 1988 Milan, Italy Carpet Jimmy Connors 4–4, ret.

23. 1990 Sydney Outdoor, Australia Hard Carl-Uwe Steeb 5–7, 6–3, 6–4

Runner-ups (13)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score

1. 1978 Nice, France Clay José Higueras 6–3, 6–4, 6–4

2. 1980 Rome, Italy Clay Guillermo Vilas 6–0, 6–4, 6–4

3. 1981 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Wojtek Fibak 6–1, 7–6

4. 1982 Nice, France Clay Balázs Taróczy 6–2, 3–6, 13–11

5. 1983 Lisbon, Portugal Clay Mats Wilander 2–6, 7–6(2), 6–4

6. 1984 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Jimmy Connors 6–2, 6–7(7), 6–3

7. 1985 Memphis, U.S. Carpet Stefan Edberg 6–1, 6–0

8. 1985 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Stefan Edberg 6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 6–1

9. 1986 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Joakim Nyström 6–1, 6–3, 6–2

10. 1986 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Joakim Nyström 6–3, 6–2

11. 1986 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Stefan Edberg 7–6(5), 6–2, 6–7(7), 7–6(5)

12. 1987 Forest Hills, U.S. Clay Andrés Gómez 6–4, 7–6(5), 7–6(1)

13. 1989 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard Miloslav Mečíř 3–6, 2–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3

Doubles finals (25)

Wins (16)

No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponent in the final Score

1. 1981 Nice, France Clay Pascal Portes Chris Lewis

Pavel Složil 4–6, 6–3, 6–4

2. 1981 Paris, France Hard (i) Ilie Năstase Andrew Jarrett

Jonathan Smith 6–4, 6–4

3. 1982 Nice, France Clay Henri Leconte Paul McNamee

Balázs Taróczy 5–7, 6–4, 6–3

4. 1982 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Henri Leconte Fritz Buehning

Pavel Složil 6–2, 6–2

5. 1984 French Open, Paris Clay Henri Leconte Pavel Složil

Tomáš Šmíd 6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2

6. 1985 Chicago, United States Carpet Johan Kriek Ken Flach

Robert Seguso 3–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1, 6–4

7. 1986 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Guy Forget Joakim Nyström

Mats Wilander 6–4, 3–6, 6–4

8. 1986 Rome, Italy Clay Guy Forget Mark Edmondson

Sherwood Stewart 7–6, 6–2

9. 1986 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Guy Forget Jan Gunnarsson

Tomáš Šmíd 7–6, 6–4

10. 1987 Lyon, France Carpet Guy Forget Kelly Jones

David Pate 4–6, 6–3, 6–4

11. 1987 Indian Wells, United States Hard Guy Forget Boris Becker

Eric Jelen 6–4, 7–6

12. 1987 Forest Hills, United States Clay Guy Forget Gary Donnelly

Peter Fleming 4–6, 6–4, 6–1

13. 1987 Rome, Italy Clay Guy Forget Miloslav Mečíř

Tomáš Šmíd 6–2, 6–7, 6–3

14. 1987 London/Queen's Club, England Grass Guy Forget Rick Leach

Tim Pawsat 6–4, 6–4

15. 1988 Orlando, United States Hard Guy Forget Sherwood Stewart

Kim Warwick 6–4, 6–4

16. 1990 Nice, France Clay Alberto Mancini Marcelo Filippini

Horst Skoff 6–4, 7–6

[edit]Runner-ups (9)

No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponent in the final Score

1. 1978 Calcutta, India Clay Gilles Moretton Sashi Menon

Sherwood Stewart 7–6, 6–4

2. 1982 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Jean-Louis Haillet Pavel Složil

Tomáš Šmíd 6–4, 6–4

3. 1983 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Henri Leconte Heinz Günthardt

Balázs Taróczy 6–2, 6–4

4. 1984 Philadelphia, U.S. Carpet Henri Leconte Peter Fleming

John McEnroe 6–2, 6–3

5. 1985 U.S. Open, New York Hard Henri Leconte Ken Flach

Robert Seguso 6–7, 7–6, 7–6, 6–0

6. 1986 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Sherwood Stewart Guy Forget

Peter Fleming 6–4, 6–3

7. 1986 Masters Doubles, London Carpet Guy Forget Stefan Edberg

Anders Järryd 6–3, 7–6, 6–3

8. 1987 French Open, Paris Clay Guy Forget Anders Järryd

Robert Seguso 6–7, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2

9. 1990 Bordeaux, France Clay Mansour Bahrami Tomás Carbonell

Libor Pimek 6–3, 6–7, 6–2

(source:wikipedia)