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Yannick Noah

 
Black Biography: Yannick Noah

tennis player

Personal Information

Born Yannick Simon Camille Noah, May 18, 1960, in Sedan, France; son of Zacharie (a professional soccer player) and Marie-Claire (a teacher; maiden name, Perrier) Noah; married wife Cecilia (a model), 1984 (divorced, 1987); children: Joachim Simon, Tara Bianco Katharina.
Education: Attended a tennis academy in Nice, France.

Career

Professional tennis player; discovered by Arthur Ashe; ranked among Top Ten players in the world at various points in his career; captain of French Davis Cup team, 1991-92. Pursued singing profession; released debut album, Black and What, Welcome Records, c. 1991.

Life's Work

"I'm playing the way I love to play," popular tennis star Yannick Noah told the New York Times after a match the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. "I compete. I serve well. I just give everything I have." The winner of the French Open in 1983 as well as the Italian Open in 1985, Noah is renowned for his powerful serve, acrobatic net game, electrifying play, and flashy dreadlock hairstyle.

Often ranked among the Top Ten players of the game early in his career, Noah was discovered by tennis star Arthur Ashe. His considerable athletic gifts notwithstanding, Noah has been unable to recapture his initial glory. Toying with the idea of retirement from professional tennis in the 1990s, the colorful athlete was also pursuing a singing career.

Born on May 18, 1960, in Sedan, France, Yannick Simon Camille Noah is the oldest of three children. His father, Zacharie Noah, was a professional soccer player; his mother, Marie-Claire, was a teacher. When Noah was two years old, his father moved the family to his native Cameroon after an injury ended his soccer career. When the elder Noah took up tennis to keep in shape, he taught Yannick the game. The capital city of Yaounde, where the Noahs lived, had few courts, but Yannick practiced as much as he could using a wooden racket that he crafted himself. On the day he turned ten years old, Yannick celebrated by arranging a tennis tournament among his friends. He had each contestant pay a dollar to purchase the trophy he won himself.

A year later, Yannick was chosen to attend a clinic at a local tennis club where Arthur Ashe and other professionals were visiting on a tour of Africa. When he was given the chance to play with Ashe--a U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion--Yannick aced the pro once and matched him point for point across the net. Ashe soon contacted Philippe Chatrier, head of the French Tennis Federation, to invite Yannick to attend a special tennis academy in Nice, France. Noah spent the next five years at the academy while attending a local secondary school. Opting to leave secondary school one year short of graduation to focus on tennis, he moved to Paris and came under the instruction of the coach of the French national team, Patrice Hagelauer. The young Yannick went on to win the French junior title in 1977.

By 1980 Noah was ranked the Number One player in France after a series of Grand Prix titles and impressive showings in Grand Slam tournaments. Negative press regarding his confession of smoking hashish periodically--as well as his charge that other athletes used stronger drugs to improve their play--undermined his confidence.

He struggled the next year, but his form returned when he won the French Open in 1983. Suddenly a French celebrity, Noah moved to New York to avoid the harrowing publicity in France. He recuperated from injuries and the loss of his grandfather, a village chief who was murdered during a political coup in Cameroon, playing infrequently in 1984. Strengthened by his rest, Noah won the Italian Open in 1985. Although he reached the finals of many tournaments in the intervening years and was ranked fifth in the world in 1987, Noah failed to win the more prestigious titles, including another French Open.

Marital woes and injury plagued Noah during the late 1980s. Wed to Swedish model Cecilia Rodhe in 1984, Noah divorced her three years later after the births of his son, Joachim, and daughter, Tara. He suffered many defeats, including his loss to John McEnroe in the second round of the 1989 Davis Cup. Noah divulged about McEnroe in the New York Times, "He played very, very well. What can I say? It was very difficult. My knees were fine. I don't even have that excuse."

Despite his athletic prowess, Noah did not advance beyond the quarterfinals in Grand Slam tournaments throughout most of the 1980s. The New York Times stated in 1989, "Yannick Noah has always entertained tennis fans with his flamboyant style of play. His physical ability on sky-high overheads, diving volleys and thunderous serves has always made him stand out on the court. But he has been a bit of an enigma in his years on the circuit." In the U.S. Open that same year, Noah, ranked 23rd in the world, was defeated by Boris Becker in yet another quarterfinal.

"Yannick Noah is back in all his glory and threatening to crash a party that seemed reserved for the usual big names in tennis," crowed a New York Times correspondent in a review of his early play in the 1990 Australian Open. His comeback was short-lived, however, with his loss at the tournament. His malady of seesawing in and out of retirement at the end of the 1980s afflicted Noah into the 1990s. By August of 1990, Robin Finn of the New York Times dubbed the player "a dependable loser" at the U.S. Open. "I'm living one week after the other right now," Noah told Finn. "It's a difficult situation where I'm not playing very well and getting very frustrated." His coach, Dennis Rolston, predicted that if Noah did not improve his training regimen and confront his ambivalence toward the game, he would reach a crisis decision. Noah continued playing, though, capturing the title of captain of the French Davis Cup team the next year.

In his debut as captain of France's Davis Cup team, Noah startled the tennis world when he announced on November 28, 1991, that he would play only if another team member was injured. A defending champion who played in the Davis Cup final in Grenoble in 1982 and the Davis Cup quarterfinal in San Diego in 1989, Noah selected Guy Forget and Henri Leconte to lead the team. He explained in the New York Times, "The emotions are still there, but I don't feel like I'm the one who must hold the racquet. I believe the players we have are good enough to win." Under Noah's tutelage, Guy Forget spurred the team to take the Davis Cup on December 1, 1991, when he defeated Pete Sampras three sets to one. With great emotion, Noah joined the team on the courts of Lyon, France, when they celebrated their victory.

After viewing television reports of disturbances between security officers and antiapartheid demonstrators at the world doubles championships in Johannesburg, South Africa, Noah made news again in 1991 when he decided to boycott tennis matches in that country. Although South Africa had just been allowed re-entry into international sports at the beginning of the decade, Noah was quoted by Jet as saying, "Frankly, I can't see myself going there as a player or as captain of France's Davis Cup team. I would have the feeling of being used."

Ranked among the Top Six highest-paid male tennis stars, Noah has indicated that his devotion to tennis is waning. During the 1990s, he was investigating the possibility of a career as a vocalist. When Welcome Records released his debut album, Black and What, in 1991, an employee of a Parisian record store allowed, according to Sports Illustrated, "I suppose it's not too bad ... for someone who doesn't sing." France's loss to Switzerland in the 1992 Davis Cup competition convinced Noah to pursue another plan for his future. To the consternation of the French Tennis Federation, Noah resigned as captain of the 1992 French Davis Cup team. Guy Forget echoed the hope of French officials that Yannick Noah will be persuaded to reconsider his resignation. Although he was publicly criticized by Noah after the French loss to the Swiss team, Forget commented in Sports Illustrated about France's magnetic athlete, "Yannick is irreplaceable."

Awards

Winner of numerous tennis titles, including French junior title, 1977; French Open, 1983; Italian Open, 1985; and Benson & Hedges Indoor Championship, London, England, 1986.

Further Reading

Sources

  • Jet, October 26, 1987; August 21, 1989; October 16, 1989; September 10, 1990; December 23, 1991.
  • New York Times, April 4, 1989; September 4, 1989; September 7, 1989; January 18, 1990; January 26, 1990; August 31, 1990; November 29, 1991.
  • Sports Illustrated, June 6, 1991; April 13, 1992.

— Marjorie Burgess

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Wikipedia: Yannick Noah
Top
Yannick Noah
NoahSegara.jpg
Country Flag of France.svg France
Residence
Date of birth May 18, 1960 (1960-05-18) (age 49)
Place of birth Sedan, France
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 180 lbs (81 kg)
Turned pro 1977
Retired 1996
Plays Right-handed
Career prize money US$ 3,440,660
Int. Tennis HOF 2005 (member page)
Singles
Career record 476–210
Career titles 23
Highest ranking 3 (July 7, 1986)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open SF (1990)
French Open W (1983)
Wimbledon 3R (1979, 1985)
US Open QF (1983, 1985, 1989)
Doubles
Career record 213–109
Career titles 16
Highest ranking 1 (August 25, 1986)
Last updated on: January 23, 2007.

Yannick Noah (born May 18, 1960, Sedan, Ardennes, France) 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.

Contents

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.

Especially endearing to French (and indeed many other) spectators was Noah's penchant for one particular tactic: when he was at the net and a lob was hit over his head, he would turn his back to the net, race back and attempt – often successfully – to hit the ball between his legs with his back still towards the net. Even today, when a player attempts such a move in a televised tournament, commentators often mention Noah's name. Although, this shot was invented and first time used by Guillermo Vilas (that's why it's called "Gran Willy" in Spanish).

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,[1] 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.

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 a major French radio airplay hit with the single Donne-moi une vie 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 Sweden Mats Wilander 6–2, 7–5, 7–6(3)

Doubles: 3 (1–2)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponent in the final Score in the final
Winner 1984 French Open Clay France Henri Leconte Czechoslovakia Pavel Složil
Czechoslovakia Tomáš Šmíd
6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 1985 US Open Hard France Henri Leconte United States Ken Flach
United States Robert Seguso
6–7, 7–6, 7–6, 6–0
Runner-up 1987 French Open Clay France Guy Forget Sweden Anders Järryd
United States Robert Seguso
6–7, 6–7, 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 Austria Peter Feigl 7–6, 6–0
2. 1978 Calcutta, India Clay France Pascal Portes 6–3, 6–2
3. 1979 Nancy, France Hard (i) France Jean-Louis Haillet 6–2, 5–7, 6–1, 7–5
4. 1979 Madrid, Spain Clay Spain Manuel Orantes 6–3, 6–7, 6–3, 6–2
5. 1979 Bordeaux, France Clay United States Harold Solomon 6–0, 6–7, 6–1, 1–6, 6–4
6. 1981 Richmond WCT, United States Carpet Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 6–1, 3–1, ret.
7. 1981 Nice, France Clay Bolivia Mario Martinez 6–4, 6–2
8. 1982 La Quinta, United States Hard Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 6–3, 2–6, 7–5
9. 1982 South Orange, United States Clay Mexico Raúl Ramírez 6–3, 7–6
10. 1982 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Sweden Mats Wilander 6–4, 6–2, 6–3
11. 1982 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Czechoslovakia Tomáš Šmíd 6–3, 6–2
12. 1983 Madrid, Spain Clay Sweden Henrik Sundström 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–4
13. 1983 Hamburg, Germany Clay Spain José Higueras 3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–0
14. 1983 French Open, Paris Clay Sweden Mats Wilander 6–2, 7–5, 7–6
15. 1985 Rome, Italy Clay Czechoslovakia Miloslav Mečíř 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6
16. 1985 Washington D.C., United States Clay Argentina Martín Jaite 6–4, 6–3
17. 1985 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Czechoslovakia Tomáš Šmíd 6–4, 6–4
18. 1986 Forest Hills, United States Clay Argentina Guillermo Vilas 7–6, 6–0
19. 1986 Wembley, England Carpet Sweden Jonas Svensson 6–2, 6–3, 6–7, 4–6, 7–5
20. 1987 Lyon, France Carpet Sweden Joakim Nyström 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
21. 1987 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) United States Ronald Agenor 7–6, 6–4, 6–4
22. 1988 Milan, Italy Carpet United States Jimmy Connors 4–4, ret.
23. 1990 Sydney Outdoor, Australia Hard Germany 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 Spain José Higueras 6–3, 6–4, 6–4
2. 1980 Rome, Italy Clay Argentina Guillermo Vilas 6–0, 6–4, 6–4
3. 1981 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Poland Wojtek Fibak 6–1, 7–6
4. 1982 Nice, France Clay Hungary Balázs Taróczy 6–2, 3–6, 13–11
5. 1983 Lisbon, Portugal Clay Sweden Mats Wilander 2–6, 7–6, 6–4
6. 1984 La Quinta, U.S. Hard United States Jimmy Connors 6–2, 6–7, 6–3
7. 1985 Memphis, U.S. Carpet Sweden Stefan Edberg 6–1, 6–0
8. 1985 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Sweden Stefan Edberg 6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 6–1
9. 1986 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Sweden Joakim Nyström 6–1, 6–3, 6–2
10. 1986 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Sweden Joakim Nyström 6–3, 6–2
11. 1986 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Sweden Stefan Edberg 7–6, 6–2, 6–7, 7–6
12. 1987 Forest Hills, U.S. Clay Ecuador Andrés Gómez 6–4, 7–6, 7–6
13. 1989 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard Czechoslovakia 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 France Pascal Portes New Zealand Chris Lewis
Czechoslovakia Pavel Složil
4–6, 6–3, 6–4
2. 1981 Paris, France Hard (i) Romania Ilie Năstase United Kingdom Andrew Jarrett
United Kingdom Jonathan Smith
6–4, 6–4
3. 1982 Nice, France Clay France Henri Leconte Australia Paul McNamee
Hungary Balázs Taróczy
5–7, 6–4, 6–3
4. 1982 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) France Henri Leconte United States Fritz Buehning
Czechoslovakia Pavel Složil
6–2, 6–2
5. 1984 French Open, Paris Clay France Henri Leconte Czechoslovakia Pavel Složil
Czechoslovakia Tomáš Šmíd
6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
6. 1985 Chicago, United States Carpet United States Johan Kriek United States Ken Flach
United States Robert Seguso
3–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1, 6–4
7. 1986 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay France Guy Forget Sweden Joakim Nyström
Sweden Mats Wilander
6–4, 3–6, 6–4
8. 1986 Rome, Italy Clay France Guy Forget Australia Mark Edmondson
United States Sherwood Stewart
7–6, 6–2
9. 1986 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) France Guy Forget Sweden Jan Gunnarsson
Czechoslovakia Tomáš Šmíd
7–6, 6–4
10. 1987 Lyon, France Carpet France Guy Forget United States Kelly Jones
United States David Pate
4–6, 6–3, 6–4
11. 1987 Indian Wells, United States Hard France Guy Forget West Germany Boris Becker
West Germany Eric Jelen
6–4, 7–6
12. 1987 Forest Hills, United States Clay France Guy Forget United States Gary Donnelly
United States Peter Fleming
4–6, 6–4, 6–1
13. 1987 Rome, Italy Clay France Guy Forget Czechoslovakia Miloslav Mečíř
Czechoslovakia Tomáš Šmíd
6–2, 6–7, 6–3
14. 1987 London/Queen's Club, England Grass France Guy Forget United States Rick Leach
United States Tim Pawsat
6–4, 6–4
15. 1988 Orlando, United States Hard France Guy Forget United States Sherwood Stewart
Australia Kim Warwick
6–4, 6–4
16. 1990 Nice, France Clay Argentina Alberto Mancini Uruguay Marcelo Filippini
Austria Horst Skoff
6–4, 7–6

Runner-ups (9)

No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponent in the final Score
1. 1978 Calcutta, India Clay France Gilles Moretton India Sashi Menon
United States Sherwood Stewart
7–6, 6–4
2. 1982 Toulouse, France Hard (i) France Jean-Louis Haillet Czechoslovakia Pavel Složil
Czechoslovakia Tomáš Šmíd
6–4, 6–4
3. 1983 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay France Henri Leconte Switzerland Heinz Günthardt
Hungary Balázs Taróczy
6–2, 6–4
4. 1984 Philadelphia, U.S. Carpet France Henri Leconte United States Peter Fleming
United States John McEnroe
6–2, 6–3
5. 1985 U.S. Open, New York Hard France Henri Leconte United States Ken Flach
United States Robert Seguso
6–7, 7–6, 7–6, 6–0
6. 1986 La Quinta, U.S. Hard United States Sherwood Stewart France Guy Forget
United States Peter Fleming
6–4, 6–3
7. 1986 Masters Doubles, London Carpet France Guy Forget Sweden Stefan Edberg
Sweden Anders Järryd
6–3, 7–6, 6–3
8. 1987 French Open, Paris Clay France Guy Forget Sweden Anders Järryd
United States Robert Seguso
6–7, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2
9. 1990 Bordeaux, France Clay Iran Mansour Bahrami Spain Tomás Carbonell
Belgium Libor Pimek
6–3, 6–7, 6–2

Discography

  • 1990 Saga Africa
  • 1991 Black & What
  • 1993 Urban Tribu
  • 1998 Zam Zam
  • 2000 Yannick Noah
  • 2003 Pokhara
  • 2005 Métisse
  • 2006 Charango

References

  1. ^ Revelations uncover a father's anguish

External links


 
 
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