Pat Rafter

Rafter began playing tennis aged five with his father, Jim, and three older brothers.

The third youngest of nine siblings (six boys, three girls), he won 11 singles titles during his time as a professional, including back-to-back US Opens in 1997–98.

Ranked No.1 in singles in July 1999, he twice was a finalist at Wimbledon.

In 2000, after winning an epic five set semifinal against Andre Agassi, he finished runner-up to Pete Sampras; in 2001 he lost 9-7 in the fifth set to Goran Ivanisevic.

In doubles, Rafter claimed 10 titles including the 1999 Australian Open (w/Jonas Bjorkman, SWE).

He compiled a 21-11 win–loss record in Davis Cup from 1994 to 2001. Renowned for his sportsmanship, he received numerous awards during his career, including a Diploma of Honour from the Committee for Fair Play, the ATP’s Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award, and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship award in 1997.

He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and, in 2008, the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.

In 1999 he launched the Patrick Rafter Cherish the Children Foundation.

In 2002, Rafter was named Australian of the Year.

He married model Lara Feltham in Fiji in 2004, and they have a son, Joshua (born 2002), and daughter, India (born 2004).

In 2009 he captained Australia’s Junior Davis Cup team and in 2010 he succeeded John Fitzgerald as Australia’s Davis Cup captain.