View source for Ivan Lendl

{{short description|Czech-American tennis player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
|name                         = Ivan Lendl
|image                        = Ivan Lendl.jpg
|caption                      = Lendl in 2012
|country                      = {{TCH}} {{small|(1978–92)}}<br/> {{USA}} {{small|(1992–94)}}
|residence                    = [[Vero Beach, Florida]], US<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/2006-12-07-lendl_x.htm |title=Fatherhood, golf keep Lendl busy |last=Potter |first=Jerry |date=December 7, 2006 |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=July 25, 2012 |quote=He lives with his family in Florida, splitting time between Vero Beach and Bradenton |archive-date=December 10, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061210184505/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/2006-12-07-lendl_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|birth_date                   = {{birth date and age|1960|3|7}}
|birth_place                  = [[Ostrava]], Czechoslovakia
|height                       = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}<ref name=atp_player_profile>{{cite web|title=Player profile – Ivan Lendl|url=https://www.atptour.com/en/players/ivan-lendl/l018/overview|publisher=[[Association of Tennis Professionals|ATP World Tour]]|access-date=June 11, 2021|archive-date=October 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020021221/https://www.atptour.com/en/players/ivan-lendl/l018/titles-and-finals|url-status=live}}</ref>
|turnedpro                    = 1978
|retired                      = 1994
|coach                        = [[Wojciech Fibak|Wojtek Fibak]] (1979-1985)<br>[[Tony Roche]] (1985-1994)
|plays                        = Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
|careerprizemoney             = [[United States dollar|US$]]21,262,417
*[[Open Era tennis records – men's singles#Prize money|26th all-time leader in earnings]]
|tennishofyear                = 2001
|tennishofid                  = ivan-lendl
|singlesrecord                = {{tennis record|won=1068|lost=242}} (81.5%)
|singlestitles                = 94 ([[Open Era tennis records – men's singles#All tournaments|4th in the Open Era]])
|highestsinglesranking        = [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players|No. '''1''']] (February 28, 1983)
|AustralianOpenresult         = '''W''' ([[1989 Australian Open – Men's singles|1989]], [[1990 Australian Open – Men's singles|1990]])
|FrenchOpenresult             = '''W''' ([[1984 French Open – Men's singles|1984]], [[1986 French Open – Men's singles|1986]], [[1987 French Open – Men's singles|1987]])
|Wimbledonresult              = F ([[1986 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1986]], [[1987 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1987]])
|USOpenresult                 = '''W''' ([[1985 US Open – Men's singles|1985]], [[1986 US Open – Men's singles|1986]], [[1987 US Open – Men's singles|1987]])
|Othertournaments             = Yes
|MastersCupresult             =  '''W''' ([[1981 Volvo Masters – Singles|1981]], [[1982 Volvo Masters – Singles|1982]], [[1985 Nabisco Masters – Singles|1985]], [[1986 Nabisco Masters – Singles|1986]],  [[1987 Nabisco Masters – Singles|1987]])
|GrandSlamCupresult= SF ([[Grand Slam Cup#1991|1991]])
|WCTFinalsresult              = '''W''' ([[1982 World Championship Tennis Finals – Singles|1982]], [[1985 Buick WCT Finals – Singles|1985]])
|doublesrecord                = 187–140 (57.2%)
|doublestitles                = 6
|highestdoublesranking        = No. 20 (May 12, 1986)
|AustralianOpenDoublesresult  = 3R ([[1984 Australian Open – Men's doubles|1984]])
|FrenchOpenDoublesresult      = SF ([[1980 French Open – Men's doubles|1980]])
|WimbledonDoublesresult       = 2R ([[1985 Wimbledon Championships – Men's doubles|1985]])
|USOpenDoublesresult          = 3R ([[1980 US Open – Men's doubles|1980]])
|Team=yes
|DavisCupresult               = '''W''' (1980)
|updated                      =
| CoachYears                  = 
| CoachPlayers                = {{unbulleted list
| [[Andy Murray]] (2011–2014; 2016–2017; 2022–2023)
| [[Alexander Zverev]] (2018–2019)
}}
| CoachTournamentRecord       = 2x [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] (Murray)<br /> [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] (Murray)<br /> Olympic Gold Medal [[Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's singles|2012]], [[Tennis at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's singles|2016]] (Murray)<br />
[[ATP Finals]] (Murray, Zverev)<br />
[[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players|World No. 1 ranking]] (Murray)
| CoachingAwards              = 
}}
'''Ivan Lendl''' ({{IPA|cs|ˈɪvan ˈlɛndl̩}}; born March 7, 1960) is a Czech-American former professional [[tennis]] player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/the-50-greatest-players-of-the-open-era-m-no-8-ivan-lendl|title=The 50 Greatest Players of the Open Era (M): No. 8, Ivan Lendl|access-date=January 18, 2022|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182804/https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/the-50-greatest-players-of-the-open-era-m-no-8-ivan-lendl|url-status=live}}</ref> Lendl was ranked [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players|world No. 1]] in singles for a then-record 270 weeks and won 94 singles titles. He won eight [[Grand Slam (tennis)#Tournaments|major]] singles titles and was runner-up 11 times, making him the first man to contest 19 major finals. Lendl also contested a record eight consecutive [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] finals and won seven year end championships including five [[Grand Prix Masters]] and two [[WCT Finals]]. Lendl is the only man in professional tennis history to have a match winning percentage of over 90% in five different years (1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1989).<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://playersbio.com/ivan-lendl/|title = Ivan Lendl Bio &#91;2022 Update&#93;: Wife, Daughters, Golf & Net Worth|date = June 2, 2021|access-date = February 11, 2022|archive-date = February 11, 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220211223444/https://playersbio.com/ivan-lendl/|url-status = live}}</ref> He also had a comfortable head-to-head winning record against his biggest rivals, which translates to a 22–13 [[Connors–Lendl rivalry|record]] (4–3 in major matches) against [[Jimmy Connors]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atptour.com/en/players/atp-head-2-head/ivan-lendl-vs-jimmy-connors/L018/C044|title=Ivan Lendl VS Jimmy Connors &#124; Head 2 Head &#124; ATP Tour &#124; Tennis|access-date=February 11, 2022|archive-date=February 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211223443/https://www.atptour.com/en/players/atp-head-2-head/ivan-lendl-vs-jimmy-connors/L018/C044|url-status=live}}</ref> and a 21–15 [[Lendl–McEnroe rivalry|record]] (7–3 in major matches) against [[John McEnroe]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atptour.com/en/players/atp-head-2-head/john-mcenroe-vs-ivan-lendl/M047/L018|title=John McEnroe VS Ivan Lendl &#124; Head 2 Head &#124; ATP Tour &#124; Tennis|access-date=February 11, 2022|archive-date=February 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211223446/https://www.atptour.com/en/players/atp-head-2-head/john-mcenroe-vs-ivan-lendl/M047/L018|url-status=live}}</ref> Lendl's dominance of his era was most evident at the [[ATP Finals|year-end championships]], which feature the eight best-ranked singles players. He holds a win–loss record at the event of 39–10,<ref name="bleacherreport.com">{{Cite web|url = https://bleacherreport.com/articles/946191-atp-world-tour-finals-counting-down-the-all-time-top-ten-champions|title = ATP World Tour Finals: Counting Down the All-Time Top 10 Champions|website = [[Bleacher Report]]|access-date = February 11, 2022|archive-date = February 11, 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220211225200/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/946191-atp-world-tour-finals-counting-down-the-all-time-top-ten-champions|url-status = live}}</ref> having contested the final nine consecutive times, a record.<ref name="bleacherreport.com"/> Commonly referred to as the 'Father Of Modern Tennis' and 'The Father Of The Inside-Out Forehand',<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.essentialtennis.com/ivan-lendl-the-father-of-modern-tennis/|title = Ivan Lendl: The Father of Modern Tennis -|date = January 2, 2012|access-date = February 11, 2022|archive-date = February 11, 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220211223453/https://www.essentialtennis.com/ivan-lendl-the-father-of-modern-tennis/|url-status = live}}</ref> Lendl pioneered a new style of tennis; his game was built around his [[forehand]], hit hard and with a heavy topspin, and his success is cited as a primary influence in popularizing the now-common playing style of aggressive baseline power tennis.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/0/20-greatest-tennis-players-open-era-ever/ivan-lendl/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/0/20-greatest-tennis-players-open-era-ever/ivan-lendl/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The 20 greatest tennis players of the Open era: Where do Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer feature?|date=July 18, 2017|work=The Telegraph|access-date=January 27, 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="string_theory">{{cite web|last1=Wallace|first1=David Foster|title=The String Theory|url=http://www.esquire.com/sports/a5151/the-string-theory-david-foster-wallace/|website=Esquire|date=September 17, 2008|access-date=June 15, 2017|archive-date=June 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609010245/http://www.esquire.com/sports/a5151/the-string-theory-david-foster-wallace/|url-status=live}}</ref> After retirement, he became a tennis coach for several players; in particular, he helped [[Andy Murray]] win three major titles and reach the world No. 1 ranking.

==Tennis career==

===Early life and career===
Lendl was born into a tennis family in [[Ostrava]], [[Czechoslovakia]] (now the Czech Republic). His parents were top players in Czechoslovakia, and his mother Olga, born Jeništová, was at one point ranked the No. 2 female player in the country.

Lendl first came to the tennis world's attention as a junior player. In 1978, he won the boys' singles titles at both the French Open and [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] and was the world No. 1 ranked junior player.

Lendl turned professional in 1978. After reaching his first top-level singles final in 1979, he won seven singles titles in 1980, including three tournament wins in three consecutive weeks. Lendl was part of [[Czechoslovakia Davis Cup team|Czechoslovakia's]] [[Davis Cup]] winning team that year. He was the driving force behind the country's team in the first half of the 1980s, and was also part of the Czechoslovak team that won the [[World Team Cup]] in 1981 and was runner-up in 1984 and 1985. However, he stopped playing in these events after he moved to the United States in 1986 because Czechoslovakia's Tennis Association viewed him as an "illegal defector" from their country.

The success continued in 1981, as he won ten titles, including his first season-ending [[Masters Cup|Masters Grand Prix]] tour title, defeating [[Vitas Gerulaitis]] in five sets. He relocated to the United States in 1981, first living at the home of mentor and friend, [[Wojtek Fibak]].

In 1982, he won 15 of the 23 singles tournaments he entered and had a 44-match winning streak.

Lendl competed on the [[World Championship Tennis]] (WCT) tour, where he won all ten tournaments he entered, including his first [[WCT Finals]], where he defeated [[John McEnroe]] in straight sets. He faced McEnroe again in the [[Masters Cup|Masters Grand Prix]] final and won in straight sets to claim his second season-ending championship of the WCT. In an era when tournament prize money was rising sharply due to the competition between two circuits (Grand Prix and WCT), Lendl's title victories quickly made him the highest-earning tennis player of all time.

Lendl won another seven tournaments in 1983; however, he had not won any [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] titles in the early years of his career. He reached his first Grand Slam final at the French Open in 1981, where he lost in five sets to [[Björn Borg]].<ref name=":lenbor1981">{{cite news|date=9 June 1981|title=Wimbledon next target says Borg|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/125639788|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> Lendl's second came at the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] in 1982, where he was defeated by [[Jimmy Connors]], not being able to cope "with Connors' penetrating, sharply-angled groundstrokes into the corners, or his net-charging attacks".<ref name=":lencon1982">{{cite news|date=14 September 1982|title=Connors 'may quit'|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116470003|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> In 1983, he was the runner-up at the Australian Open (to Mats Wilander) and the US Open (to Connors).<ref name=":lencon1983">{{cite news|date=13 September 1983|title=Connors blunts Lendl in four set final|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116406351|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref>

In July 1983, Lendl played three exhibition matches (against [[Johan Kriek]], [[Kevin Curren]], and [[Jimmy Connors]]) in [[Sun City, North West|Sun City]], South Africa, in the [[History of South Africa in the apartheid era|apartheid]]-era [[bantustan]] of [[Bophuthatswana]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CEFD91439F932A25754C0A965948260|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Connors beats Lendl in the final of the Sun City round robin exhibition tournament|access-date=June 28, 2007|date=July 11, 1983|archive-date=October 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030230631/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/11/sports/connors-beats-lendl.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Czechoslovak Sport Federation (ČSTV), controlled by the Communist Party, expelled him from the Czechoslovak [[Davis cup|Davis Cup]] team and fined him $150,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03EFD71539F935A25754C0A965948260 |title=SPORTS PEOPLE; Lendl Suspended |location=Czechoslovakia |work=The New York Times |date=July 16, 1983 |access-date=September 12, 2013 |archive-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030230636/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/16/sports/sports-people-lendl-suspended.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Lendl disputed the punishment and the fine.

===Prime years===
[[File:Ivan Lendl (1984).jpg|thumb|upright|Ivan Lendl in the final of the 1984 ABN World Tennis tournament in Rotterdam]]
In 1984, Lendl bought his own house in [[Greenwich, Connecticut]]. Lendl's first Grand Slam title came at the [[1984 French Open – Men's singles|1984 French Open]], where he defeated McEnroe in a long final. Down two sets to love, and trailing 4–2 in the third set, Lendl came back to claim the title 3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 7–5, 7–5. McEnroe subsequently beat Lendl in straight sets in both finals of the US Open 1984 and [[Masters Cup|Volvo Masters]] 1984 (played in January 1985).

Lendl lost in the final of the [[1985 French Open]] to [[Mats Wilander]].<ref name=":willen1985">{{cite news|date=11 June 1985|title=Consistent Wilander topples Lendl|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122515247|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> He then faced McEnroe again in the final of the US Open, winning in straight sets. He reached the [[WCT Finals]] for the second and last time, defeating [[Tim Mayotte]] in three sets. He also won the Masters Grand Prix title for the third time, defeating [[Boris Becker]] in straight sets. He was upset by 19-year old and No. 6 [[Stefan Edberg]] in the semifinals of the [[1985 Australian Open – Men's singles|1985 Australian Open]] in an epic spread over two days.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2009-12-08 |title=1985: EDBERG UPSETS LENDL |url=http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/1165 |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=World Tennis Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2013-01-16 |title=That 1980s Sports Blog: 1985 Australian Open: Stefan Edberg |url=http://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/1985-australian-open-stefan-edberg.html |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=That 1980s Sports Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=West |first=Ewan |date=2021-12-09 |title=On this day: Stefan Edberg won his first Major title at the 1985 Australian Open |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/on-day-when-stefan-edberg-won-first-major-title-1985-australian-open |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=www.sportskeeda.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

Lendl won the French Open title in 1986, beating Mikael Pernfors in the final.<ref name=":lenper1986">{{cite news|date=10 June 1986|title=Lendl sets eyes on Wimbledon|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118124117|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> He reached the Wimbledon final for the first time, but lost to Boris Becker in straight sets.<ref name=":lenbec1986">{{cite news|date=8 July 1986|title=Big-serving Becker takes title|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118130462|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> At the US Open, Lendl beat Edberg in straight sets in the semi finals<ref name=":lenedb1986">{{cite news|date=8 September 1986|title=Final 4 born in Czechoslovakia|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131837415|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> and Miloslav Mecir in straight sets in the final.<ref name=":lenmec1986">{{cite news|date=9 September 1986|title=Lendl and Navratilova show why they're champions|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131837556|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> Lendl beat Becker in straight sets in the season-ending Masters.

Lendl lost in the 1987 Australian Open semi finals to Pat Cash.<ref name=":lenedb1987">{{cite news|date=5 July 1987|title=Pat Cash slips right into final|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118141922/13039987|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> He won the French Open, beating Wilander in a four-set final that finished in semi-darkness and pouring rain.<ref name=":lenwila1987">{{cite news|date=9 June 1987|title=Lendl confounds critics|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118296871|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> At Wimbledon he beat Edberg in the semi finals in four sets<ref name=":lenedb1987" /> before losing in straight sets to Cash in the final.<ref name=":lencas1987">{{cite news|date=7 July 1987|title=Lendl: He just played great|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118142206|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> In the US Open final, Lendl was suffering from influenza, but outlasted Wilander in a match lasting 4 hours and 47 minutes (the longest singles final in the tournaments history,<ref name=":lendlwil1987">{{cite news|date=16 September 1987|title=Lendl world's best on hard courts|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122122230|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> surpassed the following year). Lendl won the Masters Grand Prix championship title in three sets over Wilander.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lendl Picks Up $210,000 and His Fifth Masters Title|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-08-sp-27403-story.html|website=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 8, 1987|access-date=July 28, 2017|archive-date=July 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712123212/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-12-08/sports/sp-27403_1_ivan-lendl|url-status=live}}</ref> This took him to his fifth and last Grand Prix year-end tour title.

In each year from 1985 through 1987, Lendl's match-winning percentage was over 90%. This record was equalled by [[Roger Federer]] in 2004–2006, but Lendl remains the only male tennis player with over 90% match wins in five different years (1982 was the first, 1989 the last). From the 1985 US Open to the 1988 Australian Open, Lendl reached ten consecutive Grand Slam singles semifinals — a record that was broken by Federer at the 2007 Australian Open.

In 1988 Lendl reached just one Grand Slam final, losing the US Open final to Wilander in five sets in 4 hours 54 minutes (the longest US singles final to that point).<ref name=":willen1988">{{cite news|date=13 September 1988|title=Wilander wrests title off Lendl|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/102070431|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> Lendl began 1989 by winning his first Australian Open title with a straight sets final victory over [[Miloslav Mečíř]], and went on to win 10 titles out of 17 tournaments he entered. He lost the US Open final to Becker, which was the last of eight consecutive US Open finals that Lendl contested.<ref name=":lenbec1989">{{cite news|date=12 September 1989|title=Becker wins first US Open|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120851964|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref> Lendl successfully defended his Australian Open title in 1990 when Edberg retired in the final.

The only Grand Slam singles title Lendl never managed to win was Wimbledon. In 1990, Lendl put in intensive efforts to train and improve his grass court game. He switched to a larger headed racket and skipped the [[1990 French Open]] in order to spend more time practising on grass. He won the [[Queen's Club Championships]], with comfortable straight-set victories over McEnroe in the semi-final and Becker in the final, but was unable to reproduce this form at Wimbledon, and although he reached the semi-finals for the seventh time in eight years, he looked "tight and inhibited" in losing to eventual champion [[Stefan Edberg]] in straight sets.<ref name=":lenedb1990">{{cite news|date=8 July 1990|title=It will be a case of how they wake up|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122295885|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref>

===Later career===
Lendl remained near the top of the rankings in 1991. He skipped the French Open again to focus on Wimbledon, but lost in the third round against [[David Wheaton]], and was never to win the Wimbledon title. The Australian Open in January that year, where he lost in four sets to Becker, was his last Grand Slam final.<ref name=":lenbec1991">{{cite news|date=28 January 1991|title=Speechless Becker becomes world No 1|newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]]|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122340816|accessdate=28 September 2024}}</ref>

Lendl was well known for his meticulous and intensive training and physical conditioning regime, and his scientific approach to preparation and playing. As part of his preparations for the US Open, he hired the same workers who laid the hardcourt surfaces at [[Flushing Meadows Park|Flushing Meadows]] each year to install an exact copy in the grounds of his home in [[Greenwich, Connecticut]].

Lendl announced his retirement from professional tennis on December 21, 1994, aged 34, due to chronic back pain.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E0D71038F932A15751C1A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|work=The New York Times|title=Chronic back problems bring an end to Lendl's career|access-date=April 1, 2008|date=December 21, 1994|archive-date=October 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030230631/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/21/sports/tennis-chronic-back-problems-bring-an-end-to-lendl-s-career.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/magazine/can-ivan-lendl-lead-andy-murray-to-tennis-greatness.html?pagewanted=4&hpw|work=The New York Times|date=June 20, 2012|access-date=June 23, 2012|first=Peter|last=De Jonge|title=Can Ivan Lendl Lead Andy Murray to Tennis Greatness?|archive-date=September 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908111249/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/magazine/can-ivan-lendl-lead-andy-murray-to-tennis-greatness.html?pagewanted=4&hpw|url-status=live}}</ref> His last professional match prior to that had been his defeat in the second round of the US Open in 1994, three and a half months earlier.

Lendl won a career total of 94 ATP singles titles (plus 57 other non-ATP tournaments, a total of 151 singles titles) and 6 doubles titles, and his career total prize money of U.S. $21,262,417 was a record at the time. In 2001, he was inducted into the [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]].

===Return to the court===
On April 10, 2010, Lendl returned to play in the Caesars Tennis Classic exhibition match in [[Atlantic City]], New Jersey, against his rival from the late 1980s, [[Mats Wilander]], his first tournament since his retirement in 1994. He lost the one-set match 3–6.

On February 28, 2011, Lendl returned to the court again in an exhibition match against McEnroe at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York City. It was planned to be a one-set, first-to-eight event. However, McEnroe, leading 6–3, injured his ankle and had to retire from the match.

In May 2012, Lendl played in [[Prague]] in the [[2012 Sparta Prague Open]] tournament. He defeated fellow Czech [[Jiří Novák]] in the exhibition match.<ref>{{cite news|first=Nick|last=Fishpool|url=http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/news/articles/lendl-takes-to-court-at-itf-pro-circuit-event-in-prague.aspx|title=Lendl takes to court at ITF Pro Circuit event in Prague|work=ITFTennis.com|date=May 21, 2012|access-date=May 22, 2012|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060917/http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/news/articles/lendl-takes-to-court-at-itf-pro-circuit-event-in-prague.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Coaching career===
[[File:Flickr - Carine06 - Team Murray (1).jpg|thumb|upright|285px|Lendl (far right) talking to [[Judy Murray]].]]

On December 31, 2011, Lendl was appointed to coach [[Andy Murray]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/16372414.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Andy Murray appoints Ivan Lendl as his new coach|access-date=January 3, 2012|date=December 31, 2011|archive-date=May 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528163843/https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/16372414|url-status=live}}</ref> Lendl has been credited with improving Murray's maturity and consistency, guiding him to his first two Grand Slam victories in the [[2012 US Open (tennis)|2012 US Open]] and [[2013 Wimbledon Championships]].<ref name = "murray beats berdych"/> On winning the US Open in 2012, Murray became the second player in the Open Era, after Lendl, to have lost their first four Grand Slam finals, and won the fifth.<ref name = "murray beats berdych">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19511963|title=Andy Murray beats Tomas Berdych to reach US Open final|first=David|last=Ornstein|publisher=BBC Sport|date=September 8, 2012|access-date=September 8, 2012|archive-date=September 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909003053/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/19511963|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 19, 2014, it was announced that Lendl and Murray would be ending their two-year coaching partnership.

On June 12, 2016, Lendl rejoined Andy Murray's coaching team. By the end of 2016, Murray had become world No. 1, having won his second Wimbledon title, third major championship overall, second Olympic gold medal in singles, and his first ATP World Tour Finals title, defeating Novak Djokovic.<ref>Pierce Newberry. (June 12, 2016). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/36511186 Andy Murray says Ivan Lendl has rejoined his coaching team] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805185714/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/36511186 |date=August 5, 2018 }} ''BBC'', Retrieved June 12, 2016.</ref>

In August 2018, Lendl joined [[Alexander Zverev]]'s team.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/46254510|title=Alexander Zverev stuns Novak Djokovic to win ATP Finals in London|date=November 19, 2018|work=BBC Sport|access-date=November 19, 2018|archive-date=November 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119184514/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/46254510|url-status=live}}</ref> They split up in July 2019 due to disappointing results in 2019 and personal differences. Zverev has stated that Lendl was more interested in his dog or his golf game than in professional coaching.<ref>{{cite web |title=Medien: Lendl nicht mehr Zverev-Coach |url=https://www.ndr.de/sport/mehr_sport/Medien-Lendl-nicht-mehr-Zverev-Coach,zverev818.html |website=NDR.de |access-date=July 26, 2019 |date=July 26, 2019 |language=de |archive-date=July 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726101159/https://www.ndr.de/sport/mehr_sport/Medien-Lendl-nicht-mehr-Zverev-Coach,zverev818.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Playing style==
{{Original research section|date=April 2009}}
Nicknamed "[[Terminator (character)|The Terminator]]" and "[[Ivan the Terrible]]",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/8987499/Andy-Murrays-new-coach-Ivan-Lendl-demanded-fitness-as-a-player-and-may-expect-the-same-as-a-coach.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/8987499/Andy-Murrays-new-coach-Ivan-Lendl-demanded-fitness-as-a-player-and-may-expect-the-same-as-a-coach.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Andy Murray's new coach Ivan Lendl demanded fitness as a player and may expect the same as a coach|last=Briggs|first=Simon|journal=Daily Telegraph|date=January 1, 2012|access-date=September 3, 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Lendl's forehand was hit hard and with topspin, which allowed him to dictate from the back of the court. His trademark shot was his running forehand, which he could direct either down the line or cross-court.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}}

Early in his career, Lendl played a sliced backhand, but in the early 1980s he learned to hit his backhand with significant topspin. This shift allowed him to defeat [[John McEnroe]] in [[1984 French Open – Men's singles|1984]] in the French Open, Lendl's first Grand Slam victory. In the first two sets, McEnroe used his habitual proximity to the net to intercept Lendl's cross-court passing shots. In the third set, Lendl started using lobs, forcing McEnroe to distance himself from the net to prepare for the lobs. McEnroe's further distance from the net opened the angles for Lendl's cross-court passing shots, which ultimately gained Lendl points and turned the match around.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}}

==Equipment==
At the beginning of his professional career, Lendl used [[Adidas]] clothing and [[Kneissl]] rackets, subsequently changing to Adidas rackets. Toward the end of his days on the ATP tour, Lendl ended his long-term clothing, shoe, and racket deal with [[Adidas]]. He signed with Mizuno, and finally began to play with a mid-sized racket very similar to the Adidas racket he had used throughout most of his career.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}}

==Career statistics==
{{Main article|Ivan Lendl career statistics}}

===Grand Slam tournament performance timeline===
{{Performance key|short=yes|active=no}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
||
| colspan="14" |Czechoslovakia
| colspan="3" |United States
| colspan="3" |
|-
!Name!![[1978 Grand Prix (tennis)|1978]]!![[1979 Grand Prix (tennis)|1979]]!![[1980 Grand Prix (tennis)|1980]]!![[1981 Grand Prix (tennis)|1981]]!![[1982 Grand Prix (tennis)|1982]]!![[1983 Grand Prix (tennis)|1983]]!![[1984 Grand Prix (tennis)|1984]]!![[1985 Grand Prix (tennis)|1985]]!![[1986 Grand Prix (tennis)|1986]]!![[1987 Grand Prix (tennis)|1987]]!![[1988 Grand Prix (tennis)|1988]]!![[1989 Grand Prix (tennis)|1989]]!![[1990 ATP Tour|1990]]!![[1991 ATP Tour|1991]]!![[1992 ATP Tour|1992]]!![[1993 ATP Tour|1993]]!![[1994 ATP Tour|1994]]!!{{Tooltip| SR | Strike rate}} !! {{Tooltip| W–L | Win–loss}} !! Win %
|-
|  style="background:#efefef; text-align:left;"|[[Australian Open]]
|A
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1980 Australian Open – Men's singles|2R]]
|A
|A
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1983 Australian Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1984 Australian Open – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1985 Australian Open – Men's singles|SF]]
|NH
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1987 Australian Open – Men's singles|SF]]
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1988 Australian Open – Men's singles|SF]]
| style="background:#0f0;"|[[1989 Australian Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
| style="background:#0f0;"|[[1990 Australian Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1991 Australian Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1992 Australian Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1993 Australian Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1994 Australian Open – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:#efefef;"|2 / 12
| style="background:#efefef;"|48–10
| style="background:#efefef;"|82.76
|-
|  style="background:#efefef; text-align:left;"|[[French Open]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1978 French Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1979 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1980 French Open – Men's singles|3R]]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1981 French Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1982 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1983 French Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#0f0;"|[[1984 French Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1985 French Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:#0f0;"|[[1986 French Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
| style="background:#0f0;"|[[1987 French Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1988 French Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1989 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
|A
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1992 French Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1993 French Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1994 French Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#efefef;"|3 / 15
| style="background:#efefef;"|53–12
| style="background:#efefef;"|81.54
|-
|  style="background:#efefef; text-align:left;"|[[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]]
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1979 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1980 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1981 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
|A
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1983 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1984 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1985 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1986 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1987 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1988 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1989 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1990 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|SF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1991 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1992 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1993 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|2R]]
|A
| style="background:#efefef;"|0 / 14
| style="background:#efefef;"|48–14
| style="background:#efefef;"|77.42
|-
|  style="background:#efefef; text-align:left;"|[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1979 US Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1980 US Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1981 US Open – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1982 US Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1983 US Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1984 US Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:#0f0;"|[[1985 US Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
| style="background:#0f0;"|[[1986 US Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
| style="background:#0f0;"|[[1987 US Open – Men's singles|'''W''']]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1988 US Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:thistle;"|[[1989 US Open – Men's singles|F]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1990 US Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:yellow;"|[[1991 US Open – Men's singles|SF]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1992 US Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1993 US Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1994 US Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#efefef;"|3 / 16
| style="background:#efefef;"|73–13
| style="background:#efefef;"|84.88
|- style="font-weight:bold; background:#efefef;"
|style=text-align:left|Win–loss
|0–1
|4–3
|9–4
|9–3
|9–2
|20–4
|20–3
|20–3
|20–1
|24–2
|20–4
|21–3
|16–2
|13–3
|12–4
|1–4
|4–3
|8 / 57
|222–49
|81.92
|}

===Grand Slam finals===

Lendl reached 19 Grand Slam singles finals in his career. He won eight titles, and was a runner-up in 11.

{|class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Result
! style="width:30px;"|Year
! style="width:150px;"|Championship
! Surface
! style="width:150px;"|Opponent
! style="width:200px;" class="unsortable"|Score
|- style="background:#ebc2af;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1981 French Open – Men's singles|1981]]||[[French Open]]||Clay||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Björn Borg]]||1–6, 6–4, 2–6, 6–3, 1–6
|- style="background:#ccf;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1982 US Open – Men's singles|1982]]||[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]||Hard||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jimmy Connors]]||3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 4–6
|- style="background:#ccf;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1983 US Open – Men's singles|1983]]||US Open||Hard||{{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Connors||3–6, 7–6<sup>(7–2)</sup>, 5–7, 0–6
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1983 Australian Open – Men's singles|1983]]||[[Australian Open]]||Grass||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Mats Wilander]]||1–6, 4–6, 4–6
|- style="background:#ebc2af;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|Win||[[1984 French Open – Men's singles|1984]]||French Open||Clay||{{flagicon|USA}} [[John McEnroe]]||3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 7–5, 7–5
|- style="background:#ccf;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1984 US Open – Men's singles|1984]]||US Open||Hard||{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe||3–6, 4–6, 1–6
|- style="background:#ebc2af;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1985 French Open – Men's singles|1985]]||French Open||Clay||{{flagicon|SWE}} Mats Wilander||6–3, 4–6, 2–6, 2–6
|- style="background:#ccf;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|Win||[[1985 US Open – Men's singles|1985]]||US Open||Hard||{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe||7–6<sup>(7–1)</sup>, 6–3, 6–4
|- style="background:#ebc2af;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|Win||[[1986 French Open – Men's singles|1986]]||French Open <small>(2)</small>||Clay||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Mikael Pernfors]]||6–3, 6–2, 6–4
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1986 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1986]]||[[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]]||Grass||{{flagicon|GER}} [[Boris Becker]]||4–6, 3–6, 5–7
|- style="background:#ccf;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|Win||[[1986 US Open – Men's singles|1986]]||US Open <small>(2)</small>||Hard||{{flagicon|TCH}} [[Miloslav Mečíř]]||6–4, 6–2, 6–0
|- style="background:#ebc2af;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|Win||[[1987 French Open – Men's singles|1987]]||French Open <small>(3)</small>||Clay||{{flagicon|SWE}} Mats Wilander||7–5, 6–2, 3–6, 7–6<sup>(7–3)</sup>
|- style="background:#cfc;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1987 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1987]]||Wimbledon||Grass||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Pat Cash]]||6–7<sup>(5–7)</sup>, 4–6, 5–7
|- style="background:#ccf;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|Win||[[1987 US Open – Men's singles|1987]]||US Open <small>(3)</small>||Hard||{{flagicon|SWE}} Mats Wilander||6–7<sup>(7–9)</sup>, 6–0, 7–6<sup>(7–4)</sup>, 6–4
|- style="background:#ccf;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1988 US Open – Men's singles|1988]]||US Open||Hard||{{flagicon|SWE}} Mats Wilander||4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 4–6
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|Win||[[1989 Australian Open – Men's singles|1989]]||Australian Open||Hard||{{flagicon|TCH}} Miloslav Mečíř||6–2, 6–2, 6–2
|- style="background:#ccf;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1989 US Open – Men's singles|1989]]||US Open||Hard||{{flagicon|GER}} Boris Becker||6–7<sup>(2–7)</sup>, 6–1, 3–6, 6–7<sup>(4–7)</sup>
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|bgcolor=98FB98|Win||[[1990 Australian Open – Men's singles|1990]]||Australian Open <small>(2)</small>||Hard||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Stefan Edberg]]||4–6, 7–6<sup>(7–3)</sup>, 5–2 retired
|- style="background:#ffc;"
|bgcolor=FFA07A|Loss||[[1991 Australian Open – Men's singles|1991]]||Australian Open||Hard||{{flagicon|GER}} Boris Becker||6–1, 4–6, 4–6, 4–6
|}

===Records===
{{BLP sources section|date=August 2018}}
{{original research|section|date=August 2018}}

====All-time====
* These records cover the entire period of tennis from 1877.

{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
!Time span
!Selected All time tournament records
!Players matched
|-
|1981 [[Swiss Indoors]]—<br>1983 [[US Pro Indoor]]||66 consecutive match wins indoor||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1983 [[Tokyo Indoor]] —<br> 1986 [[Australian Indoor Tennis Championships|Australian Indoor]]||19 consecutive indoor finals||'''Stands alone'''<ref>{{cite web|last1=Garcia|first1=Gabriel|title=All Time Records: Indoor Finals Streak|url=https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=records&id=IBQIGONYYT|website=app.thetennisbase.com|publisher=Tennismem SL|access-date=December 14, 2017|location=Madrid, Spain|archive-date=December 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214130036/https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=records&id=IBQIGONYYT|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|1981 French Open–<br>1991 Australian Open||11 consecutive years, at least 1 Grand Slam final||[[Pete Sampras]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Garcia|first1=Gabriel|title=All Time Record: Consecutive Years at least 1 Grand Slam Final|url=https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=records&id=XYICSEGCJT|website=app.thetennisbase.com|publisher=Tennismem SL|access-date=December 14, 2017|location=Madrid, Spain|archive-date=December 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214125113/https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=records&id=XYICSEGCJT|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|1981 French Open–<br>1986 Wimbledon||Reached all 4 Grand Slam finals in career||20 players tied<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gracia|first1=Gabriel|title=All Time Record: All Four Grand Slam Finals|url=https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=records&id=OXBHKBKWHL|website=app.thetennisbase.com|publisher=Tennismem SL|access-date=December 14, 2017|location=Madrid, Spain|archive-date=December 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214124347/https://app.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=records&id=OXBHKBKWHL|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}

====Open Era====
* These records were attained in the [[Open Era]] of tennis.
* Combined year end championships are: [[WCT Finals]] and [[ATP World Tour Finals|Masters Grand Prix]]
* Records in '''bold''' indicate peer-less achievements.

{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
!Time span
!Selected Grand Slam tournament records
!Players matched
|-
|1981 French Open —<br> 1986 Wimbledon||2+ runner-up finishes at all 4 Majors||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1982 US Open–<br>1989 US Open||8 consecutive finals at a single Major||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1985 US Open —<br> 1990 Australian Open||2+ consecutive titles at 3 Majors||Roger Federer
|-
|1981–1991||11 consecutive years reaching 1+ final||[[Pete Sampras]]
|-
|1981 French Open —<br> 1983 US Open||First 4 finals lost<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/sports/tennis/federer-beats-murray-and-britain-to-win-wimbledon.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&ref=tennis|title=Federer Beats Murray, and Britain, for Seventh Wimbledon Title|first=Christopher|last=Clarey|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 8, 2012|access-date=July 9, 2012|quote=The only other man in the Open era to lose his first four major finals is Ivan Lendl...|archive-date=December 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208200755/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/sports/tennis/federer-beats-murray-and-britain-to-win-wimbledon.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&ref=tennis|url-status=live}}</ref>||Andy Murray
|-
|1984 French Open||Won a Grand Slam final from two sets down.<ref name="comeback">{{cite web |url=https://www.atptour.com/en/news/djokovic-roland-garros-2021-final-historic-comeback |title=Djokovic Completes Historic Two-Set Comeback In Roland Garros Final |date=13 June 2021 |publisher=[[Association of Tennis Professionals]] |access-date=15 June 2021 |archive-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613193518/https://www.atptour.com/en/news/djokovic-roland-garros-2021-final-historic-comeback |url-status=live }}</ref>||[[Björn Borg]]<br />[[Andre Agassi]]<br />[[Gastón Gaudio]]<br />[[Dominic Thiem]]<br />[[Novak Djokovic]]<br />[[Rafael Nadal]]<br />[[Jannik Sinner]]
|}

{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
!Grand Slam tournaments
!Time span
!Records at each Grand Slam tournament
!Players matched
!Refs
|-
|[[Australian Open]]||1989–1991||[[List of Australian Open Singles Finals appearances#Men's most consecutive finals|3 consecutive finals]]||[[Mats Wilander]]<br>[[Novak Djokovic]]||<ref name="GS History">{{cite web|title=Grand Slam History |url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/~/media/6E5690C1880644AF9A5CB5B09CD8C837.ashx |access-date=June 10, 2012 |publisher=ATP World Tour |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514061715/http://www.atpworldtour.com/~/media/6E5690C1880644AF9A5CB5B09CD8C837.ashx |archive-date=May 14, 2012 }}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="4"| [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]||1982–1989||[[List of US Open Singles Finals appearances#Men's most consecutive finals|8 consecutive finals]]||'''Stands alone'''||<ref name="USO records">{{cite web|title=US Open Singles Record Book |url=http://www.usopen.org/pdf/Record_Book_Singles_Records.pdf |access-date=August 26, 2012 |publisher=US Open |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906233151/http://www.usopen.org/pdf/Record_Book_Singles_Records.pdf |archive-date=September 6, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|1985–1986||26 consecutive sets won||'''Stands alone'''||<ref name="USO records"/>
|}

{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
!Time span
!Other selected records
!Players matched
|-
! style="background:#dde;" colspan="3"|Year-End Championship{{#tag:ref|Known as "Masters Grand Prix" (1970–1989) and "ATP Tour World Championships" (1990–1999).|group=lower-alpha}} records
|-
|1980–1988||12 combined [[WCT Finals|WCT]] and [[ATP World Tour Finals|GP]] finals overall||[[John McEnroe]]
|-
|1980–1988||17 combined WCT and GP semifinals overall||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1980–1989||50 combined WCT and GP match wins overall||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1980–1989||18 combined WCT and GP appearances overall||John McEnroe
|-
|1982,<br>1985–1986||3 GP titles won without losing a set||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1980–1988||9 consecutive finals||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1980–1991||12 consecutive semifinals||'''Stands alone'''
|-
! style="background:#dde;" colspan="3"|Other records
|-
|1981–1982||18 consecutive finals||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1985–1986||9 consecutive hard/carpet court titles||John McEnroe
|-
|1981–1983||20 consecutive hard court finals||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1983–1986||19 consecutive indoor finals||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1981–1983||66 consecutive indoor court match victories||'''Stands alone'''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gross|first1=Jane|title=Mcenroe Overcomes Lendl in Final by 6-3, 6-4, 6-4|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/16/sports/mcenroe-overcomes-lendl-in-final-by-6-3-6-4-6-4.html|access-date=March 1, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=1984|archive-date=March 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301164904/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/16/sports/mcenroe-overcomes-lendl-in-final-by-6-3-6-4-6-4.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|1982–1989||5 years with match winning percentage of 90%+ (417–36)||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1981–1989||4 years winning 10+ titles||[[Jimmy Connors]]
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1982||9 carpet court titles in 1 season||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|9 indoor titles in 1 season||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1980–1989||11 different Grand Prix Series tournaments won {{#tag:ref|Philadelphia, Miami, Las Vegas, Forest Hills, Monte Carlo, Hamburg, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Stockholm, Tokyo.|group=lower-alpha}}||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1988–1989||7 consecutive Grand Prix Series titles won||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1980–1989||6 [[Canadian Open (tennis)|Canadian Open]] titles||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1987–1989||3 consecutive Canadian Open titles||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1980–1992||9 finals at Canadian Open||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1979–1994||57 match wins at Canadian Open||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1987–1991||18 consecutive match wins at Canadian Open||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1983–1993||5 [[ATP Tokyo Indoor|Tokyo Indoor]] titles||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1982–1990||4 [[WCT Tournament of Champions|Forest Hills]] titles||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1982–1990||3 [[Toronto Indoor]] titles||'''Stands alone'''
|-
|1981–1983||7 consecutive match wins against World No 1 ||'''Stands alone'''
|}

==Awards and recognition==
Lendl was the [[International Tennis Federation]]'s [[Tennis world champions named by the International Tennis Federation|World Champion]] on four occasions (1985, 1986, 1987, 1990) and the [[Association of Tennis Professionals]] (ATP) [[ATP Awards|Player of The Year]] three times (1985, 1986, 1987). Earlier in his career, he was also named ATP Most Improved Player, in 1981.

Due to his achievements, Lendl is often considered among the greatest tennis players in the sport's history.<ref name="Tennis_Mag">''Tennis'' magazine ranked Lendl the [[Tennis (magazine)#"The 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS Era" (2005)|fifth best male player]] of the period 1965–2005.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Ivan Lendl - Top 10 Men's Tennis Players of All Time |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1009/top.ten.tennis/content.1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918225840/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1009/top.ten.tennis/content.1.html |archive-date=September 18, 2010 |access-date=June 10, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In his book ''Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis'', [[Bud Collins]] included Lendl in his list of the greatest men's tennis players of the period 1946–1992. ''Tennis'' magazine described Lendl as "the game's greatest overachiever" in its 40th anniversary series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennis.com/features/40greatest/40greatest.aspx?id=544|publisher=[[Tennis magazine]]|title=40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061112084827/http://www.tennis.com/features/40greatest/40greatest.aspx?id=544|archive-date=November 12, 2006}}</ref><ref name="Tennis_Mag"/> In 1986, [[North Korea]] issued a [[postage stamp]] featuring Lendl.<ref>{{cite journal |date=April 1991 |journal=USSR Philately |issue=4 |page=cover's 4th page |location=Moscow |issn=0130-5689 |language=ru }}</ref>

==Personal life==
===US citizenship===
Lendl successfully applied for a [[United States Permanent Resident Card|U.S. Permanent Resident Card]] in 1987, hoping to obtain U.S. citizenship in time to represent the US in the [[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Olympic Games]] and in the Davis Cup. A bill in [[United States Congress|Congress]] to bypass the traditional five-year waiting procedure was rejected in 1988 because Czechoslovak authorities refused to provide the necessary waivers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0DB1331F935A3575AC0A96E948260|work=The New York Times|title=Lendl's bid to get U.S.citizenship earlier denied|access-date=June 25, 2007|date=September 6, 1988|archive-date=October 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030230632/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/06/sports/sports-people-lendl-bid-denied.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He became a U.S. citizen on July 7, 1992.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEFD7143BF93BA35754C0A964958260|work=The New York Times|title=Lendl becomes U.S.citizen|access-date=June 28, 2007|date=July 8, 1992|archive-date=October 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030230635/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/08/sports/sports-people-tennis-lendl-becomes-us-citizen.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Family===
On September 16, 1989, six days after competing in the final of the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]] versus  [[Boris Becker]], Lendl married Samantha Frankel.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE0D8153EF93AA2575AC0A96F948260|work=The New York Times|title=Lendl gets married|access-date=June 25, 2007|date=September 19, 1989|archive-date=October 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030230632/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/19/sports/sports-people-tennis-lendl-gets-married.html|url-status=live}}</ref> They have five daughters: Marika, twins [[Isabelle Lendl|Isabelle]] and Caroline, Daniela, and Nikola.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/news/story?id=2881137 |title=The education of Ivan Lendl – a golfing dad |work=ESPN |first=Michael |last=Arkush |date=May 24, 2007 |access-date=March 21, 2016 |archive-date=April 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403100348/http://espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2881137 |url-status=live }}</ref> Two of his daughters (Marika and Isabelle) were members of the [[University of Florida]] Women's Golf Team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gatorzone.com/golf/women/bios.php?year=2008&player_id=19 |title=Gator Women's Golf Roster/Bios |publisher=GatorZone.com |access-date=September 12, 2013 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204803/http://www.gatorzone.com/golf/women/bios.php?year=2008&player_id=19 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gatorzone.com/golf/women/bios.php?year=2009&player_id=19 |title=Gator Women's Golf Roster/Bios |publisher=GatorZone.com |access-date=September 12, 2013 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029215732/http://www.gatorzone.com/golf/women/bios.php?year=2009&player_id=19 |url-status=live }}</ref> Daniela was a member of the [[University of Alabama]] Women's Golf Team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rolltide.com/sports/w-golf/mtt/alab-w-golf-mtt.html |title=2012-13 Women's Golf Roster |publisher=Rolltide.com |access-date=September 12, 2013 |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921130047/http://www.rolltide.com/sports/w-golf/mtt/alab-w-golf-mtt.html |url-status=live }}</ref> His daughter Caroline was a part of the University of Alabama Women's Rowing Team for the 2011–2012 academic year, and his daughter Nikola was an instructor at [[SoulCycle]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tennisplanet.me/blog/2017/11/what-does-the-following-say-about-lendl.html|title=What does the following say about Lendl?|website=Tennis Planet.me|access-date=February 9, 2018|archive-date=February 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210002655/http://www.tennisplanet.me/blog/2017/11/what-does-the-following-say-about-lendl.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Other activities===
After finishing his tennis career in 1994, Lendl took up golf, reaching a [[Handicap (golf)|handicap]] of 0 and achieving a win on the Celebrity Tour. Lendl has played in the [[Gary Player Invitational]] charity Pro-Am several times,{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} and organized a charity competition in 2004 called the Ivan Lendl Celebrity Golf Tournament. Still competitive at the mini-tour levels, Lendl now spends much of his time managing his daughters' golfing careers.

Lendl had a nearly complete collection of posters by [[Alfons Mucha]]. The collection was exhibited in Prague in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/lendl-mucha-is-only-artist-that-interests-me|title=Lendl: Mucha is only artist that interests me|last=Willoughby|first=Ian|date=April 30, 2013|publisher=[[Radio Prague]]|access-date=August 1, 2013|archive-date=June 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614122156/http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/lendl-mucha-is-only-artist-that-interests-me|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=William Grimes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/10/arts/posters-populist-art-for-the-collector.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|title=Posters: Populist Art For the Collector|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 10, 1993|access-date=September 12, 2013|archive-date=November 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113221944/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/10/arts/posters-populist-art-for-the-collector.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|url-status=live}}</ref> He sold the collection in 2014 to Czech businessman Richard Fuxa for 3.5 million dollars.<ref>{{cite news|author=Chris Johnstone|url=https://www.radio.cz/en/section/news/ivan-lendl-sells-alfons-mucha-poster-collection-to-czech-businessman-report|title=Ivan Lendl sells Alfons Mucha poster collection to Czech businessman|work=Radio Prague|date=April 15, 2014|access-date=March 7, 2020|archive-date=March 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325002557/http://www.radio.cz/en/section/news/ivan-lendl-sells-alfons-mucha-poster-collection-to-czech-businessman-report|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Tennis}}
* [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players]]
* [[World number 1 male tennis player rankings]]
* [[Lendl–McEnroe rivalry]]
* [[Edberg–Lendl rivalry]]
* [[Lendl–Wilander rivalry]]
* [[Tennis male players statistics]]
* [[All-time tennis records – men's singles]]
* [[Open Era tennis records – men's singles]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Jiří Janoušek, Pavel Vitouš (1990). ''Ivan Lendl''. Prague, Czechoslovakia: Lidové nakladatelství. {{ISBN|80-7022-088-0}}. {{OCLC|13268682}}. {{in lang|cs}}
* Ivan Lendl, George Mendoza (1986). ''Hitting Hot: Ivan Lendl's 14-day Tennis Clinic''. New York: Random House. {{ISBN|0-394-55407-8}}.

==External links==
{{commons category|Ivan Lendl}}
* {{ATP}}
* {{ITF}}
* {{Tennis Hall of Fame}}
* {{Davis Cup player}}
* {{Wimbledon player}}

{{Navboxes
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{{Navboxes
|title=Ivan Lendl (Achievement predecessor & successor)
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{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jimmy Connors]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[John McEnroe]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|SWE}} Mats Wilander}} 
{{s-ttl|title = [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players|World No. 1]]|years = February 28, 1983 - May 15, 1983<br>October 31, 1983 - December 11, 1983<br>January 9, 1984 - March 11, 1984<br>June 11, 1984 - June 17, 1984<br>July 9, 1984 - August 12, 1984<br>August 19, 1985 - August 25, 1985<br>September 9, 1985 - September 11, 1988<br>January 30, 1989 - August 12, 1990}} 
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Connors<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe<br>{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Mats Wilander]]<br>{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Stefan Edberg]]}}
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{{s-bef|before = not awarded, 1980<br> {{flagicon|PAR}} [[Víctor Pecci]], 1979}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[ATP World Tour Awards|ATP Most Improved Player]]|years = 1981}}
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Peter McNamara]]<br>}}
{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|USA}} John McEnroe}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[International Tennis Federation#Men.27s singles|ITF World Champion]]|years = 1985–1987}}
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|SWE}} Mats Wilander}}
{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|FRG}} [[Boris Becker]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = ITF World Champion|years = 1990}}
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|SWE}} Stefan Edberg}}
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{{s-bef|before = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jimmy Connors]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players|Most Weeks at World No. 1]]|years = July 23, 1990 – September 11, 2000}}
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Pete Sampras]]}}
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{{navboxes|title=Ivan Lendl in the [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam tournaments]]
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{{Men's tennis players who won two or more Grand Slam singles titles in one calendar year}}
{{Australian Open men's singles champions}}
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{{navboxes|title=Ivan Lendl [[Ivan Lendl career statistics|Achievements]]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lendl, Ivan}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American male tennis players]] <!--gained citizenship a few years before retiring from tour-->
[[Category:American people of Czech descent]]
[[Category:American people of Moravian descent]]
[[Category:Australian Open (tennis) champions]]
[[Category:Czech male tennis players]]
[[Category:Czechoslovak defectors]]
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[[Category:Czechoslovak male tennis players]]
[[Category:French Open champions]]
[[Category:French Open junior champions]]
[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's singles]]
[[Category:Hopman Cup competitors]]
[[Category:International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Greenwich, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Tennis players from Ostrava]]
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[[Category:US Open (tennis) champions]]
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[[Category:Tennis coaches from Florida]]
[[Category:Andy Murray]]
[[Category:People from Goshen, Connecticut]]
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[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in boys' singles]]
[[Category:People from Vero Beach, Florida]]
[[Category:ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players]]
[[Category:ITF World Champions]]
[[Category:Recipients of Medal of Merit (Czech Republic)]]
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