As the US Open draws to a dramatic close, none of top ranked WTA men’s players will play the finals. This strange turn has disappointed many fans, but the US Open has a long history of dark horses and upsets. For example, when 6th seed Marat Safin defeated Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open, taking the championship over the greats of the time: Sampras, Agassi, Norman.
In addition to this US Open title, Safin won the 2005 Australian Open, and reached the #1 ATP ranking in 2000. Let’s take a look back at the Russian player’s life and career, before, during, and after tennis.
Marat Safin at #1 at the turn of the Millennium
Safin’s professional career began in 1997. He took no time rising in the rankings, even defeating #1 ranked Andre Agassi and the French Open defending champion Gustavo Kuerten just one year after his professional debut.
In 2000, Safin finally reached the #1 ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) ranking. At 20, this made him the third-youngest (and the tallest, at 6’4″) player to reach the spot. The same year, he won his first Grand Slam: the US Open. Though he did not win another Grand Slam title for five years, he did reach the finals of the Australian Open in 2002 and 2004. The next year, he won the title.
Though now retired, Safin’s time in the professional circuit saw him facing all the recent greats. During his career, he defeated Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and even Novak Djokovic, who had just begun his career at the age of 17.
In addition, Safin helped Russia secure their first Davis Cup win in 2002.
A family of tennis pros
Safin was born in Moscow to Tatar parents. He gained an international education early on, speaking Russian, Tatar, English, and Spanish. Safin learned to play tennis from his father, who ran the Spartak Tennis Club. This same club also trained other tennis greats like Anna Kournikova and Elena Dementieva.
As a teenager, Safin moved to Spain. There, he had better access to even more rigorous training, preparing him for his professional debut a couple of years later. Spain kept a place in his heart, and he still travels regularly to visit the country.
Another member of the Safin family also made her name in the pro tennis scene: Marat’s sister, Dinara. Together, Dinara and Marat became the first brother-sister pair to both reach the #1 ATP ranking. Marat earned the title in 2000, and his younger sister Dinara in 2009. She also clinched the Silver Medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Marat Safin retires from tennis
Commonly, when tennis pros retire, they turn to coaching. Not so for Safin. “I don‘t want any tennis commitments,” he explains. “I love to play here and there sometimes, just to stay in the shape, but no official positions for me.”
Instead, Safin entered a career in politics. After his retirement in 2009, he earned a law degree, and spent a number of years in the Russian Parliament. But this didn’t stick.
“I am taking a long break,” he said after resigning his position. “This was too much for me. Because of political issues I didn’t have time for anything. I love meeting friends, going out, travel, play for fun, and relax. Just enjoy life. It was impossible…so I left politics, I gave up all sporting positions and roles, and finally I want to enjoy life.”
Balancing a number of projects and business endeavors to pay the bills, Safin traveled extensively up until the Spring, when the coronavirus pandemic limited his movements. Though he has recently opened up more to the public, he spent the first portion of his career avoiding interviews and cameras, earning a very private reputation.
Despite his reticence, Safin did appear to accept one major post-career honor: induction into the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
“It’s a huge surprise to be here,” he said at the event. “To see the importance of the moment and being the first Russian to be inducted is an honour for me. It’s impossible to describe. To be part of this history is the top thing that can happen to a player after their career.”
Not enough tennis? Catch the semi-finals and finals of the US Open today.
