Marat Safin

About Marat Safin

Marat Mikhailovich Safin (Tatar Cyrillic: Марат Мөбин улы Сафин, Latin: Marat Möbin ulı Safin; Russian: Мара́т Миха́йлович (Муби́нович) Са́фин /mɑ.ˈrɑt.ˈsɑ.fɪn/; b. January 27, 1980) is a Russian former World No. 1 tennis player. He is of Tatar ethnicity. He speaks Russian, English and Spanish.

Safin began his professional career in 1997 and held the No. 1 world ranking for 9 weeks in November and December of 2000. He achieved his first Grand Slam title at the 2000 U.S. Open after defeating Pete Sampras, and later won the 2005 Australian Open defeating Lleyton Hewitt. Safin also helped lead Russia to Davis Cup victories in 2002 and 2006.

Safin was born in Moscow, USSR (now Russia), to an ethnic Tatar, Muslim family and is a non-practising Muslim. His parents were former tennis players and coaches. His younger sister is a professional tennis player Dinara Safina. Safin's father managed the local Spartak Tennis Club where Safin trained in his youth alongside several tennis players, including Anna Kournikova, Elena Dementieva, and Anastasia Myskina.