Yannick Noah

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Yannick Noah (Script error: No such module "IPA".; born 18 May 1960) is a French former professional tennis player and singer, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. Noah won the French Open in 1983, and is a former captain of both France's Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams. During his nearly two-decade career, Noah captured 23 singles titles and 16 doubles titles, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 3 in July 1986 and attaining the world No. 1 doubles ranking the following month. 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. Noah is also the father of former NBA player Joakim Noah.

Early life

Template:BLP unsourced section Born in Sedan, in the north of France in 1960, Yannick Noah is biracial. His late father was Cameroonian footballer, Zacharie Noah, and his mother, Marie-Claire, was French. After a sports injury in 1963, Noah's father returned to Africa with his family. Yannick was living in Cameroon when he made his debut in tennis and was discovered at age 11 by Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell. He soon showed an amazing talent that eventually brought him to the French Tennis Federation's training center in Nice in 1971.

Tennis career

Template:BLP sources section Noah turned professional in 1977 and won his first pro title on the Italian Spring Satellite in 1977[1] and his first top-level singles title in 1978 in Manila. He became France's most prominent tennis hero in 1983, becoming the first Frenchman in 37 years to win the French Open, one of the four Grand Slam singles events. He dropped only one set during the two-week-long tournament, and defeated the defending champion, Sweden's Mats Wilander, in straight sets in the final, 6–2, 7–5, 7–6. He remains the last and most recent Frenchman to have won the French Open men's singles title.

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. At the end of 1986, Noah received the ATP Sportsmanship Award, as voted for by other ATP players. He reached the quarter-final stage or better on 10 occasions at Grand Slam level. He notably admitted using marijuana prior to matches in 1981,[2] saying that amphetamines were the real problem in tennis as they were performance-enhancing drugs.

In 1992, Noah received the Legion of Honour medal. Noah was awarded the Philippe Chatrier Award (the ITF's highest accolade) in 2005 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame that same year. He remains France's highest male ranked player since the introduction of rankings in 1973. 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.

Davis Cup/Fed Cup captain success

Template:BLP unreferenced section In 1991, Noah captained the French team to its first Davis Cup victory in 59 years, defeating a heavily favoured US team 3–1 in the final. This feat was repeated in 1996, when Noah coached the French team to defeat Sweden 3–2 in the final held in Malmö. In 2017, Noah added a third Davis Cup win for France under his guidance as captain, defeating Belgium in the final in Lille. In 1997, he also captained France's Fed Cup team to its first ever win of that competition when they defeated the Dutch in the final.

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Template:Performance key

Tournament 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 SR W–L Win %
Australian Open A/A 1R A 1R A A A A A NH QF 4R 1R SF 0 / 6 11–6 64.71
French Open 1R 3R 2R 4R QF QF W QF 4R 4R QF 4R 1R 3R 1 / 14 40–13 75.47
Wimbledon A 2R 3R A 1R A A A 3R A 2R A A 1R 0 / 6 6–6 50.00
US Open A 1R 4R 4R 4R 4R QF A QF 3R A 2R QF 2R 0 / 11 28–11 71.79
Win–loss 0–1 3–4 6–3 6–3 7–3 7–2 11–1 4–1 9–3 5–2 8–3 7–3 4–3 8–4 1 / 37 85–36 70.25
Year-end ranking 305 49 26 18 13 10 5 9 7 4 8 12 16 40

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1 (1–0)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win 1983 French Open Clay Template:Flagicon Mats Wilander 6–2, 7–5, 7–6(7–3)

Doubles: 3 (1–2)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1984 French Open Clay Template:Flagicon Henri Leconte Template:Flagicon Pavel Složil
Template:Flagicon Tomáš Šmíd		 6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Loss 1985 US Open Hard Template:Flagicon Henri Leconte Template:Flagicon Ken Flach
Template:Flagicon Robert Seguso		 7–6(7–5), 6–7(1–7), 6–7(6–8), 0–6
Loss 1987 French Open Clay Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Anders Järryd
Template:Flagicon Robert Seguso		 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–2), 3–6, 4–6, 2–6

Career finals

Singles (23 titles, 13 runners-up)

Result No. Year Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1. 1978 Nice, France Clay Template:Flagicon José Higueras 3–6, 4–6, 4–6
Win 1. 1978 Manila, Philippines Clay Template:Flagicon Peter Feigl 7–6, 6–0
Win 2. 1978 Calcutta, India Clay Template:Flagicon Pascal Portes 6–3, 6–2
Win 3. 1979 Nancy, France Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Jean-Louis Haillet 6–2, 5–7, 6–1, 7–5
Win 4. 1979 Madrid, Spain Clay Template:Flagicon Manuel Orantes 6–3, 6–7, 6–3, 6–2
Win 5. 1979 Bordeaux, France Clay Template:Flagicon Harold Solomon 6–0, 6–7, 6–1, 1–6, 6–4
Loss 2. 1980 Rome, Italy Clay Template:Flagicon Guillermo Vilas 0–6, 4–6, 4–6
Win 6. 1981 Richmond WCT, U.S. Carpet Template:Flagicon Ivan Lendl 6–1, 3–1 ret.
Win 7. 1981 Nice, France Clay Template:Flagicon Mario Martinez 6–4, 6–2
Loss 3. 1981 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Template:Flagicon Wojciech Fibak 1–6, 6–7
Win 8. 1982 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Template:Flagicon Ivan Lendl 6–3, 2–6, 7–5
Loss 4. 1982 Nice, France Clay Template:Flagicon Balázs Taróczy 2–6, 6–3, 11–13
Win 9. 1982 South Orange, U.S. Clay Template:Flagicon Raúl Ramírez 6–3, 7–6(7–2)
Win 10. 1982 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Mats Wilander 6–4, 6–2, 6–3
Win 11. 1982 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Tomáš Šmíd 6–3, 6–2
Loss 5. 1983 Lisbon, Portugal Clay Template:Flagicon Mats Wilander 6–2, 6–7(2–7), 4–6
Win 12. 1983 Madrid, Spain Clay Template:Flagicon Henrik Sundström 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–4
Win 13. 1983 Hamburg, West Germany Clay Template:Flagicon José Higueras 3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–0
Win 14. 1983 French Open, Paris Clay Template:Flagicon Mats Wilander 6–2, 7–5, 7–6(7–3)
Loss 6. 1984 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Template:Flagicon Jimmy Connors 2–6, 7–6(9–7), 3–6
Loss 7. 1985 Memphis, U.S. Carpet Template:Flagicon Stefan Edberg 1–6, 0–6
Win 15. 1985 Rome, Italy Clay Template:Flagicon Miloslav Mečíř 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6(7–4)
Win 16. 1985 Washington, D.C., U.S. Clay Template:Flagicon Martín Jaite 6–4, 6–3
Win 17. 1985 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Tomáš Šmíd 6–4, 6–4
Loss 8. 1985 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Stefan Edberg 7–6(9–7), 4–6, 6–7(5–7), 1–6
Loss 9. 1986 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Template:Flagicon Joakim Nyström 1–6, 3–6, 2–6
Loss 10. 1986 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Template:Flagicon Joakim Nyström 3–6, 2–6
Win 18. 1986 Forest Hills, U.S. Clay Template:Flagicon Guillermo Vilas 7–6(7–3), 6–0
Loss 11. 1986 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Stefan Edberg 6–7(5–7), 2–6, 7–6(9–7), 6–7(5–7)
Win 19. 1986 Wembley, England Carpet Template:Flagicon Jonas Svensson 6–2, 6–3, 6–7(12–14), 4–6, 7–5
Win 20. 1987 Lyon, France Carpet Template:Flagicon Joakim Nyström 6–4, 7–5
Loss 12. 1987 Forest Hills, U.S. Clay Template:Flagicon Andrés Gómez 4–6, 6–7(5–7), 6–7(1–7)
Win 21. 1987 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Ronald Agénor 7–6(8–6), 6–4, 6–4
Win 22. 1988 Milan, Italy Carpet Template:Flagicon Jimmy Connors 4–4, ret.
Loss 13. 1989 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard Template:Flagicon Miloslav Mečíř 6–3, 6–2, 1–6, 2–6, 3–6
Win 23. 1990 Sydney Outdoor, Australia Hard Template:Flagicon Carl-Uwe Steeb 5–7, 6–3, 6–4

Doubles (16 titles, 9 runners-up)

Result No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. 1978 Calcutta, India Clay Template:Flagicon Gilles Moretton Template:Flagicon Sashi Menon
Template:Flagicon Sherwood Stewart 		6–7, 4–6
Win 1. 1981 Nice, France Clay Template:Flagicon Pascal Portes Template:Flagicon Chris Lewis
Template:Flagicon Pavel Složil 		4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win 2. 1981 Paris, France Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Ilie Năstase Template:Flagicon Andrew Jarrett
Template:Flagicon Jonathan Smith 		6–4, 6–4
Win 3. 1982 Nice, France Clay Template:Flagicon Henri Leconte Template:Flagicon Paul McNamee
Template:Flagicon Balázs Taróczy 		5–7, 6–4, 6–3
Win 4. 1982 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Henri Leconte Template:Flagicon Fritz Buehning
Template:Flagicon Pavel Složil 		6–2, 6–2
Loss 2. 1982 Toulouse, France Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Jean-Louis Haillet Template:Flagicon Pavel Složil
Template:Flagicon Tomáš Šmíd 		4–6, 4–6
Loss 3. 1983 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Template:Flagicon Henri Leconte Template:Flagicon Heinz Günthardt
Template:Flagicon Balázs Taróczy 		2–6, 4–6
Loss 4. 1984 Philadelphia, U.S. Carpet Template:Flagicon Henri Leconte Template:Flagicon Peter Fleming
Template:Flagicon John McEnroe 		2–6, 3–6
Win 5. 1984 French Open, Paris Clay Template:Flagicon Henri Leconte Template:Flagicon Pavel Složil
Template:Flagicon Tomáš Šmíd 		6–4, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Win 6. 1985 Chicago, U.S. Carpet Template:Flagicon Johan Kriek Template:Flagicon Ken Flach
Template:Flagicon Robert Seguso 		3–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1, 6–4
Loss 5. 1985 U.S. Open, New York Hard Template:Flagicon Henri Leconte Template:Flagicon Ken Flach
Template:Flagicon Robert Seguso 		7–6, 6–7, 6–7, 0–6
Loss 6. 1986 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Template:Flagicon Sherwood Stewart Template:Flagicon Guy Forget
Template:Flagicon Peter Fleming 		4–6, 3–6
Win 7. 1986 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Joakim Nyström
Template:Flagicon Mats Wilander 		6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Win 8. 1986 Rome, Italy Clay Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Mark Edmondson
Template:Flagicon Sherwood Stewart 		7–6, 6–2
Win 9. 1986 Basel, Switzerland Hard (i) Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Jan Gunnarsson
Template:Flagicon Tomáš Šmíd 		7–6, 6–4
Loss 7. 1986 Masters Doubles, London Carpet Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Stefan Edberg
Template:Flagicon Anders Järryd 		3–6, 6–7, 3–6
Win 10. 1987 Lyon, France Carpet Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Kelly Jones
Template:Flagicon David Pate 		4–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win 11. 1987 Indian Wells, U.S. Hard Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Boris Becker
Template:Flagicon Eric Jelen 		6–4, 7–6
Win 12. 1987 Forest Hills, U.S. Clay Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Gary Donnelly
Template:Flagicon Peter Fleming 		4–6, 6–4, 6–1
Win 13. 1987 Rome, Italy Clay Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Miloslav Mečíř
Template:Flagicon Tomáš Šmíd 		6–2, 6–7, 6–3
Loss 8. 1987 French Open, Paris Clay Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Anders Järryd
Template:Flagicon Robert Seguso 		7–6, 7–6, 3–6, 4–6, 2–6
Win 14. 1987 London/Queen's Club, England Grass Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Rick Leach
Template:Flagicon Tim Pawsat 		6–4, 6–4
Win 15. 1988 Orlando, U.S. Hard Template:Flagicon Guy Forget Template:Flagicon Sherwood Stewart
Template:Flagicon Kim Warwick 		6–4, 6–4
Win 16. 1990 Nice, France Clay Template:Flagicon Alberto Mancini Template:Flagicon Marcelo Filippini
Template:Flagicon Horst Skoff 		6–4, 7–6
Loss 9. 1990 Bordeaux, France Clay Template:Flagicon Mansour Bahrami Template:Flagicon Tomás Carbonell
Template:Flagicon Libor Pimek 		3–6, 7–6, 2–6

Music career

Template:BLP unreferenced section Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

After retiring from playing tennis, Noah developed a career as a popular singer, performing throughout Europe. He began his music career in 1991 with the album Black & What, featuring the popular track "Saga Africa", which he made the stadium sing with his players after the famous Davis Cup final win. In 1993, he released the album Urban Tribu with the single "Get on Back", followed by the album Zam Zam in 1998.

With the encouragement of his manager Jean-Pierre Weiller, his musical career got a great boost in 2000 with his self-titled 4th album Yannick Noah, written by Erick Benzi and Robert Goldman. The single "Simon Papa Tara" was written by Robert Goldman. The album also contained songs by Bob Marley and the group Téléphone. In 2005, Noah performed at Bob Geldof's Live 8 concert, a fundraiser aimed at alleviating poverty in Africa. On 21 July 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. In 2010, Yannick made a comeback with the release of Frontières, his eighth album, containing the single "Angela", a tribute to Angela Davis. It also contained a duet with Aṣa in "Hello". On 25 September 2010, he filled the Stade de France for an exceptional concert that was attended by close to 80,000 spectators.

Charity

Noah is active in charity work. He supports Enfants de la Terre, a charity created and run by his mother, Marie-Claire, in 1988. Noah also founded Fête le Mur in 1996, a tennis charity and adaptation for underprivileged children, especially in the poor areas and the banlieues. It is presided by Noah himself. He is also a spokesman for Appel des Enfants pour l'Environnement that was started by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

He took part in singing with Les Enfoirés to help Les Restos du Cœur. He also took part in telethons and sponsored the Téléthon 2005. He also sponsors the Association Terre-des-Hommes in Massongex (Suisse) and donated proceeds of his 2008 concert of Grands Gamins, to Sol En Si, an AIDS charity.

Noah has taken a particular interest in UN-SDG6, supporting the delivery of clean water through What Water ASBL. He has supported the cause on numerous occasions, including hosting an exhibition at his resort Village Noah in Yaoundé, Cameroon[3][4]

Partly because of his involvement in a number of charities, Noah topped the list of the most favourite French personalities according to a joint survey of Ifop and Le Journal du Dimanche in 2007.

Personal life

Template:BLP unsourced section Noah first attended school in Yaounde (Cameroon), where his parents had settled after meeting and marrying in France. He then left Cameroon to attend a sports-and-study program in France under the sponsorship of the French Tennis Federation. He dropped out of the program at age 17 to move to full time tennis schedule.

Noah's father, Zacharie Noah, was a former professional Cameroonian football star who won the French Cup with Sedan in 1961. His mother, Marie-Claire, is a teacher and a former captain of France's basketball team.

Noah has six children, of whom two are from his first marriage in 1984 to Cécilia Rodhe (Miss Sweden 1978 and now a sculptor): Joakim (born in 1985) and Yelena (born in 1986). Joakim had a 13-year career in the NBA and represented France in international competitions. Yelena is a model and jewelry creator. With his second wife in 1995, British model Heather Stewart-Whyte, he has two daughters: Elijah (1996) and Jénayé (1997). After their divorce in 1999, Noah was awarded custody of his daughters from his second marriage by British courts. Then he married French TV producer Isabelle Camus, with whom he has a son named Joalukas (born 2004). He owns a restaurant in Saint Barthélemy in the French West Indies called Do Brazil. He then met Malika, who gave birth to his sixth child, a girl named Keelaani (born October 22, 2024).

On 15 July 1996, the French fiscal authorities demanded payment of 6,807,701 francs in back taxes for 1993–1994. The Paris administrative tribunal court confirmed the decision alleging that Noah kept three non-declared bank accounts in Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States. Noah disputed the court decision as unconstitutional.

Discography

File:Noah 22 janvier.jpg
Yannick Noah, Rennes, 22 January 2011

Albums

Year Album Charts Notes Sales Certifications
FR
[5] 		BEL
(Fl) 		BEL
(Wa)
[6] 		SWI
[7]
1991 Black & What Includes Saga Africa
1993 Urban Tribu
1998 Zaam Zam
2000 Yannick Noah 1 Template:Spaced ndash 2 26
2002 Yannick Noah 16 Template:Spaced ndash 40 82
2003 Pokhara 1 Template:Spaced ndash 2 23
2003 Métisse(s) 2 Template:Spaced ndash 4 28
2006 Charango 1 Template:Spaced ndash 1 7 (including single
Aux arbres citoyens)
2010 Frontières 1 Template:Spaced ndash 1 4
2012 Hommage 1 Template:Spaced ndash 1 19
  • FRA: Platinum[9]
2012 Combats ordinaires 1 162 2 20
  • FRA: Platinum[9]
2019 Bonheur indigo 5
[16] 		Template:Spaced ndash 6 40
2022 La marfée Template:Spaced ndash Template:Spaced ndash 20 69

Re-releases

  • 2004: Yannick Noah / Live (2 CDs – FR #134)
  • 2010: Charango / Pokhara (2 Cds – FR #103)

Singles

Year Single Charts Certification Album
FRA
[5] 		BEL
(Wa)
[17] 		SWI
1991 "Saga Africa (ambiance secousse)" 2 — — Black & What
1991 "Don't Stay (Far Away Baby)" 39 — —
2000 "Simon Papa Tara" 12 32 — Yannick Noah
2001 "La voix des sages (No More Fighting)" 3 16 —
2002 "Les lionnes" 16 — —
2002 "Jamafrica" 52 — —
2003 "Si tu savais" 22 31 77 Pokhara
2004 "Ose" 13 9 41
2004 "Mon Eldorado (du soleil...)" 19 23 59
2005 "Métis(se)"
(with Disiz La Peste) 		11 22 41 Métisse(s)
2006 "Donne-moi une vie" 8 5 46 Charango
2007 "Aux arbres citoyens" 1 2 41
2007 "Destination ailleurs" 8 19 —
2011 "Ça me regarde" 80 34 — Frontières
2012 "Redemption Song" 48 33 — Hommage
2014 "On court" 47 42 — Combats ordinaires
2019 "Viens" — 17 — Bonheur indigo
2022 "La vie c'est maintenant" — 49 — La marfée

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ https://www.tennisarchives.com/edition/?v=32359
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ a b c d e f Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Template:Sister project

Awards and achievements
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/checkTemplate:Succession box/check French Sportsperson of the Year
1983 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/checkTemplate:Succession box/check Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
1986 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by

Template:ATP World No.1 doubles players Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:French Open men's doubles champions Template:International Tennis Hall of Fame members Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Yannick_Noah&oldid=1272145"