Wallace played 16 seasons in the NBA after Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards) drafted him. Rafael Nadal had a tough time during the very beginning of 2018, he had just recovered from a hip injury and didnt perform as well as expected. His friend Malik introduced him to the Quran and the Prophet. 1 tennis player from Russia. 61 at the time of his retirement in 2009. Michael Chang. His 11th French Open win was the turning point for him as he was playing on a surface that he could call home. For example, he is a world record holder for the fastest ODI century in 37deliveries. Yet another French national football team representative. With 39 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals, Serena Williams is clearly amongst the greatest female tennis players in the history. A baseline player and hardcourt specialist, Aravane first saw international success by winning gold medals while representing Iran in the Womens Islamic Games in 2001 and 2005. Serena Williamss career prize money totals $88,233,301. An estimated 1.61 billion people on Earth are Muslim, so strictly off of numbers alone we're bound to have a bunch of great athletes who are followers of Islam. From July onwards, he performed well enough to regain his number one ranking. He was born Marat Mubinovich Safin on January 27, 1980, and was a former politician. During his time, 14 Grand Slam Titles and world number one for 6 consecutive years was a record. Read Australian player profiles, check the latest rankings and view the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame . Simone Manuel became the first . Captain Karim, what do you think about this, about that, does player X have the Y to beat player Z considering that T in enough time to do V? And then Captain Karim would answer like it was a perfectly reasonable question. And, a tennis star was born. And, a tennis star was born. He also helped his team win the prestigious Davis Cup in 2016. His conversion to Islam defined his career and legacy in many ways. 9. Emmanuel Adebayor, Togo. Franck Ribery Champions League Final 2012 (Source: Wikimedia.org). A former world No. 50 year-old Zinedine Zidane is a former French professional football player. A 3-time Davis Cup finalist, he won major titles such as the French Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1994 and also received . t fifth set in Grand Slam history). Mohamed Elneny, Egypt. 2 Novak Djokovic Winning her first Grand Slam at 28, Angelique Kerber is an example of a talented later bloomer in tennis. Tennis is a fast evolving game with newer talent competing closely with the top seeds at various events. Like El Aynaoui, he was a formidable Davis Cup player (the tournament where nations play one another), and once beat both Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski in the same playoff, that victory over the UK lifting Morocco into the World Group competition. He was an inspiration for many young players of that time. And she remains down to earth enough to enjoy a good kebab. He is 70 year-old Imran Khan. Some of his career highlight wins of Wallace include NBA champion, four times NBA All-Star, and NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He is currently the captain of Galle Gladiators in the Lanka Premier League. Mike Tyson converted to Islam in the early 1990s while he was in prison for a rape conviction. In the summer of 1968, Alcindor converted to Islam while at UCLA. Tatiana Golovin is a Russian-born French professional tennis player. Apart from winning an Olympic gold medal, she also won Belgium its first Fed Cup title and won 7 Grand Slam titles. Similarly, his awards also include twelve times NBA All-Star, six times All-NBA First Team, three times All-NBA Third Team, etc. After transitioning to a coaching career, Wallace worked as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons and as a head coach for Jordan High School. Before being drafted to the Pakistan senior national team in 1994-95, he played for the under-19 championship circuit. The greatest players leave giant footprints in the tennis world that the emerging players aspire to one day fill. Likewise, he was also NBA All-Star, eight times All-NBA First Team, three times NBA All-Star Game MVP, etc. The athlete made his amateur boxing debut in 1954 and 1960. Ons Jabeur of Tunisia bears down at the 2015 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Simona Halep is a Romanian tennis player. She has 167 career titles to her credit including 18 Grand Slam titles: 9 Wimbledon, 4 US Open, 3 Australian and 2 French Open titles. Billie Jean Kings career prize money is $1,966,487. Hamed would make his entrance on sometimes a flying carpet, a lift, or a palanquin. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Wawrinka won the gold medal for Switzerland in the doubles event along with teammate Roger Federer. 3 player in the world is Spain's only representation on espnW's list of the 25 most famous women athletes. Barring injury, Federer has all the potential to reach more milestones. Men's Tennis Players by ATP in 2022. She has time and again played aggressively to win all her games until she was challenged and confronted by Chris Evert. Djibril Sidibe of France - Def. Frank Mir has had a total of 19 wins as a mixed martial artist. The search for the top Muslima in the tennis world takes us to two countries: Iran and France. Her career highlights are commendable with 45 career titles including 5 Grand Slam Titles (1 US Open, 1 Wimbledon and 3 Australian Open), 13 Grand Slam Doubles titles, 7 Mixed Doubles titles, and 2 Tour Final Titles. Ilkay Gundogan 7. As of 2023, Novak Djokovic's net worth is $220 million which made him one of the richest tennis players on the planet. Similarly, he also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. Federers career prize money totals $116,974,122 with which he has opened numerous schools for children back in his hometown and other cities. He is one of the eight players who have won the World Cup, the Champions League, and the Ballon dr. At 32, he already has 17 Grand Slam Titles to his credit. The most successful player in Bulgarian tennis history, he has also been in the news for his relationship with Maria Sharapova. Even if it meant losing matches for taking such huge risks. 19. He quickly proved himself to be one of the best centers in the league. However, he is still active in other formats of the game. In 1996, Olajuwon became a member of the United States team that won the Olympic gold medal. Some might dispute this statement because he mastered some surfaces and clearly struggled on the others. Zidane is a Muslim of Algerian Kabyle descent. This girl is only 55 but has a stocky build and is totally fearless on the court, not to be dominated by more seasoned players a half-foot taller. He represented Germany in Men's International Football at the age of 20. He plays for France international team as a midfielder and for German football club Bayern Munich. Ana Schweinsteiger, professionally known by her birth name Ana Ivanovic, is a Serbian former world No. And to think, she started out in the game as her older brothers ball girl. Known for his topspin groundstrokes, he later turned coach and was responsible forthree Grand Slams of Andy Murray. Of course, one must take this information with a grain of salt, as any Muslim man who makes decisions for a Muslim woman (be they professional or otherwise) will come in for great criticism. As of 2021, Rasheed has signed to become an assistant coach at Memphis, led by head coach Peny Hardaway. Despite enduring several injuries, Federer continues to dominate the tennis court. As we mark the start of the Islamic Ramadan month, we're taking time out to give a salute to some of those incredible athletes as they start up their holiday. In 2002, when he won titles in Doha and Casablanca, he caused spontaneous celebrations in the streets and reinvigorated Arab pride in tennis. Becker, who had a successful start to his career, struggled to cope with his early fame and success; he retired at the age of 31. What makes Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record even more impressive today is the way in which he amassed all of those buckets. She was one of those rare female players who used a single-handed backhand. He also won an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles in 1992. We hope to see many more such players leaving a deep impression in the Tennis world. A real giant for an Arab at 64, he was somewhat of a late bloomer and won most of his titles in the twilight of his career. In 2006, she won the newcomer of the year award, the first Indian or Muslim woman to reach the worlds top 40. Zverev won the gold medal in the singles event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Bayern signed Ribry for the then club-record fee of 25 million in 2007. Though she retired in 1994, she will be remembered as one of the best players who were fierce on the court. Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali, and Kristi Castlin made history for taking over the entire podium for the women's 100-meter hurdle. The Laver Cup Tournament is named after him. It is also an Olympic sport and also a part of the Summer Paralympic programme. After starting his NBA career with Orlando, Shaq played for other NBA teams like Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and Phoenix Suns. Ana's current worth is $16 million. 1. He was born and raised in Las Vegas but his dad was Cuban-born, and also a wrestler. Being a professional tennis player is physically as well as mentally demanding. Be the first one to comment on this story. While Aravane has gone on to record victories over such tennis stars as Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, and Venus Williams. Anna Kournikova was once world no. Let us take a quick look at the table below before diving into the intricate details of the list. There are several records Afridi has made in his career. Discover short videos related to muslim tennis players on TikTok. In 2008, he was made an inductedintothe International Tennis Hall of Fame. Papis Demba Cisse, Senegal. She gained the top ranking in 2008 after winning the 2008 French Open and held it for 12 weeks. Novak Djokovic. The guys at Al Jazeera headquarters kept referring to him as Captain Karim. After retiring from the cricket world, Khan then entered the political platform. He also could catch up with Roger Federer. In 2016 when he won the French Open, he became the eighth man to do so. Many may not know, but one of the greatest basketball players, Shaquille ONeal, is also of Islam faith. Franck Ribery is another famous muslim football player. Retired Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanovi is a former world number 1 in singles. Sadio Mane 6. Similarly, he also holds the record for having the most sixes in the history of ODI cricket. Hence, in this article, we take you through a list of the top 10 soccer players who are Muslims. In 1988, Hopkins was released from prison after serving almost five years. Dan Rafael of ESPN once even wrote him to be one of the biggest stars in the sport who would sell out arenas before his opponent was even named. He was clearly comfortable on grass and hard courts. . Juan Martn del Potro is an Argentine tennis player best known for winning the 2009 US Open after defeating Roger Federer in the final. Mesut Ozil 10. Former professional tennis player, Pete Sampras, became the winner of 14 Grand Slam singles titles during his career. Federer is the player that has the most Grand Slam titles in the world (20) and is second behind Djokovic in most weeks spent at the world No.1 spot. Australian former tennis player Rod Laver is widely regarded to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Despite this fact, even many fans are unknown of the religion they practice. In a 2008 interview with USA Today, Safin identified himself as a Muslim. It is never easy to compare players from different eras. Fred Perry was a British tennis player. (One of the Best Austrian Tennis Players in History), Former world number 1 tennis player Andy Roddick is best known for his, (The Only Black Man to Win the Singles Title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open), Tennis player Arthur Ashe is best remembered for his three, Former number 1 tennis player Chris Evert secured 18, Former world number 1 tennis player Monica Seles has nine, (Australian Former World No. By 20, she had already won the French Open. Safin was ranked the world No. A number of famous faces have used their voices to challenge stereotypes surrounding Islam Ramy Youssef, Bella Hadid and Muhammad Ali have all spoken about their Muslim faith. She is also widely considered one of the WTA Tour's best returners of the current generation. We have the best tennis gear reviews, tips, and guides for all-level from beginners to advanced players. Although his public image has been marred with controversies, he has been regarded as the most ferocious fighter to step into a professional ring by Sky Sports. His mother reached No 2 in the country's ranking. The Spanish national has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles and holds the record of winning 13 French Open Championships. A Wiradjuri Aborigine, she is now part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and also became the Australian of the Year in 1971. 1 for more than 200 weeks in both singles and doubles. Since 2014, Chang has been coaching Japanese player Kei Nishikori. Our number 3 of the famous Muslim athletes is the former professional basketball player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 1 in 1993 and held the record for 286 weeks. Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov had had a career-high ranking of number 3 in singles. A former world No. Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Hamed started boxing professionally at flyweight in 1992. Lendl comes from a tennis family. She is still in great form and we hope to see her return to the court, stronger than ever and win more titles. 1 Tennis Player), (Czech-American Former World No.1 Tennis player), (One of the Greatest Tennis Players of All-Time), (Former Croatian Tennis Player, Coach and Only Player to Have Won a Wimbledon Singles Title as a Wildcard), (German Tennis Player Who Won the Men's Singles Title at Wimbledon at the Age of 17), (Romanian Professional and Former World No.1 Tennis Player ), (American Former Tennis Player and the Youngest Ever Male Player to Win a Grand Slam), (One of the Best Tennis Players in the World), (Retired Belgian Tennis Legend Who Was a World Number 1 in Singles), (British Tennis & Table Tennis Professional Who has Won Eight Grand Slam Tournaments & Two Pro Slam Singles Titles), Stefanos Tsitsipas became the first Greek to win any, (German Professional Tennis Player and Olympic Silver Medalist), (Bulgarian Former World Number 3 Tennis Player), (Russian Former Tennis Player and One of the Best-Known Tennis Stars Worldwide). The ATP on Wednesday fined Britain's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) 820,000 ($1 million) for banning male players from Russia and Belarus from this year's summer grasscourt events ahead of the . Tennis is a very popular game and is played by millions of people of all age groups all over the world. After winning his last Grand Slam Title, the US Open in 2002, he retired. Californian Venus Williams entered the tennis scene in the year 1994. 1 in doubles, teaming up with Martina Hingis. These athletes have made their name in the history of their respective sports. In 2001, she graduated from the university. A relatively new entrant into this big boys' league of legends, Serbia's Novak Djokovic has carved a place for himself among the best tennis players in the world. Wahbi Khazri, Tunisia . Widely regarded as one of the greatest American tennis players of all time, John McEnroe helped the US team win five Davis Cup titles. They have been competitive athletes and are indeed great champions. World's top tennis players v China's . The 2017 film Borg vs McEnroe was inspired by his rivalry against John McEnroe. In 2015, Hamed became the International Boxing Hall of Famer. The second-highest ranked Austrian tennis player of all time, Dominic Thiem became the first Austrian to win thesingles title at a US Open when he came back from two sets down to beat Alexander Zverev in the 2020 US Open final. Tennis players are the sports persons who play tennis professionally and participate in regional, national and international tournaments. If you remember the legendary and colorful tennis commentator Bud Collins (who used to moderate Breakfast at Wimbledon), Arazi was always one of his favourite players. Comparison Data World 534 subscribers Subscribe 0. Muhammad Ali 1966 (Source: Wikimedia.org). Sadly, this legendary and iconic figure of the 20th century died at the age of 74 on June 3, 2016. Nicknamed the dream, 59 year-old Olajuwon is widely considered to be one of the greatest centers and greatest basketball players of all time. The list has been prepared with the help of trusted sources around the internet like SportsBrowser, Sportzbusiness, etc. Pete Sampras was inducted into the prestigious Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007. Safin was the first Russian male tennis player to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in 2008. He also received death threats before the match against Algeria in 2004. He was born on 4 November 1998. Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. Mats Wilander is a former tennis player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles from 1982 to 1988. Zidane was named one of the greatest living players by the FIFA 100 in 2004. We will start our best Muslim athletes list with a former professional NBA player, Rasheed Abdul Wallace. Bolingbrook Man Arrested at OHare; Wanted to Join Islamic State, Feds Say, President-elect Donald Trump: Acceptance and Mobilization, By Sumayyah Meehan, MMNS Middle East Correspondent Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still., Immense challenges face Muslim Nigerian president, Egyptian Ruler General Sisi Warns Nation of Inflation Crisis, 2020 MuslimObserver.com, All Rights Reserved, The Top Female Muslim Tennis Player in the World, Obamas Indian Diplomacy With A Religious Touch, Al-Farouq Aminu Starts His First Pro Season. While she still intends to pursue the field of physics after she is done with tennis, her immediate goal remains to emulate her favorite players, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, by achieving the number one ranking in the world. He is the only person to be honored with the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award on four occasions. 8. A well loved spectator sport, several tennis tournaments are held worldwide. The youngest world number 1, too, she was named after Martina Navratilova and was the daughter of a Czech tennis player and a tennis coach. She has been awarded Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, and much more for making India proud. Her father Arsalan, a former auto mechanic, is reported to be a very hot-tempered coach and was once fined by the French tennis federation for verbal abuse of another player. Arsalan and Nouchine Rezai emigrated from Iran to France. Some of the notable career highlights ONeals include four-time NBA champion, three-time NBA finals MVP, and NBA Most Valuable Player. Click here to read about the 13 Famous Indian Athletes. Along with having a charity foundation under his name, Afridi also teamed up with UNICEF to promote an anti-polio campaign in his country. The next athlete on our list is a professional football player from France, Franck Ribry. However, he is generally described as a nationalist and a populist. Jabbarwon the NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1970. Click here to read about Juliana Limas Bio: All About the MMA Artist! So far, the sisters have locked horns in court for a total of 9 times out of which Serena Williams 7 matches. Her cultural interests range from Bollywood films to Persian poetry and Persian music. The young and brash Andre Agassi from Nevada first took everyone by surprise as he entered the Tennis scene in 1986 with his fleeting rock star attitude and looks. Almost every player on this list openly practices their religion. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his career, a record that is being chased down by current Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. He has also penned 2 French novels and a memoir. For many years, it was simple to crown Roger Federer as the greatest tennis player of all time. She will be in action this week in Bali, as the number two seed in the $600,000 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. Like fellow Muslim sports stars Mo Farah, Moeen Ali and Amir Khan, the Great Britain rower observes Ramadan each year. She has 49 career titles to her credit, including 7 Grand Slam Titles: 5 Wimbledon and 2 US. In addition, he is ranked as the 19th greatest European pound-for-pound boxer of all time by BoxRec as of 2020. He is libertarian and, of course, an atheist. Mohamed Salah 2. He's also won an Olympic gold medal in singles and doubles for Spain. Paul Pogba Juventus player Paul Pogba press conference at Allianz Stadium on July 12, 2022, in Turin, Italy. A. Wallis Myers) before 1973 Reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament Reached the finals of year-end championships Won a medal at the Olympic Games Still, Roger Federer is not just a player, but a force to recon with, even long after he retires from tennis. Khan founded a political party in 1996 and then ran for the seat of National Assembly Pakistan in the 1997 Pakistani general election. NBA super star Dennis Schorder is a very famous figure in the US. It was at the same time, Hopkins converted to Islam. However, he does not speak his native tongue, Tatar. He became the first African-American to win a Grand Slam title on the men's side, and his activism off of the court makes him a legend. In addition, he became the Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer in 2008. Rafael Nadal. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He is also a captain for Serie A club Salernitana. In 1961, Clay converted his religion to Islam. During his time, Wallace was one of the few Muslim players in the NBA. This influential public figure retired from international cricket after the 1987 Cricket World Cup. Ahead of Sunday's final of the men's eight at the World . If that isnt enough praise, she also holds the record for the most number of Wimbledon Championships won: 9. 1 Tennis Player). Many famous boxers, NBA players, and soccer players are Muslim. Tennis has its origins in 12th century France when people played by striking a ball with the palm of their hands. Roger Federer. Ribry has represented Frances national football team 81 times on international platforms. She is also credited with changing the long-standing practice of paying male tennis players more than their female counterparts as she won the fight for equal prize money. Next, we have the Prime minister and former cricket player of Pakistan on our list. Im very proud of being French, but also very proud of having these roots and this diversity.. And if she hadnt become a professional tennis player she had designs on becoming a physicist. Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The 25-year-old Tunisian made. Quentin Grimes Bio: Facts, Early Life & Education, Ellen Rucker Bio: Twins, Career, Business, Marriage & Daughters, Kirk Herbstreits Wife: All About Alison Butler. Martina Navratilova is also the open record holder of 167 career titles! After retiring from his playing career, Kareem transitioned to a coaching career. Learn how your comment data is processed. She just got to the semifinals of a tournament in New Zealand, where she gave Lindsay Davenport a tough contest. 1. Jabeur was the runner-up at both Wimbledon and US Open in 2022, becoming the first Muslim and Arab player (male or female) to reach a Grand Slam final. Sharapova is the most famous female tennis player of all time, especially among men. After making a debut for the Bullets, he played for teams like Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons. Last season along with their neighbours Liverpool had a high number of Muslim football players with 5 first team players, Idrissa Gueye has been sold to PSG for 28 Million. Trivia. He even re-enacted the video of Michael Jacksons thriller and wore a Halloween mask. Aravane maintains close relations with her family. It gives me special pride as a half-Austrian to present 16 year-old Tamira Paszek. Nadal took over the tennis scene in 2001. He is the only person to be honored with the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award on four occasions. List of the Best Muslim Football Players in The World Mesut Ozil The midfield player is a well-known German footballer. in Louisville, Kentucky. He was an undisciplined player who got into minor fights during his initial years. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka made history by being the first player of Asian origin to hold the world number one rank in singles. In 1987, Nouchine, a physical therapist, gave birth to daughter Aravane. She has managed to stay in the top ten since. Her career prize money amounts to $24,749,074. AFP Saeed Saeed Apr 19, 2021 Listen In English Listen in Arabic Beta V.1.0 - Powered by automated translation Please type in your email address below.If you do not receive our email in the next couple of minutes,please check your spam folder. She plans to become an astrophysicist when her tennis career comes to an end. 1 tennis player. Shaquille ONeal preparing for free throw (Source: Wikimedia.org). 1: Nick Kyrgios: 2: Alex de Minaur: 3: Christopher O'Connell: 4: Jason Kubler: 5: . He has been working in the top field of management. It has been reported that his Muslim name is Malik Abdul Aziz though some reports suggest a different name, Malik Shabazz. Originally from Turkey, he was criticized by German fans for calling President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoan as 'My President'. And, a tennis star was born. famous muslim tennis players. Muslim sports persons in other sports: Outside of Soccer, there are some other games which does involve so many famous Muslim sports persons. With an HPI of . He was converted to Islam several years ago. 1. His professional career span started in 1988 and ended in 2016. Karim Benzema, Mohammed Salah and Zinedine Zidane (left to right). Rezai was among the top 15 best tennis players in 2010. (Former World Number One Romanian Tennis Legend), (Retired Serbian Tennis Player Who Was Once World Number One in Singles), (American Tennis Player Who Rose to Fame After Her Win Against Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019), (One of the Best Croatian Tennis Players of All Time).
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