Paradorn Srichaphan

Paradorn Srichaphan was the first men's singles player from Asia to be ranked in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings. He reached an impressive career high World No. 9 ranking in his prime. Graduated as a Bachelor of Social Science from Ramkhamhaeng University, Srichaphan played his first junior match in March 1993 at the age of 13 in Thailand. Starting his career as a promising young talent, it did not take him time to showcase his potential. Having won his first junior title in November 1993, the Thai player made his junior Grand Slam debut at the 1994 Wimbledon Championships. However, he lost in the first round to 2nd seed Ben Ellwood. Srichaphan's breakthrough year in his junior career would come in 1996. In addition to winning four titles in a single year, he reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. By the end of the year, he had risen to a career high of No. 10 in the world. 

Srichaphan's junior career, however, came to an end after a first-round loss at the 1997 Wimbledon Championships. In 1998, he began his professional ATP career and he finished as a surprise finalist in the Hopman Cup in 2000. The year 2002 turned out to be a defining moment for him, as he broke into the Top 30 after defeating Andre Agassi at Wimbledon. 

He won his first ATP-level singles title - the Hamlet Cup - in 2003. He advanced to the fourth round of Wimbledon, where he was eventually defeated in four sets by former American tennis star Andy Roddick. Srichaphan, nicknamed "Ball", also advanced to the fourth round of the US Open, where his run was halted by Australian Lleyton Hewitt. He was ranked World No. 11 in the ATP rankings by the end of the year.

Srichaphan, who is very popular in Asia, carried Thailand's flag during the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. However, he was defeated in the first round of singles by Joachim Johansson. His best Olympic performance is a second round finish in Sydney, where he defeated Attila Savolt before losing to third-seed Magnus Norman. 

He famously reached the semifinals of the 2006 Indian Wells Masters tournament before losing to then World No. 1 Roger Federer. Despite failing to reach the final, his memorable run till the semifinals will always stay long in his memory. He had defeated World No. 20 Robby Ginepri in the second round, World No. 16 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain in the third round, World No. 4 David Nalbandian in the fourth round, and World No. 25 Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in the quarterfinals on his way to the last four. The Swiss maestro might have brought an end to his tournament, but his brilliant run in the tournament will always be cherished by his country fans.

Big serves and powerful forehands are his main strengths. He plays with a single-handed backhand and has issues playing on clay courts due to his lack of patience when playing points. On the court, however, he is known for his politeness. During each game, he performs the wai, a traditional Thai greeting in which he clasps his hands together and bows to the four corners of the stadium. The gesture became his trademark, and his success in tennis boosted the game's popularity in Thailand. Srichaphan announced his retirement from the ATP tour in 2010.

Grand Slam singles record:

Australian Open: 4R (2004)

French Open: 3R (2002)

Wimbledon: 4R (2003)

US Open: 4R (2003)