Some of these World No. 1 players were to the manor born, so to speak, with longtime sporting families conditioning them for sport and athleticism. Here’s a look at 5 prominent tennis players who have a strong sporting background:
Caroline Wozniacki
Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is one of the few tennis players to have reached that milestone without ever winning a Grand Slam. The Danish ace has been noticed for her talent for many years, and recently staged a mammoth comeback after a few years’ lull on the WTA circuit.
Currently ranked 16th on the WTA singles, Wozniacki has had significant success on the Asian leg of the WTA Tour, winning singles titles in Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Wozniacki’s sporting instincts are strong for a reason – both her parents have represented Denmark internationally, albeit in different sports.
Although the player herself is Danish by birth she is the daughter of Polish immigrants. Mother Anna Wozniacka was on the Polish national women’s volleyball team, representing the country at a number of tournaments.
She also plays tennis, which she learned from Piotr during the early days of the pair’s marriage.
It doesn’t end there – Wozniacki’s older brother Patrick also plays association football – for Danish club FC Skojld Birkerod.
Kim Clijsters
Former World No. 1 Kim Clijsters has long been a fan favourite on the WTA Tour. The four-time Grand Slam winner, who has won three World Tour Finals, took her first retirement in 2007, following which she returned to win two more Grand Slams in addition to a number of titles on the WTA circuit.
Clijsters is the daughter of the late former footballer Lei Clijsters, who was a prominent fixture on the Belgian national football team. The senior Clijsters was part of Belgian club KV Mechelen, and with them won both the UEFA Super Cup and the UEFA Winners’ Cup.
Clijsters’ mother Els Vandecaetsbeek is a former national gymnastics champion from Belgium, who later went on to coach young players in the sport. Clijsters’ parents separated a decade ago, with her mother marrying professional golfer Jan Goosens.
Kim’s younger sister Elke was also a professional tennis player, winning the girls’ doubles at Wimbledon in 2002 with Barbora Strycova and the US Open girls’ doubles that same year with compatriot Kirsten Flipkens.
Formerly engaged to fellow World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt – a relationship that earned her the nickname ‘Aussie Kim’, Clijsters went on to marry basketball player Brian Lynch.
Lei Clijsters passed away in 2009, succumbing to a long bout with lung cancer.
Lleyton Hewitt
Former top-ranked player Lleyton Hewitt remains the youngest ever player to have won an ATP World Tour title, a title en route to which he defeated the legendary Andre Agassi, by then already a top-ranked player, in 1998.
Hewitt’s parents long espoused physical fitness, and his father Glynn is a former Aussie Rules football player. Widely decorated, Glynn was regarded during his professional career as one of the best goalscorers in the sport during his stint – netting 529 goals in 285 games.
Lleyton’s mother, Cherilyn, is a former PE teacher – and the sporting connection does not end there. Younger sister Jaslyn is a former bodybuilder who made her living as a tennis coach – and Jasmine herself is married to bodybuilder Rob Shehadie.
Alexander Zverev
Andy Murray
Andy Murray is well in line to become the next World No. 1, and is now within a semi-final finish at the Paris Masters to actually taking that title from reigning top-ranked player Novak Djokovic.
The ace has been playing the sport since he was a toddler – but he comes from strong sporting stock – as far as three generations before. That Murray’s mother, Judy, is a former sportswoman, is well-known, but Judy plays a gamut of sports – tennis among them. She, like her son, grew up in Scotland, where, in her time, there were no indoor tennis courts for her to play on.
As a result, Judy Murray (nee Erskine) chose to play tennis in the summer and badminton in the winter. Even a presence on the WTA Tour at one point, Judy Erskine won as many as 64 titles – but gave up her professional tennis career after being robbed in Barcelona.
Incidentally, her son, at 15-years-old, would be sent to the same city to properly train in tennis.
But the Murrays’ sporting roots go even further back – Judy’s father, Roy Erskine, was a professional footballer himself, albeit one who was also a very keen tennis player. Erskine had intended to be a professional in both sports, but was prohibited from pursuing tennis after becoming a professional footballer.
Erskine was a constant presence in the Scottish Football League.
Through his maternal side, Andy Murray has very strong sporting roots – and these also reflect in older brother Jamie, who is a former World No. 1 in the doubles.
