Yesterday, we saw one of the biggest upsets in the 112-year history of the Australian Open as reigning champion Novak Djokovic was stunned in the second round by 117th ranked Uzbekistan player Denis Istomin. The match was a thrilling encounter which lasted for four hours and 48 minutes. Istomin took the first set but Djokovic came back well to take the next two sets.
The Uzbek battled hard to take the fourth set in a tiebreak and made the decisive break in the fifth game of the final set before taking the set 6-4 and handing Djokovic his first second-round defeat at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2008 when Marat Safin beat him in straight sets. It was also the first time since 2007 that Djokovic could not reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.Istomin’s victory made him a sensation on social media and he will be expected to create a few more upsets. Istomin has been active on the international circuit since 2008 and attained a career-high ranking of 33 in 2012. However, one of the lesser known facts about the Uzbek player is that he is coached by his mother who introduced him to the sport at a very tender age.A number of tennis players have been coached by their mothers and many of them have gone on to make a good name in world tennis. Here is a list of players who have been coached by their mothers.
#5 Denis Istomin
Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin made headlines yesterday by stunning reigning champion Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Australian Open, which eluded the Serb from a record-breaking seventh Australian Open title. Born in 1986, Istomin was introduced to tennis at a very young age by his mother Klaudiya Istomina who still coaches him.
Istomin turned professional in 2008 and reached a career-high ranking of World No.33 in 2012, a few months after reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon 2012. Besides Wimbledon, Istomin has also reached the fourth round of the US Open, in 2013. His win over Djokovic was only his second over a top-10 player with his first win coming over David Ferrer at the Indian Wells Masters in 2012.
Also Read: 5 things we learned from the Novak Djokovic-Denis Istomin thriller
Istomin is currently ranked 117th in the world but will hopefully reach the Top 100 of the ATP rankings by the time the Australian Open concludes.
#4 Marat Safin and Dinara Safina
Both Marat Safin and Dinara Safina have had successful tennis careers and have been World No.1 at some point in their careers. Both players owe their success to their mother Rauza Islanova who is a popular tennis coach in Russia and was their first trainer. Islanova was Safina’s full-time coach till 2003.Marat Safin went on to win two Grand Slam titles at the 2000 US Open and the 2005 Australian Open and was the ATP World No.1 for a total of nine weeks. Dinara Safina never won a Grand Slam but at her prime, was a very formidable competitor. She reached three Grand Slam finals and was at the top of the WTA rankings for 26 weeks.
#3 Martina Hingis
One of the greatest and most balanced tennis players of all-time, Martina Hingis could have had a more successful career, especially in singles had injuries not forced her to take a hiatus from the sport at the age of 22. So far, Hingis has won a total of 22 Grand Slam titles, 5 in Singles, 12 in Women’s Doubles, and 5 in Mixed Doubles.Born in Czechoslovakia, both of Martina Hingis’ parents were professional tennis players with her father Karol Hingis being ranked 19th among Czechoslovak male players and her mother Melanie Molitorova being ranked as high as tenth among Czechoslovak female players.
After her parents divorced, Hingis was trained by her mother who is currently the coach of Belinda Bencic.
#2 Andy and Jamie Murray
Both Andy and Jamie Murray have been one of the world’s best at present in singles and doubles respectively. Andy has so far won a total of three Grand Slams and was recently knighted following his ascent to the top of the ATP rankings. Jamie has been ranked World No.1 in Doubles and is currently ranked 4th in the same. He has won a total of three Grand Slam Doubles titles, two in Men’s Doubles, and one in Mixed Doubles.
One person who has been instrumental to the success of both players is their mother Judy Murray. Judy herself was a tennis player and had won a total of 64 titles in Scotland. She could have turned professional in 1976 but decided not to do so because she was homesick and was robbed in Barcelona.
However, she has gone on to coach both her sons who have become great tennis players in their own right. One of the greatest tennis parent-cum-coach indeed.
#1 Venus and Serena Williams
The Williams Sisters are considered to be two of the world’s best players to have set foot on a tennis court. Both have been ranked World No.1 and have won a total of 61 Grand Slam titles combined, 23 for Venus, and 38 for Serena.
Venus and Serena come from a tennis background as both their mother and father are tennis coaches. They were coached by both their parents for a long period of time until they divorced in 2002. Since then, their mother Oracene Price has been a more prominent figure on court than their father Richard Williams.
Price has so far coached both her daughters to a total of 120 titles, 49 for Venus and 71 for Serena.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
