Mansour Bahrami Iranian-French professional tennis player who specialized in doubles play Date of Birth: 26.04.1956 Country: France

1. Biography of Mansour Bahrami
2. Early Life and Career in Iran
3. Professional Career and Sporting Achievements
4. Davis Cup and Return to Professional Tennis
5. Success at the French Open and Later Career

Biography of Mansour Bahrami

Mansour Bahrami is an Iranian-French professional tennis player, specializing in doubles. He is a two-time Grand Prix tournament winner in doubles and was a finalist in the men's doubles category at the 1989 French Open.

Early Life and Career in Iran

From the age of five, Mansour Bahrami started playing tennis on courts and trained with frying pans and broom handles when he couldn't afford his own racket. These unique training methods contributed to his unconventional playing style. By the age of 16, he was already one of Iran's leading tennis players. However, his career seemed to come to an end after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, when professional sports were banned in the country. For three years, he made a living playing backgammon.

In 1981, Bahrami won the Revolution Cup in Tehran, the main prize of which was a trip to France. After arriving in Europe, he stayed there and quickly depleted his savings at a casino, leaving him without means to support himself. Financial support from friends helped him survive until he regained his form and started performing successfully in tennis tournaments in France. When his French visa expired, he became an illegal immigrant, refusing to seek refugee status. However, in 1981, after reaching the third round of the French Open, he attracted the attention of newspapers L'Équipe and Le Figaro, which helped him renew his visa.

Professional Career and Sporting Achievements

Bahrami was only readmitted to the Grand Prix tennis tournaments at the age of 30. He continued to compete in the professional tour until the early 1990s and then joined the newly created ATP Champions Tour for players over the age of 35. Besides playing in veteran tournaments, Bahrami, known as the father of "acrobatic tennis" and nicknamed "maestro" and "prince of clowns," spends a significant amount of time on exhibition tours and sports shows. Some of the tricks he demonstrates include serving underhand or with six balls simultaneously, hitting shots behind his back or with the handle of the racket, and hitting balls that spin so much that they bounce back over the net onto the opponent's side of the court.

Bahrami became a French citizen in 1989 and is married to Frederique, a French woman. They have two children, Sam and Antoine. In 2006, Bahrami published his autobiography "Le Court des Miracles" ("The Court of Miracles"), which was later released in an English edition in 2009.

Davis Cup and Return to Professional Tennis

Bahrami first played for the Iranian national team in the Davis Cup in 1974, losing both of his matches against the British team. In 1976, he earned two points for the Iranian team in a match against the Irish, but his team lost with a score of 2-3. The following year, Bahrami almost single-handedly defeated the Algerian team, winning both singles and doubles matches. In 1978, he contributed points in matches against Poland, Turkey, and Switzerland. The Islamic Revolution and his subsequent emigration to France caused a long hiatus in Bahrami's tennis career. He was only able to return to professional tennis in the mid-1980s.

In 1986, Bahrami reached the semifinals of the Grand Prix tournament in Metz in singles and reached the finals in doubles in three Grand Prix tournaments in France and Germany. He also won the Challenger tournament in Neu-Ulm, earning $19,000 that year. In 1987, he reached the finals of the prestigious Monte Carlo tournament in doubles.

Success at the French Open and Later Career

1989 was the year of Bahrami's greatest success. At the French Open, he unexpectedly reached the finals in doubles with another French player, Eric Winogradsky. It should be noted, however, that luck was on their side as they did not face any seeded pairs on their way to the finals. After the French Open, Bahrami reached the finals of two more Grand Prix tournaments in doubles, winning one in Toulouse. His earnings for that year exceeded $47,000. In the following two seasons, as he approached the age of 35 and focused more on doubles, he reached the finals of ATP Tour tournaments, which replaced the Grand Prix. In 1990, in Paris, Bahrami and Winogradsky defeated the world's second-ranked pair, Rick Leach and Jim Pugh.

By the end of 1992, Bahrami practically ended his professional career. He continued to represent the Iranian national team in the Davis Cup until 1997, winning key matches against teams from Thailand, Pakistan, and Taiwan. Since 1993, he has also participated in the ATP Champions Tour for players aged 35 and older. In 1999, he achieved his greatest success in this tour, winning the tournament in Doha, Qatar, after defeating Henri Leconte, Pat Cash, and Yannick Noah. Bahrami continues to compete in veteran and exhibition tournaments and matches, including the popular exhibition tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London.