Tim Mayotte

Born: August 3, 1960 in Springfield (Massachusetts)
Height: 1.91 m
Plays: Right-handed

Timothy Mayotte – a man who holds one of the most humiliating head-to-head records in the Open Era, namely 0-17 against Ivan Lendl. The initial phase of their rivalry didn’t foreshadow such a one-sided outcome. In a fourth set of the US Open ’82 second round, Mayotte found himself within three points of ousting Lendl in a two-day duel. He even held a 2:0 lead in the 5th set, serving remarkably well (19 aces), but ultimately succumbed on the sixth match point. “One of the highlights of my career,” Mayotte reflected, “I missed an opportunity to bolster my confidence.” In his preceding major (Wimbledon), Mayotte reached the first of his two semifinals at this level, dispatching three seeded players. That year elevated him to the echelons of the tennis elite for the remainder of the 80s.
Ironically, Mayotte’s maiden trophy (Delray Beach ’85) remained his arguably most significant (two years later he won Paris-Bercy; it’s an open question which title is more impressive), despite clinching another eleven titles thereafter. He was almost 25 when he claimed his shocking title in Florida, in a peculiar event that later evolved into the so-called “fifth Slam” held at Key Biscayne. It’s noteworthy that in that experimental (first four rounds ‘best of three’, then ‘best of five’) two-week tournament, Mayotte didn’t face any seeded players. Instead, every opponent he encountered from the fourth round onwards had already achieved their career-best result. In hindsight, Mayotte’s triumph gains additional significance considering that in the second round, he ousted Boris Becker… the 17-year-old German, participating in just his 15th main-level event, who was an unexpected Wimbledon champion a few months later overcoming Mayotte in round 4. “I recall Borg’s words when he won Wimbledon,” Mayotte reminisced after defeating Scott Davis in the three and a half-hour Delray Beach final. “It’s a combination of preparation, effort, and luck.” With the victory, Mayotte earned $112,500, surpassing his total winnings for the entire 1984 season.
Three years later, Mayotte came close to achieving tennis immortality by reaching the Olympic final (tennis featured officially at the Olympics for the first time), but he fell to Miloslav Mečíř in their lone encounter. “It’s peculiar because here, the emphasis is on medals rather than solely on winning,” Mayotte observed with a silver medal adorning his neck. “So, there is solace in joining the medal ranks. The ceremony was magnificent; it’s a unique approach.” Despite his struggles against Lendl, the formidable-serving, excellent volleyer Mayotte posed a challenge to the era’s top players, defeating luminaries like Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, as well as rising American super talents (Andre Agassi – Philadelphia, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang).
At the Australian Open ’90, Mayotte, in his first trip to Australia within four years, engaged in an almost five-hour marathon against Sampras, succumbing 10-12 in the deciding set after committing a double fault on Sampras’ match point – marking the longest match played that year. Fast surfaces (grass, carpet) suited Mayotte’s game best, on clay he was basically non-existent. The year 1991 marked a sudden decline for him; nevertheless, on Wimbledon’s court no. 1, he stunned Chang in five sets, saving four match points in the 4th set. “It was the most exhilarating experience I’ve had in a long time,” he expressed. “I didn’t come here with high expectations – I simply aimed to enjoy myself.” While Mayotte could have been expected to triumph, the manner in which he did so was truly memorable. The teenage Chang had already established himself as a marathon match specialist, surviving eight consecutive five-setters. Mayotte’s victory marked his third win against Chang in as many encounters, all at Grand Slams. He never again participated in a match of such magnitude, announcing his retirement in Philadelphia 1992, a city where he was very successful (unbeaten in 18 consecutive matches in that most prestigious U.S. event indoors).
He remains emblematic of the 80s, a period when his style of play reigned supreme, and all his notable achievements stem from that decade. In the early 90s, he failed to adapt to the changing times and neglected to enhance his first serve acceleration, a skill well within his reach given his height.

Career record: 340–202 [ 204 events ]
Career titles: 12
Highest ranking: No. 7
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 1983; quarterfinal 1981)
Wimbledon (semifinal 1982; quarterfinal 1981, 83, 86, 88-89)
US Open (quarterfinal 1989)
Olympic silver medal (Seoul ’88)