Yannick Noah

Born: May 18, 1960 in Sedan (Grand Est)
Height: 1.93 m
Plays: Right-handed

Noah, the sole French champion in the Open Era, stands out as one of the premier players of the 80s, with a game style that was uniquely his own. In many ways, Noah embodied a blend of Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, and Rafael Nadal, possessing a distinct element off game-styles of these three great champions. Had he possessed all their attributes, he might have been hailed as the greatest player in history(?)
During the 80s, Noah ranked among the top five servers globally, boasting an offensive overhead smash akin to the prowess of Sampras and Roger Federer. Notably, the Frenchman introduced the slam-dunk smash to tennis (the tweener was his trademark), a signature move admired by Sampras. Noah’s towering stature made him a demanding opponent almost everywhere, his net-coverage was second to none, particularly challenging to lob him with top-spins which was very difficult in the early 80s before the racquet transition from wood to graphite occurred.
Noah’s backhand outshone his forehand, he was frequently employing chip-and-charge – tactics reminiscent of Edberg’s style (the Swede was his toughest rival, winning all their six encounters). Additionally, Noah’s exceptional athleticism, ability of switch from defence to attack, and emotional intensity, echoed the spirit of Nadal on the court.
Reflecting on Noah’s game, one wonders how formidable he would have been under different circumstances. For instance, if restricted to ground-strokes with only one serve, Noah’s impact might have been brutally diminished. While his ground-strokes lacked potency in standard exchanges, Noah possessed a flair for improvisation akin to a jazz musician, utilizing unorthodox shots to surprise opponents.
Despite his acumen, Noah’s performances at Wimbledon remained a conundrum (just a 6-6 record, skipped the event many times). Notwithstanding his powerful serve as well as sacrificial serve-and-volley inclination (stretching, diving, squatting), he never progressed beyond the third round at Wimbledon. Actually his best grass court win comes from the Davis Cup ’83 as he outplayed a teenage Pat Cash in straight sets, the future Wimbledon champion. His lack of good results in London was perhaps hindered by challenges adapting to grass courts: his offensive backhand, reliant on extreme grip, struggled to find traction on grass, limiting his effectiveness. In addition, the footwear available in the 80s made it impossible to replicate clay-court movements, a style Noah heavily relied on, especially his frequent use of sliding on the red surface.
In exploring the Noah family lineage, a pattern of sporting excellence emerges. Yannick’s father, Cameroonian Zacharie Noah (lived 1937-2017), was a professional footballer, while Yannick’s son, Joakim Noah (b. 1985), pursued basketball, achieving successes as a basketballer of the Chicago Bulls. Their remarkable height increase across generations — Zacharie (176 cm), Yannick (193 cm), and Joakim (211 cm).
Noah’s crowning achievement came with his French Open ’83 victory (the last Slam won with a wood/graphite composite – Le Coq Sportif), a lifelong dream realized. There was certainly no stroke of luck in that triumph, as he dispatched Ivan Lendl en route to the title, among others. Lendl, already a top player at the time, didn’t intimidate Noah in the least, and their Head-to-Head record was tied at 5-5 after that match. Although Noah couldn’t follow up his French Open ’83 triumph with another major title, he maintained his status as one of the world’s most prominent players throughout the remainder of the 80s, securing numerous titles, with Rome ’85 standing out as the most significant. His inability to take part in another major semifinal of the 80s may seem strange, but it’s worth mentioning that in the years 1987-89, Key Biscayne had a status of the “fifth Slam”, and Noah reached the semifinal there in each edition (only one set separated him from the ’89 final as he was eliminated by Thomas Muster). His long awaited second semifinal appearance at Slams (the Australian Open ’90) marked his farewell from competitive singles tennis. Following this, his win-loss ratio drastically declined, prompting his retirement in 1991; in the meantime he transitioned into the role of Davis Cup captain. In this new capacity, Noah guided France to their first Davis Cup victory in fifty-nine years. He replicated this achievement five years later, returning briefly to professional play after a 3.5 year break in ’95 (three events) and ’96 (one event). As a player, Noah had led France to the Davis Cup ’82 final, where he narrowly lost the opening rubber to John McEnroe in a gripping five-set encounter.

Career record: 478–209 [ 215 events ]
Career titles: 23
Highest ranking: No. 3
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 1990; quarterfinal 1987)
Roland Garros (champion 1983; quarterfinal 1981-82, 84 & 87)
US Open (quarterfinal 1983, 85, 89)