One of the preeminent players from the golden era of Swedish tennis, Wilander imposed his will from the baseline with punishing groundstrokes and tactical precision. His initial success came on the red clay at Roland Garros, where he won his first Grand Slam, but he adapted his game to win on all surfaces - even Wimbledon, where he won his only Slam title in doubles.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Wilander burst onto the pro scene in 1982, winning the French Open as an unseeded 17-year-old.
He won Australian Opens back to back in 1983 and 1984.
In 1988, Mats was the most dominant player on the ATP Tour, winning three of the four Slams. Only three other male players, Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer have accomplished that feat in the Open era.
In all, he won 8 Grand Slams - 7 in singles (3 French, 3 Australian, 1 U.S.) and 1 in doubles (Wimbledon).
He won the season-ending Masters Singles title twice ('83 and '88).
Wilander played on 11 Davis Cup teams for Sweden, helping his country win the Cup in successive seasons from 1984-1987.
