What happened to American tennis legend Jim Courier?

Jim Courier is a name many tennis fans remember fondly. The Sanford-born former champion marked a generation of highly talented American players and rose to the absolute top of the sport. Let's look back at Courier's impressive career.

Like many talented youngsters, Courier learned the ropes at the Nick Bollettieri tennis academy, where he was admitted after reaching the final of the prestigious Orange Bowl at the age of 14. From then on, Courier started focusing entirely on tennis and all he wanted was to become the best of the world.

At Bollettieri's academy, Courier's game improved, and he managed to win the Orange Bowl in 1986 and 1987. The following year, he turned pro and began to make a name for himself on the circuit, including beating André Agassi in the third round of the French Open in 1989.

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Courier attracted attention with his style of play, with a strong serve, good volley skills and a powerful forehand. He combined these traits with an impressive athleticism and a determined and hard-working mentality.

After his first title in Basel, Switzerland, in 1989, it was not long before Courier forced his big break at the majors and stunned the world at the 1991 French Open. He beat Stefan Edberg and Michael Stich and faced compatriot André Agassi in his first-ever Grand Slam final.

Courier and Agassi went all out and put on a five-set show on the Parisian clay in rainy conditions. In the end, it was the former who crowned himself French Open champion for the first time in his career.

Courier was in the prime of his career in those years, which he proved at the 1992 Australian Open by beating Swede Stefan Edberg in the final. He was out of himself out of joy and jumped into the Yarra River to celebrate his first title in Melbourne. In February that same year, Courier reached another milestone and became the first American world No. 1 after John McEnroe (pictured).

The period from 1991 to 1993 was the highlight of Courier's career. He dominated the majors and won back-to-back titles at the French Open and the Australian Open. In addition, he played three more Grand Slam finals.

His last final was at Wimbledon in 1993, where he lost to Pete Sampras (pictured). This defeat was the beginning of the slow decline of Courier's career, who would never reach another Grand Slam final and dropped in the world rankings.

Courier gradually lost motivation and fell to world No. 67 in 2000. That's when he took a drastic decision and decided to retire. "A wise man once told me: ‘When you wake up and don’t want to get better at tennis, it’s time to stop.’ That day has been around for most of this year," he told 'The Independent'.

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"I’ve put the nose to the grindstone for more than 12 years with no off-seasons. Maybe that’s why I’m checking out earlier than the other guys. There’s a limited amount of reserves, only so much juice to go around," he explained his decision.

Courier retired as a professional tennis player with an impressive record of 23 career singles titles and a total of 58 weeks as world No. 1, making him one of the USA's all-time greats.

However, he did not step away completely from tennis. Courier remained active as a commentator in several TV networks, including Tennis Channel and NBC Sports, and became known for his on-court interviews.

In October 2010, Courier took on a new challenge when he was named the new Davis Cup captain of the United States, a tournament he himself had won twice in his career. Courier left the team in 2018.

Besides tennis, Courier married former tennis player Susanna Lingman in 2010. Together they have a son, Kellan Courier.

Courier's playing days are far behind him, but he will always be remembered as the legend he is, something that became apparent again when he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. A well-deserved recognition.

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