Now decades after his passing, he still remains one of the biggest faces for the fight against AIDS. The 2017 film Borg vs McEnroe was inspired by his rivalry against John McEnroe. He also could catch up with Roger Federer. By Parvez Fatteh, TMO, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com. Top 20 best Muslim football players in the world right now. Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images. One of the biggest stars in Los Blancos squad Benzema is a devout Muslim who follows fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. Watch them all this week at the Australian Open, the years first Grand Slam. Cenk Tosun of Turkey - ST. Oumar Niasse of Senegal - ST. 2 Novak Djokovic A relatively new entrant into this big boys' league of legends, Serbia's Novak Djokovic has carved a place for himself among the best tennis players in the world. 8. This article was last updated by Sushma Thapa on November 8, 2022. 50 year-old Zinedine Zidane is a former French professional football player. Who is the most famous athlete who is Muslim? His 11th French Open win was the turning point for him as he was playing on a surface that he could call home. With 39 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals, Serena Williams is clearly amongst the greatest female tennis players in the history. Olajuwon is among one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Therefore, he is a born Muslim. He immediately picked up the game and emigrated from Nigeria to play basketball at the University of Houston. Rezai was among the top 15 best tennis players in 2010. Zverev won the gold medal in the singles event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Hamed would make his entrance on sometimes a flying carpet, a lift, or a palanquin. She has a reputation for coming back from way down in matches to win them in three epic sets. Do you know about some of the best Muslim athletes of all time? Born to professional tennis players, Czech-American tennis legend Ivan Lendl has eight Grand Slam titles under his belt. By 20, she had already won the French Open. In 2006, she won the newcomer of the year award, the first Indian or Muslim woman to reach the worlds top 40. Despite enduring several injuries, Federer continues to dominate the tennis court. He has played for a total of 6 teams during his 19-year career in the NBA and has won the NBA championship four times. Fred Perry was a British tennis player. In a 2008 interview with USA Today, Safin identified himself as a Muslim. Aravane maintains close relations with her family. In addition, he became the Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer in 2008. He was appointed as a special adviser to Real Madrids first team in 2010 and was with the Real Madrid club but resigned in 2021. Riyad Mahrez 4. Almost every player on this list openly practices their religion. The beginning of 2018 too was difficult as his ranking dropped. Ribry then converted to Islam upon marrying his wife at the height of his athletic career. She has since gone on to win four Womens Tennis Association tournament titles thus far in her career. 133 career titles 8 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 2 French, 2 US Open 15 Pro Majors: 2 US Pro, 5 Wembley Pro, 8 French Pro Inducted into Tennis Hall of Fame: 1980 With a long career that included both the pre and post Open Era, Ken Rosewall certainly deserves a place among the all-time greats of tennis. After retiring, Wallace then transitioned into a coaching career. He spent his childhood in neighborhoods with a high crime rate. Similarly, he also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. Federers career prize money totals $116,974,122 with which he has opened numerous schools for children back in his hometown and other cities. He used to wear his straight hair very long and looked like something of a tennis pirate. It is also an Olympic sport and also a part of the Summer Paralympic programme. She has managed to stay in the top ten since. Matteo Berrettini is an Italian tennis player who is currently the best-ranked Italian according to the ATP Rankings. Tyson is well-known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style. Karim Benzema Conclusion Pete Sampras was inducted into the prestigious Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007. He is also one of the most charitable athletes. Before being drafted, he played college basketball at the University of North Carolina. Sharapova is the most famous female tennis player of all time, especially among men. Shaquille ONeal preparing for free throw (Source: Wikimedia.org). Ali was also an actor and a writer. Following her retirement from tennis due to a spinal issue, she became a popular TV personality. She has time and again played aggressively to win all her games until she was challenged and confronted by Chris Evert. In a 2008 interview with " USA Today, " Safin identified himself as a Muslim. He was born and raised in Las Vegas but his dad was Cuban-born, and also a wrestler. On number 1, we have non-other than the legend of boxing, Muhammad Ali. Franck Ribery is another famous muslim football player. Hopkins had a rough childhood. A Wiradjuri Aborigine, she is now part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and also became the Australian of the Year in 1971. So, clearly her star is on the rise. 1 for more than 200 weeks in both singles and doubles. 1, Perry won three successive Wimbledon Championships from 1934. Aravane maintains close relations with her family. Content Summery [ show] 10. Zinedineis one of the greatest players of all time and one of the worlds most successful coaches. Her brother, Anauch, has gone on to become a successful tennis coach. Shahid Afridi 2010 (Source Wikimedia.org). Likewise, he was the head coach for the Oklahoma Strom. And, a tennis star was born. She has twice won the Muslim Womens Games, and this year exploded onto the scene at the Istanbul tournament, beating former number ones Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams in succession. Between 2000 and 2001, she won 4 of her 7 Grand Slam victories, performing extremely well. Let's see how many there are this season. Hopkins made his debut in 1988 but lost the game to Clinton Mitchell. Mike Tyson converted to Islam in the early 1990s while he was in prison for a rape conviction. 4. Please type in your email address below.If you do not receive our email in the next couple of minutes,please check your spam folder. Before being drafted to the Pakistan senior national team in 1994-95, he played for the under-19 championship circuit. Agassi retired from Tennis in 2006 and shall always be remembered for being a champion on and off the court. Frank Mir has had a total of 19 wins as a mixed martial artist. During his time, 14 Grand Slam Titles and world number one for 6 consecutive years was a record. Aside from his unconventional boxing skills, Hamed is also known for his spectacular ring entrances. He was inducted into the Tennis Hall Of Fame in 2011. 1. 1 in nine different years. Though she retired in 1983 from competitive Tennis, she is still remembered for her never give up attitude and fighting spirit. Top Muslim Football Players 1. He is the only person to be honored with the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award on four occasions. Arsalan and Nouchine Rezai emigrated from Iran to France. Here's a list of top Muslim soccer players who are practicing Islam and playing soccer professionally! However, he is generally described as a nationalist and a populist. He later converted to Sunni Islam in 1975. A baseline player and hardcourt specialist, Aravane first saw international success by winning gold medals while representing Iran in the Womens Islamic Games in 2001 and 2005. In grand slam play, her best finishes so far have been a fourth round finish at the 2006 U.S. Open and a fourth round finish at the 2009 French Open. His career highlight awards include two-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Most Valuable Player. In 1988, Hopkins was released from prison after serving almost five years. World's top tennis players v China's . Her cultural interests range from Bollywood films to Persian poetry and Persian music. Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Zidane is one of the most effective Muslim footballers in France. Many may not know, but one of the greatest basketball players, Shaquille ONeal, is also of Islam faith. Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs are names that go together for the famous weird and wacky battle of sexes in the Tennis world. Either way, he undisputedly defended his top rank for 6 consecutive years. From reputable, prominent, and well known tennis players to the lesser known tennis players of today, these are some of the best professionals in the tennis player field. He describes himself as a non-practicing Muslim. But this does not stop him from praying before his game. And the cartoon made him realize that he hadnt chosen Christianity. If you want to answer the questions, "Who are the most famous tennis players ever?" His mother reached No 2 in the country's ranking. At the 2019 BNP Paribas Open, he defeated Roger Federer to win his first Masters 1000 title. The German midfielder has had a stellar season with Manchester City this season. With wins over many top ten players including Martina Hingis and Svetlana Kuznetsova, this 57 fireball of woman has shown the world flashes of brilliance that some say will land her in the top ten. It makes up 24.9% of the worlds population. the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame is one of the highest honours Australian tennis players can receive. Here is the list of the best singles tennis players in 2022, released by the Association of Tennis Professionals ( ATP ). Known for his topspin groundstrokes, he later turned coach and was responsible forthree Grand Slams of Andy Murray. She made a comeback to Tennis with doubles and mixed doubles and won numerous titles. He also helped his team win the prestigious Davis Cup in 2016. If not for his recurring knee injury because of tendinitis, he could have won a lot more titles. Being a professional tennis player is physically as well as mentally demanding. Khan founded a political party in 1996 and then ran for the seat of National Assembly Pakistan in the 1997 Pakistani general election. ONeal retired from his professional playing career in 2011. Let us know! A former world No. Muhammad Ali 1966 (Source: Wikimedia.org). While Aravane has gone on to record victories over such tennis stars as Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, and Venus Williams. 2017 proved a difficult time for him as he had just recovered from a shoulder injury and. Best rapper in Nigeria: top 10 artists that have earned recognition Benzema is a devoted Muslim who prays before every match and follows all the fasting rules during Ramadan. Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Hamed started boxing professionally at flyweight in 1992. He played better during Ramadan. Dominic Thiem. His career prize money is a mind-boggling sum of $100,564,598. Years: 1966-1989 Accolades: 3x NCAA Champion at UCLA, All-Time Leading Scorer in NBA History, 6x NBA Champion, 6x NBA MVP, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 19x NBA All-Star Kareem has always been great at. As of 2023, Novak Djokovic's net worth is $220 million which made him one of the richest tennis players on the planet. It may also result from racial politics that insulted his racial origins in the past. The former World No. Or just very few Muslims, we should say, one of those few Muslims was, you know, just a quirky personality. There have been many NBA players who fasted during the NBA season during the Ramadan period. Arsalan and Nouchine Rezai emigrated from Iran to France. Osaka made headlines when in 2021, she withdrew from the French Open after refusing to be part of a press conference to protect her mental health. Officially ranked among the top 25 players by the Association of Tennis Professionals (since 1973) Ranked among the top 10 by an expert (e.g. He was an inspiration for many young players of that time. Roger Federer. She is also widely considered one of the WTA Tour's best returners of the current generation. In 1987, Nouchine, a physical therapist, gave birth to daughter Aravane. Here is a list of top 10 greatest Muslim female athletes. By the age of 13, Hopkins had turned into a life of crime. Novak Djokovic. Heres a list of 10 most famous Tennis players of all time. Paul Pogba 5. They have been competitive athletes and are indeed great champions. It is also not easy to compare players as each player has their own signature styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Next on our list is a former professional boxer, Nassem Hamed. Aside from boxing, Ali also was an accomplished spoken word artist, and he won two Grammy nominations for this. Emmanuel Adebayor, Togo. Now, in 2010, she is the top womens tennis player in all of France, and the 18th-ranked womens tennis player in the world. These are some of the most famous Muslim athletes of all time. Before that, from 2004 to 2008, he was ranked the world number one for 237 consecutive weeks, which itself was an all-time record. She is one of three women with a "Grand Slam Boxed Set. She is openly lesbian and had earlier fled her country, Czechoslovakia, due to political issues. He won the EPL player of the month for January and February of 2022. She is also credited with changing the long-standing practice of paying male tennis players more than their female counterparts as she won the fight for equal prize money. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1 in 1993 and held the record for 286 weeks. Ngolo Kante 3. Some players have stood in the limelight during their peaks and have also competed with younger and fitter player to continue winning. Rafael Nadal is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players ever and is called the king of clay. She won her first title in 2006, barely 15 years old. A. Wallis Myers) before 1973 Reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament Reached the finals of year-end championships Won a medal at the Olympic Games Safin was the first Russian male tennis player to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in 2008. Venus Williams will always be remembered for her dedication to the game in spite of adversities. The major European clubs provided Ribry with halal meals and unique rooms for prayer, seeing his eagerness for his religion. Karim Benzema, Mohammed Salah and Zinedine Zidane (left to right). She plans to become an astrophysicist when her tennis career comes to an end. Collins lauded his. Former professional tennis player, Pete Sampras, became the winner of 14 Grand Slam singles titles during his career. Photos: Quality Sport Images, Naomi Baker and Quality Sport Images. He holds 200 singles titles--the most in tennis history. An aggressive player, Matteo Berrettini is known for his forehand, strong serve, and speed. Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka made history by being the first player of Asian origin to hold the world number one rank in singles. In the photo above, shes wearing a daring dress and popping right out of it! She will be in action this week in Bali, as the number two seed in the $600,000 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. Watch popular content from the following creators: Dolly(@dolly_in_action1), hind(@itshindou2), Marydniho (@marydinho), Hijabiglobetrotter(@hijabiglobetrotter), Muslims4peace(@muslims4peaceusa), Mona.T(@mona.s.4), Sports.Inc(@sports.included), Break Point(@breakpoint), Tennis(@underarmserve), Tennis(@underarmserve) . 1 in many online lists of the top 10 hottest tennis players. ONeals first and middle names- Shaquille and Rashaun translate to little one and warrior in Arabic. Hes definitely a looker and acts like he knows it: he never hesitates to take his shirt off and once bleached his hair blond. And she remains down to earth enough to enjoy a good kebab. Even if it meant losing matches for taking such huge risks. The youngest world number 1, too, she was named after Martina Navratilova and was the daughter of a Czech tennis player and a tennis coach. Mohamed Salah The Egyptian forward has taken the Premier League by storm this season since his arrival from AS Roma for a reported fee of around 37.8million. In a career spanning 20 years, he has a long list of achievements: 61 career titles including 4 Australian Open, 2 US Open, 1 French Open, and 1 Wimbledon. He became the first Moroccan to win an ATP title at Atlanta in 1996, and has won two titles overall. He also has one Australian Open, two Wimbledon and four US Open titles tohis name. But when it came to Muslim women in the coverage of the 2016. Billie Jean King dominated the Tennis scene during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1987, Nouchine, a physical therapist, gave birth to daughter Aravane. Having turned pro in 2003, Djokovic took five years to win a Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open. Californian Venus Williams entered the tennis scene in the year 1994. Simona Halep is a Romanian tennis player. Michael Chang. His conversion to Islam defined his career and legacy in many ways. Sadio Man, Senegal. With immense fame, beauty, wealth, and a glamorous lifestyle, she is loved by men all over the world. Sadio Mane 6. After debuting with Houston, Olajuwon also played for the Toronto Raptors. Hence, in this article, we take you through a list of the top 10 soccer players who are Muslims. She was also inducted into the Tennis Hall Of Fame in 2000. Let's have a look at the top Muslim Football Players in the English Premier League season-by-season! Along with having a charity foundation under his name, Afridi also teamed up with UNICEF to promote an anti-polio campaign in his country. One of the best British professional tennis players of all time, Andy Murray is popularly known as the Great Scot since he was born in Scotland. The most successful player in Bulgarian tennis history, he has also been in the news for his relationship with Maria Sharapova. A well loved spectator sport, several tennis tournaments are held worldwide. With 22 WTA singles titles and two Grand Slam singles titles under her belt, Simona Halep is one of the most successful Romanian female tennis players of all time. Djoker, as he's lovingly called, now has 20 Grand Slam . With a whopping $119,110,890 as career prize money, Serbian Novak Djokovic is the winner of 71 career titles including 14 Grand Slams: 6 Australian Open, 4 Wimbledon, 3 US Open and 1 French Open. These athletes have made their name in the history of their respective sports. Novak Djokovic. I know religion isn't important in football, baseball, or any other sport (it's performance that matters), but it doesn't hurt to know which of the world's famous soccer players are Muslim. Swedish former tennis player Stefan Edbergwas once the world No. She has bagged the top spot in WTAs world ranking numerous times. Lendl comes from a tennis family. Rafael Nadal had a tough time during the very beginning of 2018, he had just recovered from a hip injury and didnt perform as well as expected. Arsalan and Nouchine Rezai emigrated from Iran to France. His professional debut game was againstTunney Hunsaker. Nonetheless, she earned a spot in the University of Evansville at Indiana to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance. Mike Tyson tops our list. She finally retired in 2017, winning 3 Grand Slam Doubles titles in her final year of competitive Tennis. She ranked No. She was no. The search for the top Muslima in the tennis world takes us to two countries: Iran and France. Like much of the new generation in Europe, shes an ethnic cocktail: her father and coach , Ariff Mohammed, is of Indian descent, was born in Tanzania, and raised in Kenya, her mother, Francoise Paszek, was born in Chile and raised in Austria. In grand slam play, her best finishes so far have been a fourth round finish at the 2006 U.S. Open and a fourth round finish at the 2009 French Open. Moe Sbihi does. Khans ancestry belongs to the Pashtun ethnicity and the Niazi tribe. famous muslim tennis players. Jabbarwon the NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1970. Her career prize money amounts to $24,749,074. Widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, Roger Federer has won the most number of men's Grand Slam singles titles. Rafael Nadal. Coco Gauff, who has achieved a career-high ranking of 23 in singles, is the youngest player ranked by the WTA in the top 100. 0. Some might dispute this statement because he mastered some surfaces and clearly struggled on the others. His 20 Grand Slam championships and 310 weeks at number one testify for themselves. Australian Top 10 rankings. He is the only person to be honored with the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award on four occasions. She took the Tennis world by storm when she disposed of Bobby Riggs in short order. We will start our best Muslim athletes list with a former professional NBA player, Rasheed Abdul Wallace. We hope to see many more such players leaving a deep impression in the Tennis world. I have it in my blood, via my parents. Widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, Roger Federer has won the most number of men's Grand Slam singles titles. His parents are former tennis players and coaches, while his sister Dinara Safina is also a former world No.1 professional tennis player. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1994 and also received . Similarly, he also holds the record for having the most sixes in the history of ODI cricket. This influential public figure retired from international cricket after the 1987 Cricket World Cup. Nicknamed Pistol Pete, the player was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007. Click here to read about the 13 Famous Indian Athletes. Safin was ranked the world No. She gained the top ranking in 2008 after winning the 2008 French Open and held it for 12 weeks. Notable Muslim female tennis players include Zarina Diyas, Selima Sfar, Aravane Reza, Dinara Safina, Sania Mirza, Ons Jabeur, Mayar Sherif and Fatma Al-Nabhani. It was all possible due to their unwavering willpower and dedication. Serena Williams currently holds the open era record of winning the most number of Grand Slam Singles titles, male or female. In 1987, Nouchine, a physical therapist, gave birth to daughter Aravane. However, he does not speak his native tongue, Tatar. And if she hadnt become a professional tennis player she had designs on becoming a physicist. Moreover, he is the only heavyweight boxer to unify these titles in succession. Nadal took over the tennis scene in 2001. A number of famous faces have used their voices to challenge stereotypes surrounding Islam Ramy Youssef, Bella Hadid and Muhammad Ali have all spoken about their Muslim faith. She married Shoaib Malik in 2010. Afridi was captain of the national team for all game formats in 2010. Likewise, Tyson was the first heavyweight boxer to win the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his career, a record that is being chased down by current Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. 1 professional tennis player (in both singles and doubles). He announced his conversion and changed his name to Bilal. His intellect and knowledge in those years made him famous around the world. He stated that he is Russian but 100% Muslim. Legendary Australian tennis player Evonne Goolagong Cawley was once world number 1 and the worlds first mother to earn a Wimbledon win in 66 years. His professional debut game was against, Zhang Zhilei Bio: Early Life Career & Net Worth. However, he lost the game to Roger Federer. Zidane is an introverted icon and does not open up more about his religious beliefs. Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Olajuwon started playing cricket at the age of 15 after entering a local tournament while at the Muslim Teachers College in Lagos, Nigeria. Sania Mirza Sania Mirza is one of the most prominent tennis players who has broken many records in Tennis despite all the odds being against her. View the . In 2002, she became the world number one. He became the first African-American to win a Grand Slam title on the men's side, and his activism off of the court makes him a legend. Alexander Zverev's backhand play is often regarded as one of the best in the game. She has a fiery spirit on the court full of fist pumps and shouts, the mark of a winner. Mike Tyson celebrates after winning the championship match. This girl is only 55 but has a stocky build and is totally fearless on the court, not to be dominated by more seasoned players a half-foot taller. He is known for his powerful two-handed backhand and his service returns. He has been working in the top field of management. She has 167 career titles to her credit including 18 Grand Slam titles: 9 Wimbledon, 4 US Open, 3 Australian and 2 French Open titles. Discover short videos related to muslim tennis players on TikTok. Ahead of Sunday's final of the men's eight at the World . Here she is at Hajj with her mother in Saudi Arabia. An article with a cartoon message that Christianity was forced on slaves by the white establishment caught Alis eyes. Ibrahim Afellay is the professional Netherlands team Muslim footballers. During his cricket career, Khan was offered political positions a few times. "Even if I wanted to [participate in Ramadan], I don't think I . He was nominated among the top 20 most charitable athletes of 2015. We hope to see him for as long as age or injury catches up with him, making way for newer players.
famous muslim tennis players