U.S. Open champ who was once ‘sexiest person | Sports News

Pat Rafter, the Australian tennis star famed for his iconic ponytail and once topped ‘Sexiest Athlete Alive’ practically 30 years in the past, has since traded in that look.

Rafter rose to prominence within the 90s, along with his career-defining second coming in 1997 when he clinched the U.S. Open title. His off-court appeal was simply as robust, along with his long hair, stubbled beard, and chiseled physique incomes him the title of the world’s most engaging sportsman by People magazine.

Even although time has caught up with the two-time Wimbledon finalist, the 52-year-old stays as good-looking as ever.

In latest instances, Rafter’s public outings have been sparse. He’s sometimes lent his experience as a commentator in Australia and has additionally held administrative positions with Tennis Australia.

He did grace the court docket on the Brisbane International match final December, enjoying an exhibition match on the venue named after him. Post-match, whereas signing autographs, he revealed a slicked-back coiffure underneath his cap, a far cry from his once shoulder-length locks.

Rafter is well known for breaking Australia’s drought for a main champion, efficiently defending his U.S. Open crown in 1998. Reflecting on his profession in 2017, he mentioned: “I was at a time where there weren’t a lot of players around,”.

“I came on the scene, I won a couple of Slams, and then I was revered a little bit more than if I had won that back in the 70s. You would have just gone, ‘There’s another good tennis player from Australia.’ Maybe the personality of the media made me into something bigger than what I actually was. That’s OK.”

Pat Rafter skilled two gut-wrenching defeats at Wimbledon, with the 2000 males’s ultimate towards Pete Sampras being notably powerful as he admits to “choking” during the second set tie-break.

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The following 12 months noticed one more powerful loss for Rafter, this time to Goran Ivanisevic. After hanging up his racket in 2003, he embraced household life with ex-model Lara Feltham, marrying her in 2004, and so they have two youngsters collectively, Joshua and India, who are actually grown up and might mirror humorously on their father’s historical past.

Before settling down, Rafter had his share of dates with varied Dutch fashions within the 90s, till he discovered lasting love with their mom, quipping, “You know what, it is exhausting being this good-looking.”