Who is Jim Courier? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: James Spencer Courier

Age: 53 Years, 53 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Susanna Lingman (m. 2010)

father: Jim Courier

mother: Linda Courier

siblings: Audra Courier, Kris Courier

children: Kellan Courier

Tennis Players American Men

Height: 6'1" (185 cm), 6'1" Males

U.S. State: Florida

More Facts

awards: Best Male Tennis Player ESPY Award

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Childhood & Early Life

James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. was born on August 17, 1970, in Sanford, Florida, United States, to Linda and Jim Coiurier. His father, Jim, was an executive in a juice processing plant.

As a young boy, he loved playing a variety of sports. His great aunt Emma Spencer ran a tennis club out of her home and introduced Jim to the game. He immediately took to the sport and his parents recognized the potential their son possessed and sent him for professional training.

He attended a tennis camp run by the legendary coach Harry Hopman and impressed him with his determination. Jim received training from Hopman for two years and went on to win the 14-and-under Orange Bowl championship, the World Series of junior tennis.

Regarded a rising star by now, he received an invitation to train at the prestigious Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Jim further developed his skills under Bollettieri's tutelage and proceeded to win the Orange Bowl in 1987, at the age of 16. He also won the French Open junior doubles title in 1987.

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Career

Jim Courier turned professional in 1988. His first major victory came in 1989 when he won an ATP tournament in Basel, Switzerland, defeating Stefan Edberg in five grueling sets.

At the 1991 French Open he defeated Stefan Edberg and Michael Stich to reach his first Grand Slam final. The final proved to be a very exciting match played between Courier and his former Bollettieri Academy roommate Andre Agassi in which Courier defeated Agassi in five sets to win his first Slam.

In 1992, he beat Edberg to win the Australian Open. In continuing with his great form, he successfully defended his French Open title by beating Thomas Muster, Goran Ivanišević, Agassi and Petr Korda. The season was a very productive one for him and he had a 25-match winning streak.

His consistent performances and series of successes led him to reach the World No. 1 ranking in 1992. He was the first American since John McEnroe to peak at this rank. He then proceeded to become the top seeded player at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona where he lost in the third round to eventual gold medalist Marc Rosset.

He began 1993 on a strong note, once again wining the Australian Open, defeating Edberg in the final. He also reached his third consecutive French Open final, which he lost to Sergi Bruguera in five sets. The same year he also managed to reach Wimbledon final where he lost to Sampras in four sets.

By reaching the 1993 Wimbledon final Courier had reached the finals of all four Grand Slams at the age of 22—a record in men’s singles that still stands today.

His form, however, began suffering after the 1993 French Open in Paris, and he began losing his passion for the game. His ranking fell steadily over the next few years and he finally sought the help of coach Harold Solomon to rebuild his career.

His improved form led him to win the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in 1998 and reach the quarterfinals at the duMaurier Open in Canada in 1999. He announced his retirement from professional tennis in 2000. He had a total of 23 singles titles and 6 doubles titles during his career.

He became a tennis analyst and television commentator following his retirement, and has worked for several broadcasting networks such as USA Network, NBC Sports, TNT, ITV, Sky Sports and the Seven Network.

He also ventured into business and founded InsideOut Sport & Entertainment, a New York-based event production company, in 2004. He occasionally competes on the Champions Series and plays in various charity exhibition matches.

Awards & Achievements

Jim Courier was named the ITF World Champion and Jim Thorpe Player of the Year in 1992. He also won the ATP Player of the Year award the same year.

He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005.

Personal Life & Legacy

In 2010, he married Susanna Lingman. The couple has a son, Kellan.

He is the founder of Courier's Kids, a non-profit organization that supports tennis programs in the inner city of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Jim Courier Biography