"I hope you understood my game!"

That sentence, spoken in the aftermath of his loss at the Roland-Garros final in 1988, followed Henri Leconte for years. Booed by the French crowds, Riton ultimately reconciled with them three years later, when he hoisted the Davis Cup in Lyon in 1991. The Frenchman called it the sweetest win of his career, referring to the point he won against Pete Sampras. The lefty had the makings of a star and wowed with his magical left arm, which he employed in an incredible attack game. Henri Leconte could bring any player to his knees. He played by one simple principle: maximum risk taking. Which means, of course, that sometimes it worked and sometimes it did not. Although he only played one Grand Slam singles final, Henri Leconte won the doubles title at Roland-Garros with his pal Yannick Noah. He reached his best standing in the rankings in 1986, when he made the Top 5 (number 5) thanks to his semifinal appearances at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, a quarter-final at the U.S. Open and two consecutive titles in Geneva and Hamburg. The always unpredictable Henri Leconte retired in 1996. Now he puts in sunny appearances at Legends tournaments and on the airwaves. And on the court, everyone understands him!

Current projects

Television commentator, president of a padel club