Mansour Bahrami
Mansour Bahrami (Persian: منصور بهرامی; born 26 April 1956) is a former professional tennis player. He is Iranian with dual French nationality since 1989. While not highly successful on the ATP Tour, his showmanship has made him a long-standing and popular figure in invitational tournaments.
 | |
| Country (sports) |  Iran  France |
|---|---|
| Residence | Paris, France |
| Born | 26 April 1956 Arak, Iran |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Turned pro | 1974 |
| Retired | 1995 (singles) 2003 (doubles)[N 1] |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $368,780 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 23–47 (32.9%) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 192 (9 May 1988) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | Q1 (1977) |
| French Open | 2R (1981) |
| Wimbledon | Q1 (1976) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 108–139 (43.7%) |
| Career titles | 2 |
| Highest ranking | No. 31 (6 July 1987) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 1R (1977Jan) |
| French Open | F (1989) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1988) |
| US Open | 3R (1987) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1990) |
Early life
As a child in Iran, Mansour Bahrami taught himself to play tennis using an old metal frying pan and other kitchen utensils and did not own his first tennis racquet until he was aged 13.
In his early 20s, following Iran's Islamic Revolution in the late 1970s, tennis was viewed as a capitalist and elitist sport and therefore banned.[1] Because all tennis courts in Iran were closed down, he spent the next three years playing backgammon daily in Tehran, until he won a local tournament with the prize of airplane flights to Athens. He paid to have the tickets changed to Nice and left his girlfriend and family behind.
France offered Bahrami the opportunity to play small tournaments, but he saw that the cost of living was quite high and needed a way to maintain his finances until he could begin winning prize money. He gambled his savings in a casino in Nice and lost the lot on his first night. When his French visa ran out and without a carte de séjour (residence permit), he became a political refugee, an illegal immigrant, constantly in fear of the police, regularly sleeping rough and making food last for days. He relied on the financial support of friends until he was able to support himself.
In May, 2023, he was featured on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel describing his early life.[2]
Tennis career
Mansour Bahrami reached the Davis Cup team at the age of 16.
Due to the forced break in his tennis play from the Islamic revolution fallout, his potential in singles was never fully realized. He became a successful doubles player, winning two tournaments and reaching the 1989 French Open doubles final with Éric Winogradsky.[3][4]
Senior tournaments
Bahrami has been a mainstay of the seniors invitational tennis circuit for more than 25 years.[1] Bahrami is considered to have "found his niche" on the ATP Champions Tour,[4] where his flamboyant, humorous style and propensity for trick shots make him a crowd favorite in the tour's more entertainment-oriented sphere. In reference to his showmanship, his 2009 English-language autobiography was titled The Court Jester.[5] His comic turns on the court often include faking serves, slow-motion miming, hitting balls backwards between his legs, over his shoulder or from the back, and playing while lying down or seated.
ATP career finals
Doubles: 12 (2–10)
| Winner - Legend |
|---|
| Grand Slam (0–1) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0–0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0–2) |
| ATP Tour (2–7) |
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Challenger finals
Doubles: 5 (3–2)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1986 | Chartres, France | Clay | Éric Winogradsky |
 Javier Frana Gustavo Guerrero |
2–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1. | 1986 | Neu-Ulm, West Germany | Clay |  Jaroslav Navrátil |
 Menno Oosting Huub van Boeckel |
7–5, 6–1 |
| Winner | 2. | 1987 | Clermont-Ferrand, France | Clay | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Claudio Mezzadri |
Christophe Lesage Jean-Marc Piacentile |
6–3, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1987 | Neu-Ulm, West Germany | Clay |  Michael Mortensen |
 Jaromir Becka Udo Riglewski |
WEA |
| Winner | 3. | 1990 | Dijon, France | Carpet (i) | Rodolphe Gilbert |
 Jan Apell Peter Nyborg |
7–5, 6–2 |
Bibliography and filmography
- Bahrami, Mansour (2006). Le court des miracles (in French). Paris: Le Cherche Midi. ISBN 2749107652.
- Bahrami, Mansour; Issartel, Jean (2009). The court jester : my story. Central Milton Keynes: TennisMania Trust, in association with AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1438987941.
- The Man behind the Moustache, DVD (2009).
Notes
- Bahrami retired from the main ATP Tour in 2003. As of 2022 he continues to appear at invitational events.
References
- Tilley, Joanna (3 July 2013). "Bahrami: Iran's solo tennis representative". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- HBO’s Real Sports Profiles Mansour Bahrami Tomorrow at 10
- MacDonald, Geoff (30 January 2010). "Islamic Republic Crushed the Dreams of Iran's Top Tennis Players". New York Times. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- ATP profile
- Bahrami, Mansour; Issartel, Jean (2009). The court jester : my story. Central Milton Keynes: TennisMania Trust, in association with AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1438987941.