Marat Safin

Marat Mubinovich Safin (Russian: Мара́т Муби́нович Са́фин, IPA: [mɐˈrat ˈsafʲɪn] ; Tatar: Марат Мөбин улы Сафин, romanized: Marat Möbin ulı Safin; born 27 January 1980) is a Russian former world No. 1 tennis player and former politician. Nicknamed 'Safinator', he achieved the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) top singles ranking on 20 November 2000. Safin began his professional tennis career in 1997, and held the No. 1 ranking for a total of nine weeks between November 2000 and April 2001. When Safin became the world's number one player in 2000, he became (at the time) the youngest world number one in the ATP era of tennis. He won his first major title at the 2000 US Open, defeating Pete Sampras in the final, and his second at the 2005 Australian Open, defeating Lleyton Hewitt in the final. Safin helped lead Russia to Davis Cup victories in 2002 and 2006. Despite his dislike of grass courts, he became the first Russian man to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in 2008.

At the time of his retirement in November 2009, he was ranked world No. 61. In 2011, he became a member of the State Duma representing the United Russia party. In 2016, he became the first Russian tennis player inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Safin is also the older brother of former women's WTA world No. 1 player Dinara Safina. They are the only brother-sister tandem in tennis history to have both achieved No. 1 singles rankings.

Safin is the recipient of four ATP Awards: 1998 Newcomer of the Year, 2000 Most Improved Player, 2001 Fans' Favourite, 2002 Fans' Favourite. Since its inception in 2000, Safin is the only player alongside Roger Federer to have won the award multiple times. He is one of the few tennis players to have a perfect 100% record against Novak Djokovic, having beaten him both times they played, in the 2005 Australian Open and at Wimbledon in 2008, both times in straight sets.