{"id":175595,"date":"2025-06-11T12:06:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T12:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/175595\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T12:06:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T12:06:11","slug":"he-stunned-andre-agassi-at-wimbledon-in-2002-and-became-the-first-asian-player-ranked-in-the-atp-top-ten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/175595\/","title":{"rendered":"He stunned Andre Agassi at Wimbledon in 2002 and became the first Asian player ranked in the ATP top ten"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Andre Agassi won eight Major titles, the first of which came at Wimbledon in 1992.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The American star lost his first three Grand Slam finals, at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/french-open\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French Open<\/a> to Andres Gomez and the US Open to Pete Sampras in 1990, and again at the French Open to Jim Courier one year later.<\/p>\n<p>Bouncing back in 1992, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/andre-agassi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Agassi<\/a> wasn\u2019t prepared to let the opportunity slip through his fingers when he qualified for the Wimbledon final.<\/p>\n<p>Beating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/goran-ivanisevic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Goran Ivanisevic<\/a> in five sets, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, Agassi lifted the first of his eight Grand Slam titles.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"698\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-57311865-1024x698.jpg\" alt=\"Andre Agassi poses with the trophy after beating Goran Ivanisevic in the 1992 final\" class=\"wp-image-77462\" \/>Photo by Alexander Hassenstein\/Bongarts\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>He was, however, unable to add another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/wimbledon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wimbledon<\/a> title to his collection, returning to the final just once, coming up short in 1999.<\/p>\n<p>Two semi-final losses followed in 2000 and 2001, before Agassi suffered one of the most shocking defeats of his career in the second round of Wimbledon in 2002.<\/p>\n<p>Paradorn Srichaphan: The man who beat Andre Agassi at Wimbledon in 2002<\/p>\n<p>Thailand\u2019s Paradorn Srichaphan enjoyed a breakout season in 2002, kicking off the year in fine form, reaching his maiden <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/atp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ATP<\/a> final in Chennai, India.<\/p>\n<p>Losing out to Guillermo Canas in straight sets, the youngster rose to a career-high ranking of 86th.<\/p>\n<p>Travelling to Wimbledon as the world number 67, expectations weren\u2019t too high for the 23-year-old Thai when he made his fourth career visit to the All England Club.<\/p>\n<p>Srichaphan had won just one match at Wimbledon across three tournaments before 2002, as he struggled to make an impression on the grass.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"inline-links multi\">\n<li>1999 Wimbledon 1R \u2013 Paradorn Srichaphan beat Guillaume Raoux, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6<\/li>\n<li>1999 Wimbledon 2R \u2013 Paradorn Srichaphan lost to Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 4-6<\/li>\n<li>2000 Wimbledon 1R \u2013 Paradorn Srichaphan lost to Tim Henman, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 3-6<\/li>\n<li>2001 Wimbledon 1R \u2013 Paradorn Srichaphan lost to Todd Martin, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Battling through his 2002 Wimbledon opener in five sets, Srichaphan advanced past Jack Brasington to set up a \u2018David v Goliath\u2019 second-round tie with number three seed Agassi.<\/p>\n<p>Few gave Srichaphan a chance when he stepped onto the court, taking on a former world number one.<\/p>\n<p>Shocking the world, Srichaphan beat Agassi in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, 6-2, to book his place in round three.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-860648-1024x724.jpg\" alt=\"Andre Agassi and Paradorn Srichaphan shake hands at the net at Wimbledon in 2002\" class=\"wp-image-101092\" \/>Photo by Clive Brunskill\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>After the match, Srichaphan admitted that he himself wasn\u2019t expecting to beat Agassi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t look too much at the draw because I knew if I got through the first round, I would be playing Andre [Agassi] and that would probably be it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was a little bit shaky at the start and didn\u2019t want to serve first. But when Andre [Agassi] won the toss and asked to receive, it went well and allowed me to relax a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Agassi was stunned by the loss but took the time to praise his opponent, who had just produced one of the tournament\u2019s most memorable upsets.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in shock. I don\u2019t look at it as a reflection of the state of my game at the moment,\u201d said Agassi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cParadorn [Srichaphan] did really well, but I should be doing better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Moving into the third round, Srichaphan\u2019s run came to an end, as he lost to 1996 champion Richard Krajicek in straight sets.<\/p>\n<p>There was, however, more to come from Srichaphan, as he returned to the third round in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>Standing between the Thai and a place in the last 16 was Spain\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/rafael-nadal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rafael Nadal<\/a>, who was competing in his first Grand Slam tournament.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Becoming the first player to defeat Nadal in a Major, Srichaphan beat the Spaniard 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.<\/p>\n<p>Losing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/andy-roddick\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andy Roddick<\/a> in the fourth round, Srichaphan failed in his bid to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal.<\/p>\n<p>He did, however, reach three consecutive Grand Slam fourth rounds, proving himself as one of the best players in the men\u2019s game during 2003 and 2004.<\/p>\n<p>The Thai star reached a career high ranking of ninth in 2003, becoming the first Asian player to break into the world\u2019s top ten.<\/p>\n<p>During his successful ATP Tour career, Srichaphan contested 11 finals, picking up five titles, all of which came at the International Series [ATP 250] level.<\/p>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Tournament<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Surface<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Opponent<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Result<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Score<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2002 Chennai<\/td>\n<td>Hard<\/td>\n<td>Guillermo Canas<\/td>\n<td>Loss<\/td>\n<td>4-6, 6-7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2002 Washington<\/td>\n<td>Hard<\/td>\n<td>James Blake<\/td>\n<td>Loss<\/td>\n<td>6-1, 6-7, 4-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2002 Long Island<\/td>\n<td>Hard<\/td>\n<td>Juan Ignacio Chela<\/td>\n<td>Win<\/td>\n<td>5-7, 6-2, 6-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2002 Stockholm<\/td>\n<td>Hard (indoor)<\/td>\n<td>Marcelo Rios<\/td>\n<td>Win<\/td>\n<td>6-7, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2003 Chennai<\/td>\n<td>Hard<\/td>\n<td>Karol Kucera<\/td>\n<td>Win<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 6-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2003 Indianapolis<\/td>\n<td>Hard<\/td>\n<td>Andy Roddick<\/td>\n<td>Loss<\/td>\n<td>6-7, 4-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2003 Long Island<\/td>\n<td>Hard<\/td>\n<td>James Blake<\/td>\n<td>Win<\/td>\n<td>6-2, 6-4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2004 Chennai<\/td>\n<td>Hard<\/td>\n<td>Carlos Moya<\/td>\n<td>Loss<\/td>\n<td>4-6, 6-3, 6-7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2004 Nottingham<\/td>\n<td>Grass<\/td>\n<td>Thomas Johansson<\/td>\n<td>Win<\/td>\n<td>1-6, 7-6, 6-3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2005 Chennai<\/td>\n<td>Hard<\/td>\n<td>Carlos Moya<\/td>\n<td>Loss<\/td>\n<td>6-3, 4-6, 6-7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2005 Stockholm<\/td>\n<td>Hard (indoor)<\/td>\n<td>James Blake<\/td>\n<td>Loss<\/td>\n<td>1-6, 6-7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p>Paradorn Srichaphan\u2019s record in ATP finals<\/p>\n<p>He also enjoyed his time representing Thailand, boasting a 33-10 record at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/davis-cup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Davis Cup<\/a>, and picking up a gold medal in singles at the 2002 Asian Games.<\/p>\n<p>Why did Paradorn Srichaphan retire from tennis?<\/p>\n<p>After his career-best years in 2003 and 2004, Srichaphan slowed down in 2005, finishing the year ranked 42nd in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Seemingly out of nowhere, he bounced back to reach the semi-finals of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetennisgazette.com\/tag\/indian-wells\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian Wells<\/a> at the beginning of 2006, but fell to Roger Federer in straight sets, as he continued to drop down the rankings.<\/p>\n<p>At his most successful tournament, Srichaphan scored his final ATP tour win, beating Simone Bollelli in the first round of the 2007 Chennai Open.<\/p>\n<p>Suffering an injury in Miami, Srichaphan missed the remainder of the 2007 season and wasn\u2019t seen again until 2009.<\/p>\n<p>There, he competed at his home Thailand Open in doubles, losing in the first round alongside Danai Udomchoke.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"698\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-91267883-1024x698.jpg\" alt=\"Paradorn Srichaphan and Danai Udomchoke in action at the 2009 Thailand Open\" class=\"wp-image-101130\" \/>Photo by Mark Dadswell\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Srichaphan was preparing for a return in 2010 when he was involved in an unfortunate motorcycle accident, which saw him break both of his hands, seriously injuring his knee in the process.<\/p>\n<p>Following the accident, Srichaphan officially retired from tennis on June 4, 2010.<\/p>\n<p>He may not have had the fairy-tale ending, but he certainly left his mark on the sport, retiring as the greatest Thai player in tennis history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andre Agassi won eight Major titles, the first of which came at Wimbledon in 1992. The American star&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":175596,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4105],"tags":[38012,4294,72603,79,1068,16,15,5068],"class_list":{"0":"post-175595","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennis","8":"tag-andre-agassi","9":"tag-atp","10":"tag-paradorn-srichaphan","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-tennis","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-wimbledon"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114664648609449464","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}