Jonas Björkman
Jonas Lars Björkman is a Swedish former professional tennis player. He is a former world No. 1 in doubles, and also a former world No. 4 in singles. Björkman retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup doubles championships. As of 2019, he is ranked in the top 40 on the all-time ATP prize money list with over 14 million dollars.
On 20 November 2006, he replaced Dick Norman as the oldest player in the ATP top 100 when Norman dropped out of the top 100 for the last time. On 9 June 2008, aged 36 years and 2 months, Björkman was himself succeeded in this honor by Fabrice Santoro.
Björkman has had long-term successful doubles partnerships with Jan Apell, Jacco Eltingh, Nicklas Kulti, Max Mirnyi, Patrick Rafter, Kevin Ullyett, and Todd Woodbridge. He has won the career Grand Slam in men's doubles, holding a total of nine major championships.
In March 2015, he joined Andy Murray's coaching team.
Biography
The son of tennis coach and mailman Lars Björkman, Jonas began playing tennis at the age of six. At 18, he won the Swedish Junior Championship and was among the top-5 Swede junior players. He married Petra on 2 December 2000 in Stockholm, and they have a son, Max.He plays right-handed and has a particularly good record against left-handed players. He claims it's because his father plays left-handed.
Career
He turned professional in 1991. In 1993, he won three Challenger singles titles. In 1994, he won seven titles in doubles including the 1994 ATP Tour World Championships in Jakarta. In 1995, he reached his first career ATP singles final in Hong Kong. In 1997, he became the ninth ever Swedish tennis player to finish in ATP top 10 at No. 4. He advanced to his first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open, defeating Francisco Clavet, Todd Martin, Gustavo Kuerten, Scott Draper and Petr Korda before losing to Greg Rusedski. At the 1998 Australian Open, he won his first career doubles Grand Slam title. 2000 saw him finishing in the singles top 50 for the fifth time in seven years.In his ATP career, he won six singles titles and 54 titles in doubles, including nine Grand Slam titles in doubles.
He made his Davis Cup debut in 1994 and has played regularly for Sweden ever since. He has compiled a 21–14 record in doubles and a 14–9 record in live singles rubbers. He was a member of Sweden's Davis Cup championship teams in 1994, 1997, and 1998.
In 2002, Björkman won the Nottingham Open by defeating Wayne Arthurs in the final, however, at Wimbledon, he found himself drawn against top seed Lleyton Hewitt in the first round. Björkman was defeated in straight sets, as Hewitt went on to win the tournament.
In the 2006 Wimbledon, he unexpectedly made it into the singles semifinals at the age of 34, making him the oldest player to get there since Jimmy Connors in 1987. He had only made it into the singles quarterfinals once in 2003. He was unseeded, but defeated 14th-seeded Radek Štěpánek in a match which included saving a match point. He had previously ousted his doubles partner Max Mirnyi and another Swede, Thomas Johansson, and Lukáš Dlouhý and Daniele Bracciali to make the quarterfinals. In the semifinal he found world No. 1 and defending champion Roger Federer too good and was overpowered in straight sets, 6–2, 6–0, 6–2.
When John McEnroe announced his official return to the ATP Pro Tour in 2006, he teamed up with Björkman to win the doubles title at the SAP Open in San Jose.
During Wimbledon in 2008, he announced that he would be playing in his final Wimbledon as he was planning on retiring at the end of the season. Although being knocked out in the first round of singles, Björkman and Kevin Ullyett made it to the final, being defeated by second seeds Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić, though receiving a hero's farewell to his extensive career at Wimbledon.
Björkman retired from professional tennis, after the Swede and his partner Ullyett failed to qualify for the doubles semifinal at the 2008 Maters Cup.
On 2 October 2013, he announced a comeback on tour in If Stockholm Open doubles draw, receiving a wild card in pair with fellow countryman Robert Lindstedt.
He competed as a celebrity dancer in Let's Dance 2015.
Coaching
Andy Murray added Björkman to his coaching staff in March initially on a five-week trial to help out in periods when Amélie Mauresmo was unavailable as she only agreed to work with him for 25 weeks. However, at the end of the Australian Open, Mauresmo had informed Murray that she was pregnant and he announced at the end of April, that Björkman would be his main coach for all of the grass-court season and all of the US hard-court swing, while Mauresmo would only be with the team for Wimbledon. Jonas Björkman joined Murray's team in April 2015, helping Murray win the BMW Open in Munich; his first clay-court title. This was followed by Murray winning his first Masters 1000 title on clay in Madrid. In June 2015, Björkman coached Andy Murray through Queen's where he ended up winning his fourth Queen's Club title at the Aegon Championships. In the middle of December 2015, Murray decided not to renew Bjorkman’s contract. The Swede, who joined the world No. 2’s entourage earlier in 2015, took charge of his coaching for the last four months of the season in the absence of Amélie Mauresmo but will not be part of the team in future.Major finals
Grand Slam finals
Doubles: 15 (9–6)
Mixed doubles: 2 (2 runner-ups)
Masters Series finals
Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)
Career finals
Singles: 11 (6–5)
Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
Loss | 0–1 | Hong Kong, UK | Hard | Michael Chang | 3–6, 1–6 | |
Win | 1–1 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Kenneth Carlsen | 7–6, 6–0 | |
Loss | 1–2 | Coral Springs, US | Clay | Jason Stoltenberg | 0–6, 6–2, 5–7 | |
Win | 2–2 | Indianapolis, US | Hard | Carlos Moyà | 6–3, 7–6 | |
Loss | 2–3 | Paris, France | Carpet | Pete Sampras | 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 1–6 | |
Win | 3–3 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard | Jan Siemerink | 3–6, 7–6, 6–2, 6–4 | |
Win | 4–3 | Nottingham, UK | Grass | Byron Black | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Win | 5–3 | Nottingham, UK | Grass | Wayne Arthurs | 6–2, 6–7, 6–2 | |
Loss | 5–4 | Marseille, France | Hard | Roger Federer | 2–6, 6–7 | |
Win | 6–4 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Carpet | Radek Štěpánek | 6–3, 7–6 | |
Loss | 6–5 | Nottingham, UK | Grass | Richard Gasquet | 4–6, 3–6 |
Doubles: 97 (54–43)
Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Loss | 0–1 | Prague, Czech Republic | Clay | Jon Ireland | Karel Nováček Branislav Stankovič | 5–7, 1–6 | |
Loss | 0–2 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Hard | Lars-Anders Wahlgren | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis | 5–7, 6–4, 6–7 | |
Loss | 0–3 | Moscow, Russia | Carpet | Jan Apell | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis | 1–6, ret. | |
Win | 1–3 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Hard | Neil Borwick | Jorge Lozano Jim Pugh | 6–4, 6–1 | |
Win | 2–3 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Carpet | Jeremy Bates | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis | 6–4, 6–1 | |
Loss | 2–4 | Hong Kong, UK | Hard | Patrick Rafter | Jim Grabb Brett Steven | w/o | |
Loss | 2–5 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Jan Apell | Byron Black Jonathan Stark | 4–6, 6–7 | |
Win | 3–5 | Queen's Club, England | Grass | Jan Apell | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde | 3–6, 7–6, 6–4 | |
Win | 4–5 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Jan Apell | Nicklas Kulti Mikael Tillström | 6–2, 6–3 | |
Loss | 4–6 | Washington, D.C., US | Hard | Jakob Hlasek | Grant Connell Patrick Galbraith | 4–6, 6–4, 3–6 | |
Win | 5–6 | Schenectady, US | Hard | Jan Apell | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis | 6–4, 7–6 | |
Loss | 5–7 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | Jan Apell | Lan Bale John-Laffnie de Jager | 7–6, 2–6, 6–7 | |
Loss | 5–8 | Stockholm, Sweden | Carpet | Jan Apell | Mark Woodforde Todd Woodbridge | 3–6, 4–6 | |
Win | 6–8 | Antwerp, Belgium | Carpet | Jan Apell | Hendrik Jan Davids Sébastien Lareau | 4–6, 6–1, 6–2 | |
Win | 7–8 | Tennis Masters Cup, Jakarta | Hard | Jan Apell | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde | 6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 7–6, 7–6 | |
Loss | 7–9 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Jan Apell | Cyril Suk Daniel Vacek | 3–6, 4–6 | |
Loss | 7–10 | Queen's Club, England | Grass | Jan Apell | Todd Martin Pete Sampras | 6–7, 4–6 | |
Win | 8–10 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Jan Apell | Jon Ireland Andrew Kratzmann | 6–3, 6–0 | |
Win | 9–10 | Toulouse, France | Hard | John-Laffnie de Jager | Dave Randall Greg Van Emburgh | 7–6, 7–6 | |
Win | 10–10 | Ostrava, Czech Republic | Carpet | Javier Frana | Guy Forget Patrick Rafter | 6–7, 6–4, 7–6 | |
Loss | 10–11 | Adelaide, Australia | Hard | Tommy Ho | Mark Woodforde Todd Woodbridge | 5–7, 6–7 | |
Loss | 10–12 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Brett Steven | Marcos Ondruska Jack Waite | w/o | |
Win | 11–12 | Antwerp, Belgium | Carpet | Nicklas Kulti | Yevgeny Kafelnikov Menno Oosting | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Win | 12–12 | New Delhi, India | Hard | Nicklas Kulti | Byron Black Sandon Stolle | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 | |
Loss | 12–13 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Nicklas Kulti | Ellis Ferreira Jan Siemerink | 6–3, 3–6, 2–6 | |
Loss | 12–14 | Los Angeles, US | Hard | Nicklas Kulti | Marius Barnard Piet Norval | 5–7, 2–6 | |
Loss | 12–15 | New Haven, US | Hard | Nicklas Kulti | Byron Black Grant Connell | 4–6, 4–6 | |
Loss | 12–16 | Scottsdale, US | Hard | Rick Leach | Luis Lobo Javier Sánchez | 3–6, 3–6 | |
Win | 13–16 | Atlanta, US | Clay | Nicklas Kulti | Scott Davis Kelly Jones | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Loss | 13–17 | Indianapolis, US | Hard | Nicklas Kulti | Mikael Tillström Michael Tebbutt | 3–6, 2–6 | |
Loss | 13–18 | US Open, New York | Hard | Nicklas Kulti | Yevgeny Kafelnikov Daniel Vacek | 6–7, 3–6 | |
Win | 14–18 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | Jacco Eltingh | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde | 6–2, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3 | |
Win | 15–18 | Indian Wells, US | Hard | Patrick Rafter | Todd Martin Richey Reneberg | 6–4, 7–6 | |
Win | 16–18 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | Patrick Rafter | Mahesh Bhupathi Leander Paes | 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–7, 6–4 | |
Win | 17–18 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Patrick Rafter | Paul Haarhuis Jared Palmer | 6–3, 7–5 | |
Win | 18–18 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Patrick Rafter | Byron Black Wayne Ferreira | 7–6, 6–4 | |
Win | 19–18 | Cincinnati, US | Hard | Byron Black | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde | 6–3, 7–6 | |
Win | 20–18 | Stuttgart Indoor, Germany | Hard | Byron Black | David Adams John-Laffnie de Jager | 6–7, 7–6, 6–0 | |
Loss | 20–19 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Hard | Sébastien Lareau | Martin Damm David Prinosil | 1–6, 7–5, 5–7 | |
Loss | 20–20 | Indianapolis, US | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Lleyton Hewitt Sandon Stolle | 2–6, 6–3, 3–6 | |
Win | 21–20 | Moscow, Russia | Carpet | David Prinosil | Jiří Novák David Rikl | 6–2, 6–3 | |
Loss | 21–21 | Sydney, Australia | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Daniel Nestor Sandon Stolle | 6–2, 6–7, 6–7 | |
Win | 22–21 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Byron Black David Prinosil | 6–1, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 | |
Win | 23–21 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Hard | Roger Federer | Petr Pála Pavel Vízner | 6–3, 6–0 | |
Loss | 23–22 | Indian Wells, US | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Wayne Ferreira Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 2–6, 5–7 | |
Loss | 23–23 | Miami, US | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Jiří Novák David Rikl | 5–7, 6–7 | |
Win | 24–23 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Todd Woodbridge | Joshua Eagle Andrew Florent | 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 | |
Win | 25–23 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Todd Woodbridge | Daniel Nestor Sandon Stolle | 7–6, 3–6, 6–3 | |
Loss | 25–24 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Donald Johnson Jared Palmer | 3–6, 6–4, 3–6 | |
Win | 26–24 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Martín García Cyril Suk | 7–6, 7–6 | |
Win | 27–24 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Todd Woodbridge | Paul Haarhuis Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 6–3, 3–6, | |
Loss | 27–25 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Todd Woodbridge | Mahesh Bhupathi Jan-Michael Gambill | 2–6, 4–6 | |
Loss | 27–26 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Todd Woodbridge | David Prinosil David Rikl | 6–4, 6–7, 5–7 | |
Win | 28–26 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Todd Woodbridge | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 6–1, 6–2, 6–7, 7–5 | |
Win | 29–26 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Todd Woodbridge | Paul Hanley Michael Hill | 7–6, 6–4 | |
Win | 30–26 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Todd Woodbridge | Martin Damm Cyril Suk | 6–3, 6–4 | |
Win | 31–26 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Todd Woodbridge | Mahesh Bhupathi Max Mirnyi | 3–6, 6–3, 7–6, 6–3 | |
Loss | 31–27 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Mahesh Bhupathi Max Mirnyi | 3–6, 6–7 | |
Win | 32–27 | US Open, New York | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 5–7, 6–0, 7–5 | |
Win | 33–27 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Wayne Arthurs Paul Hanley | 6–3, 6–4 | |
Win | 34–27 | Sydney, Australia | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 7–6, 7–5 | |
Loss | 34–28 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Leander Paes | Mahesh Bhupathi Fabrice Santoro | 2–6, 6–4, 4–6 | |
Loss | 34–29 | Miami, US | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Wayne Black Kevin Ullyett | 2–6, 6–7 | |
Win | 35–29 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Todd Woodbridge | Julian Knowle Nenad Zimonjić | 6–1, 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 | |
Win | 36–29 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Mahesh Bhupathi | Simon Aspelin Todd Perry | 4–6, 7–6, 7–6 | |
Loss | 36–30 | Toronto, Canada | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Mahesh Bhupathi Leander Paes | 4–6, 2–6 | |
Loss | 36–31 | Cincinnati, US | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 2–6, 6–3, 3–6 | |
Loss | 36–32 | Lyon, France | Carpet | Radek Štěpánek | Jonathan Erlich Andy Ram | 6–7, 2–6 | |
Loss | 36–33 | Moscow, Russia | Carpet | Mahesh Bhupathi | Igor Andreev Nikolay Davydenko | 6–3, 3–6, 4–6 | |
Win | 37–33 | Paris, France | Carpet | Todd Woodbridge | Wayne Black Kevin Ullyett | 6–3, 6–4 | |
Loss | 37–34 | Chennai, India | Hard | Mahesh Bhupathi | Lu Yen-hsun Rainer Schüttler | 5–7, 6–4, 6–7 | |
Loss | 37–35 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Fabrice Santoro | Martin Damm Radek Štěpánek | 2–6, 4–6 | |
Win | 38–35 | Miami, US | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Wayne Black Kevin Ullyett | 6–1, 6–2 | |
Win | 39–35 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Max Mirnyi | Michaël Llodra Fabrice Santoro | 4–6, 7–6, 7–6 | |
Win | 40–35 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Max Mirnyi | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 2–6, 6–1, 6–4 | |
Loss | 40–36 | Queen's Club, England | Grass | Max Mirnyi | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 6–7, 6–7 | |
Win | 41–36 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Joachim Johansson | José Acasuso Sebastián Prieto | 6–2, 6–3 | |
Win | 42–36 | Cincinnati, US | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Wayne Black Kevin Ullyett | 7–6, 6–2 | |
Loss | 42–37 | US Open, New York | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 1–6, 4–6 | |
Loss | 42–38 | St. Petersburg, Russia | Carpet | Max Mirnyi | Julian Knowle Jürgen Melzer | 6–4, 5–7, 5–7 | |
Win | 43–38 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Christophe Rochus Olivier Rochus | 2–6, 6–3, | |
Win | 44–38 | San Jose, US | Hard | John McEnroe | Paul Goldstein Jim Thomas | 7–6, 4–6, | |
Win | 45–38 | Miami, US | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Win | 46–38 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Max Mirnyi | Fabrice Santoro Nenad Zimonjić | 6–2, 7–6 | |
Win | 47–38 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Max Mirnyi | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 6–7, 6–4, 7–5 | |
Loss | 47–39 | Queen's Club, England | Grass | Max Mirnyi | Paul Hanley Kevin Ullyett | 4–6, 6–3, | |
Win | 48–39 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Thomas Johansson | Christopher Kas Oliver Marach | 6–3, 4–6, | |
Win | 49–39 | Cincinnati, US | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 3–6, 6–3, | |
Loss | 49–40 | US Open, New York | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Martin Damm Leander Paes | 7–6, 4–6, 3–6 | |
Win | 50–40 | Tennis Masters Cup, Shanghai | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 6–2, 6–4 | |
Loss | 50–41 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 5–7, 5–7 | |
Win | 51–41 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard | Max Mirnyi | Arnaud Clément Michaël Llodra | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Loss | 51–42 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Kevin Ullyett | Daniel Nestor Nenad Zimonjić | 6–7, 7–6, 3–6, 3–6 | |
Win | 52–42 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Robin Söderling | Johan Brunström Jean-Julien Rojer | 6–2, 6–2 | |
Win | 53–42 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard | Kevin Ullyett | Johan Brunström Michael Ryderstedt | 6–1, 6–3 | |
Win | 54–42 | Paris, France | Hard | Kevin Ullyett | Jeff Coetzee Wesley Moodie | 6–2, 6–2 | |
Loss | 54–43 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard | Robert Lindstedt | Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi Jean-Julien Rojer | 2–6, 2–6 |