Mansour Bahrami
Mansour Bahrami is a former professional tennis player. He is Iranian with dual French nationality since 1989. While only moderately successful on the ATP Tour, his showmanship has made him a long-standing and popular figure in invitational tournaments.
Tennis career
When the Iranian team was short of players, Bahrami was permitted to play the game on a tennis court. His talent was obvious and he reached the Davis Cup team but in the late 1970s the Islamic Revolution within Iran led to tennis being viewed as a capitalist and elitist sport. He spent the next three years playing backgammon as all tennis courts were closed down. In desperation, he fled to France with his life savings, of which he gambled in a casino and lost.While his best days were already behind him, and never having maximized his potential in singles, he became a successful doubles player who even reached the French Open doubles final in 1989 with Éric Winogradsky.
Senior tournaments
Bahrami has been a mainstay of the seniors invitational tennis circuit for about 20 years. Bahrami is considered to have "found his niche" on the ATP Champions Tour, where his flamboyant style and propensity for trick shots chimed with the tour's more entertainment-oriented remit. In reference to his showmanship, his 2009 English-language autobiography was titled The Court Jester.ATP career finals
Doubles: 12 (2–10)
Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Loss | 0–1 | 1986 | ATP Bordeaux | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 5–7, 4–6 |
Loss | 0–2 | 1986 | MercedesCup | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 3–6 |
Loss | 0–3 | 1986 | Paris Masters | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 0–4 | 1987 | Monte-Carlo Masters | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 2–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 0–5 | 1987 | Geneva Open | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–3, 4–6, 2–6 |
Win | 1–5 | 1988 | Geneva Open | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6-4 6-3 |
Loss | 1–6 | 1988 | Toulouse Grand Prix | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 1–7 | 1989 | French Open | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 1–8 | 1989 | Geneva Open | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 5–7 |
Win | 2–8 | 1989 | Toulouse Grand Prix | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 7–6 |
Loss | 2–9 | 1990 | ATP Bordeaux | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 7–6, 2-6 |
Loss | 2–10 | 1991 | Copenhagen Open | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 1–6 |