Arnaud Clément
A French tennis player whose explosive speed and fighting spirit carried him to a surprise Australian Open final and a Wimbledon doubles crown.
Born 1977 (age 49)·French tennis player·Birthday: December 17·Generation X
Biography
Arnaud Clément burst onto the tennis scene not with overwhelming power, but with a terrier-like tenacity and one of the fastest sets of legs in the game. His career peaked in the sun of Melbourne in 2001, where his relentless retrieving and tactical nous propelled him past higher-ranked opponents and into the Australian Open final, a run that lifted him into the world's top ten. While the singles trophy eluded him that day, his career was defined by this overachieving spirit. He later channeled his sharp court sense into a formidable doubles partnership with countryman Michaël Llodra, their lefty-righty synergy and net-rushing bravado capturing the Wimbledon title in 2007. After retiring, Clément transitioned seamlessly into leadership, serving as France's Davis Cup captain, where his experience in team battles proved invaluable.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Arnaud was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arnaud Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Arnaud's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Reached the final of the 2001 Australian Open as an unseeded player.
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 10 in April 2001.
- Won the 2007 Wimbledon gentlemen's doubles title with Michaël Llodra.
- Captained the French Davis Cup team following his playing career.
Did You Know?
He is one of the shortest men to have reached a Grand Slam singles final in the Open Era.
He won the French Open boys' singles title in 1995.
His four ATP singles titles were all won on different surfaces (carpet, clay, grass, and hard court).
“You must run for every ball, because the point you save could be the match.”
