Greg Rusedski
With a cannonball left-handed serve, this Canadian-born player switched allegiance and electrified British tennis, coming within a point of Grand Slam glory.
Born 1973 (age 53)·British tennis player·Birthday: September 6·Generation X
Biography
Greg Rusedski brought a jolt of power and personality to British tennis in the 1990s. Born in Montreal, he rose through the Canadian ranks before making the high-profile decision to represent Great Britain, a move that instantly provided the nation with a formidable weapon. His game was built around a monstrous left-handed serve, one of the fastest ever recorded, which he used to blast his way to the top of the sport. In 1997, he rode that serve all the way to the US Open final, where he pushed Patrick Rafter to a fifth-set tie-break, falling just short of the title. That year-end world No. 4 ranking cemented his status. While a major trophy ultimately eluded him, Rusedski's aggressive style and consistent presence in the latter stages of tournaments made him a mainstay of the ATP tour and a central figure in reviving British interest in the men's game, paving the way for the successes that followed.
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.
Greg was born in 1973, 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 Greg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Greg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Reached the final of the US Open in 1997, losing a tight five-set match to Patrick Rafter.
- Achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 4 in 1997.
- Won 15 ATP singles titles during his career, including the Paris Masters in 1998.
Did You Know?
He officially holds the record for the fastest serve in a professional match at the time, clocked at 149 mph (239.8 km/h) in 1998.
Rusedski was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1997.
He was born with a clubfoot that was corrected through surgery when he was a child.
“I served at 149 miles per hour; that was my statement.”
