Hicham Arazi
A mercurial left-handed artist on the tennis court whose magical touch and audacious shot-making dazzled crowds at Grand Slams worldwide.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Moroccan tennis player·Birthday: October 19·Generation X
Biography
Hicham Arazi played tennis with a painter's flair, a master of drop shots, angles, and feathery volleys that often left opponents and spectators in awe. Nicknamed 'The Moroccan Magician,' he brought a rare, flamboyant style from North Africa to the sport's biggest stages. His career was a collection of brilliant runs, most notably reaching the quarterfinals of both the Australian and French Opens twice, where his one-handed backhand and tactical creativity troubled the game's very best. While his lone ATP title came on home soil in Casablanca, his legacy is built on performances like his fourth-round upset of Lleyton Hewitt at the 2004 Australian Open. Arazi’s game was a celebration of feel over force, a reminder that in an era of increasing power, touch and imagination could still weave spells on the court.
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.
Hicham 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 Hicham Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Hicham'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 quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2000 and 2004, and the French Open in 1997 and 1998.
- Won the ATP Tour title in Casablanca in 1997, a victory on home soil.
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 22 in 2001.
- Defeated then-world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round of the 2004 Australian Open.
Did You Know?
He is one of only a handful of Moroccan men to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament.
Arazi was known for playing with a smaller, 85-square-inch tennis racquet long after most players had switched to larger models.
He led two-sets-to-love against Patrick Rafter in the 1997 French Open quarterfinals before Rafter mounted a comeback.
Arazi won the junior title at the French Open in 1992.
“Tennis is not just power; it's geometry and surprise.”
