Milan Šrejber
A big-serving Czech giant-killer who reached the world's top 25 and clinched an Olympic bronze medal for Czechoslovakia.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Czech tennis player·Birthday: December 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Milan Šrejber was a force of nature on the tennis court, a 6'6" right-hander whose most potent weapon was a thunderous serve. In the mid-1980s, he emerged as one of Czechoslovakia's leading players, a tall and imposing figure who thrived on fast surfaces. His game was built on power and aggression, allowing him to upset higher-ranked opponents and climb to a career-high ranking of 23. His crowning achievement came at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where he and compatriot Miloslav Mečíř fought their way to a bronze medal in doubles, securing a place on the podium for their nation. While his singles title count was limited, Šrejber's presence was a constant challenge, a reminder of the depth and physicality coming from Eastern Europe during that era.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Milan was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Milan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Milan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
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
2003Turned 40
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 50
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 60
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 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an Olympic bronze medal in men's doubles with partner Miloslav Mečíř at the 1988 Seoul Games.
- Achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of World No. 23 in October 1986.
- Won one ATP singles title at the 1987 Swiss Indoor Championships in Basel.
- Reached the fourth round of the US Open in 1986, defeating former champion John McEnroe along the way.
Did You Know?
He is one of the tallest players to have been ranked in the ATP Top 25, standing at 6 feet 6 inches.
His lone ATP singles title in Basel was won on indoor carpet, a surface suited to his powerful serve.
He defeated American great John McEnroe in straight sets at the 1986 US Open.
After retiring, he worked as a tennis coach and in sports administration in the Czech Republic.
“My serve was my weapon; I built my whole game around that one shot.”
