Todd Martin
A cerebral and sportsmanlike giant of 1990s tennis, whose classic serve-and-volley game took him to two Grand Slam finals and the world's top five.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American tennis player·Birthday: July 8·Generation X
Biography
Standing at six-foot-six with a textbook serve and elegant net game, Todd Martin was the epitome of the classic American tennis player in an era transitioning to power baseliners. His breakthrough came in 1994, storming to the Australian Open final as an unseeded player, defeating stars like Stefan Edberg before falling to Pete Sampras. For nearly a decade, Martin was a consistent threat, known for his impeccable manners, thoughtful analysis, and a game built on precision rather than brute force. His career pinnacle was arguably the 1999 US Open, where he saved a match point in a epic semi-final against Greg Rusedski, only to lose a heartbreaker to Andre Agassi in the final after leading two sets to one. Off the court, he served as CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and became a respected coach, mentoring players like Milos Raonic, always valued for his strategic insight and integrity.
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.
Todd was born in 1970, 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 Todd Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Todd's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
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
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
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
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Reached the men's singles final at both the 1994 Australian Open and the 1999 US Open.
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 4 in 1999.
- Won eight ATP Tour singles titles, including the prestigious Dubai Tennis Championships in 1994 and 1999.
- Served as the President and later CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame from 2014 to 2020.
Did You Know?
He was a three-time All-American at Northwestern University before turning professional.
He famously used a oversized, 28-inch-long tennis racquet, which was unusual for his era.
He served as the captain of the United States Davis Cup team in 2013.
He is an accomplished pianist.
“The biggest thing I learned from losing that US Open final is that you can survive disappointment.”
