Template:Eastern Slavic name Marat Mubinovich Safin (Russian: ?????? ?????????? ??????, IPA: [m??rat m??b?in?v??t?? ?saf??n], Tatar: ????? ????? ??? ?????, Marat Möbin u?l? Safin; 27 January 1980) is a Russian politician and retired tennis player of Tatar ethnicity. Safin won two Grand Slam tournaments and reached the world no. 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin is the older brother of former world No. 1 WTA player, Dinara Safina. They are the first brother-sister tandem in tennis history who both achieved no. 1 rankings.Safin began his professional career in 1997, and held the No. 1 world ranking for a total of 9 weeks between November 2000 and April 2001. He won his first Grand Slam title at the 2000 US Open after defeating Pete Sampras, and won the 2005 Australian Open, defeating Australian Lleyton Hewitt in the final. Safin helped lead Russia to Davis Cup victories in 2002 and 2006. Despite his dislike of grass courts, he became the first Russian man to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. At the time of his final Grand Slam appearance at the US Open on 2 September 2009, he was No. 58 in the official world men's tennis rankings. Safin is one of only three men to have managed to win a Grand Slam tournament where at least three of the Big Four have competed (the others being Juan Martín del Potro and Stanislas Wawrinka).
Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year
Nominations
Best Male Tennis Player ESPY Award, Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award
Movies
2008 Wimbledon Official Film
Star Sign
Aquarius
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Fact
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Is of the ethnicity - Tatar, a small Muslim ethnic group residing in the Russian Federation. Is a known Tatar in the major sports of Russia along with fellow Tatar and Muslim and soccer phenom Marat Izmailov.
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Won his second Grand slam title at the Australian Open in January 2005. He beat Lleyton Hewitt in the final.
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Beat Pete Sampras in 2000 at the age of 20 at his first ever Open, the U.S. Open
Trains part of season in Valencia where he spent most of his years as a youth (from age 13-19) and works out with several Spanish players
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Named ATP Newcomer of Year in 1998 and ATP Most Improved Player of Year in 2000
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A fan of Spartak, Moscow soccer team and NBA star 'Shaquille O'Neal (I)'
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Began playing tennis at age six with his father, Misha, director of a small tennis club in Moscow, and mother, Rausa Islanova, who served as her son's coach from ages 6 to 13
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Coached by former ATP pro Peter Lundgren of Sweden (since May 2004) who was also the former coach of Roger Federer.