Ion Țiriac


Ion Țiriac, also known as the 'Brașov Bulldozer' is a Romanian businessman and former professional tennis and ice hockey player. He is the current president of the Romanian Tennis Federation.
A former singles top 10 player on the ATP Tour, he is the winner of one grand slam title, the 1970 French Open in men's doubles. Țiriac was the first man to play against a woman in a sanctioned tennis tournament. The highlight of his ice hockey career was participating as defenseman in the Romanian national team at the 1964 Winter Olympics.
After retirement, he became active as a tennis coach, advisor and player agent in the 1980s, taking under his wing Ilie Năstase, Manuel Orantes, Adriano Panatta, Guillermo Vilas, Henri Leconte and the young Boris Becker. Later, Țiriac developed the Mutua Madrid Open ATP masters tennis tournament, which he owns. In 2013, he was elected as contributor into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He has currently been managing French tennis player Lucas Pouille since December 2016.
As a tennis player he played dramatic 5 setters against Rod Laver, Stan Smith, Jan Kodeš or Manuel Orantes. His singles record includes wins over Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Roscoe Tanner, Manuel Orantes, Andrés Gimeno, Adriano Panatta or Niki Pilić. He never won against compatriot Ilie Năstase in their six meetings. He played 3 Davis Cup finals.
According to Forbes magazine, in 2019 he was ranked as the third richest businessman from Romania.

Sports career

Țiriac was born in Transylvania, which is probably the reason why he has the nickname 'Count Dracula'. He first appeared on the international sports scene as a child ping pong champion, then subsequently as an ice hockey player on the Romanian national team at the 1964 Winter Olympics. Shortly after that he switched to tennis as his main sport. With fellow Romanian Ilie Năstase he won the men's doubles in the 1970 French Open and reached the Davis Cup finals several times in the 1970s.
John McPhee wrote of him that his drooping mustache suggests "that this man has been to places most people do not imagine exist. He appears to be a panatela ad, a triple agent from Alexandria, a used-car salesman from central Marrakesh. Tiriac has the air of a man who is about to close a deal in a back room behind a back room."
Țiriac participated in the short period during the 1970s when women dabbled as coeds in established men's tennis tournaments. In his first match he defeated Abigail Maynard 6–0, 6–0 in their round one match at USTA pro circuit's Fairfiled County International Tennis Championship. It was the first time ever a female had entered a men’s tournament.
After his retirement, he served as coach and manager for players such as Ilie Năstase, Guillermo Vilas, Mary Joe Fernández, Goran Ivanišević and Marat Safin. He became the sports agent of Boris Becker and managed his career from 1984 to 1993.
Țiriac was president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee from 1998 to 2004.
Țiriac ran major men's events in Germany, including the season-ending championships in Hanover. Although tennis is now a much smaller part of his portfolio and occupies only 5 percent of his time, he has taken particular pleasure and pride in making Madrid Tennis Open a combined men's and women's event with €7.2 million in total prize money. The trophy awarded to the tournament winner bears his name.
Țiriac also holds the license for the BRD Năstase Țiriac Trophy tennis tournament since 1996. It is currently a €450,000 event, part of the ATP World Tour 250 series, held annually in Bucharest, Romania, just 2 weeks before the Madrid Open.
In 2012 he was nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the contributor category.
On 13 July 2013 he joined the International Tennis Hall of Fame as a successful promoter and tournament director for numerous events including the two of the largest Masters 1000 events, the Italian Open and the Madrid Masters.

Business career

After his retirement as a professional tennis player, Țiriac became a businessman in Germany. In 1987, he appeared in a TV commercial for Miller Lite beer with Bob Uecker, who extols Țiriac's supposed humorous qualities, laughing hysterically while Țiriac sits stone-faced.
Following the collapse of communism in Romania, he started numerous businesses and investments back home. In 1990, he founded Banca Țiriac, the first private bank in post-Communist Romania. Between that and several other enterprises, his fortune was estimated at over US$900 million in 2005.
Țiriac is an avid car collector. The Tiriac Collection represents the exhibition of cars and motorcycles under his ownership. Reopened to the public in May 2015, the collection includes historical vehicles manufactured since 1899 and also modern exotics with about 350 cars and 165 cars at full time display on a rotation basis. Visitors will find the only collection in the world with 2 Rolls-Royce Phantoms IV, as well as exhibits that previously belonged to great names such as Sir Elton John, Sammy Davis Jr. or Bernie Ecclestone.
In 2006, Tiriac was selected as one of the 100 Greatest Romanians, ranking #77.
Ion Țiriac became the first Romanian to enter Forbes' List of billionaires in the 2007 Forbes rankings, ranking 840th in the world. His wealth was estimated at $1.0 billion as of 2010, according to the magazine. In 2010, TOP 300 Capital declared Ion Țiriac the richest man in Romania with a wealth estimated at €1.5–€1.6 billion.
In 2018, Ion Tiriac ranked #1867 on the Forbes World's Billionaires list, with wealth listed at US $1.2 billion.

Personal life

Țiriac was married to Erika Braedt, a handball player, between 1963 and 1965.
He has a son, Ion Țiriac Jr., with Mikette von Issenberg, a fashion model; and further two children, Karim Mihai and Ioana Natalia, with Sophie Ayad, an Egyptian journalist.

Career statistics

Grand Slam finals

Doubles 2 (1–1)

Grand Prix and WCT Tour finals (24–25)

Singles (2–1)

Doubles (22–24)

;Key
Grand Slam tournaments
Grand Prix Masters
Group 1 tournaments
Group 2 tournaments
Team events

OutcomeWeek ofTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponents in the finalScore in the final
1. Winner1970Philadelphia WCT, USACarpet Ilie Năstase Arthur Ashe
Dennis Ralston
6–4, 6–3
2. Winner4 May 1970French Open, ParisClay Ilie Năstase Arthur Ashe
Charlie Pasarell
6–2, 6–4, 6–3
3. Winner1970Rome, ItalyClay Ilie Năstase William Bowrey
Owen Davidson
0–6, 10–8, 6–3, 6–8, 6–1
1. Runner-up13 July 1970Washington DC, USAClay Ilie Năstase Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
5–7, 0–6
4. Winner20 July 1970Cincinnati, USAClay Ilie Năstase Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
6–3, 6–4
2. Runner-up27 July 1970U.S. Clay Court Championships, IndianapolisClay Ilie Năstase Arthur Ashe
Clark Graebner
6–2, 4–6, 4–6
3. Runner-up16 November 1970Embassy British Indoor Championships, LondonCarpet Ilie Năstase Ken Rosewall
Stan Smith
4–6, 3–6, 2–6
5. Winner7 March 1971Hampton, USAHard Ilie Năstase Clark Graebner
Thomaz Koch
6–4, 4–6, 7–5
6. Winner12 April 1971Monte Carlo, MonacoClay Ilie Năstase Tom Okker
Roger Taylor
1–6, 6–3, 6–3, 8–6
4. Runner-up18 April 1971Palermo, Sicily, ItalyClay Ilie Năstase Georges Goven
Pierre Barthes
2–6, 3–6
5. Runner-up22 May 1971Brussels, BelgiumClay Ilie Năstase Marty Riessen
Tom Okker
7. Winner6 February 1972Kansas City, USAIndoor Ilie Năstase Andrés Gimeno
Manuel Orantes
6–7, 6–4, 7–6
6. Runner-up14 February 1972Los Angeles, California, USA Ilie Năstase Jim Osborne
Jim McManus
2–6, 7–5, 4–6
8. Winner5 March 1972Hampton, USAHard Ilie Năstase Andrés Gimeno
Manuel Orantes
6–4, 7–6
9. Winner24 April 1972Rome, ItalyClay Ilie Năstase Lew Hoad
Frew McMillan
3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 5–3, RET.
7. Runner-up13 May 1972Bournemouth, EnglandClay Ilie Năstase Frew McMillan
Bob Hewitt
5–7, 2–6
8. Runner-up5 June 1972Hamburg, GermanyClay Bob Hewitt Ilie Năstase
Jan Kodeš
6–4, 0–6, 6–3, 2–6, 2–6
10. Winner14 August 1972Montreal, CanadaClay Ilie Năstase Jan Kodeš
Jan Kukal
7–6, 6–3
9. Runner-up4 February 1973Des Moines, Iowa, USAHard Juan Gisbert Jan Kukal
Jiří Hřebec
6–4, 6–7, 1–6
10. Runner-up3 March 1973Hampton, Virginia, USAHard Jimmy Connors Ilie Năstase
Clark Graebner
6–4, 6–7, 1–6
11. Winner26 March 1973Valencia, SpainClay Mike Estep Patrick Hombergen
Bernard Mignot
6–4, 1–6, 10–8
11. Runner-up2 April 1973Barcelona, SpainClay Mike Estep Manuel Orantes
Juan Gisbert
4–6, 6–7
12. Runner-up7 May 1973Bournemouth, EnglandClay Adriano Panatta Ilie Năstase
Juan Gisbert
4–6, 6–8
13. Runner-up11 June 1973Hamburg, GermanyClay Manuel Orantes Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
Jürgen Fassbender
6–7, 6–7, 6–7
14. Runner-up23 June 1973Eastbourne, EnglandGrass Manuel Orantes Jim McManus
Ove Nils Bengtson
4–6, 6–4, 5–7
12. Winner5 August 1973Louisville, Kentucky, USAClay Manuel Orantes Clark Graebner
John Newcombe
0–6, 6–4, 6–3
15. Runner-up13 August 1973Indianapolis, Indiana, USAClay Manuel Orantes Frew McMillan
Bob Carmichael
3–6, 4–6
13. Winner17 January 1977Baltimore, Maryland, USACarpet Guillermo Vilas Ross Case
Jan Kodeš
6–3, 6–7, 6–4
16. Runner-up7 February 1977Springfield, MassachusettsCarpet Guillermo Vilas Frew McMillan
Bob Hewitt
6–7, 6–2
14. Winner28 March 1977Nice, FranceClay Guillermo Vilas Chris Kachel
Chris Lewis
6–4, 6–1
17. Runner-up31 July 1977South Orange, New Jersey, USClay Guillermo Vilas Colin Dibley
Wojciech Fibak
1–6, 5–7
18. Runner-up19 September 1977Paris, FranceClay Ilie Năstase Jacques Thamin
Christophe Roger-Vasselin
2–6, 6–4, 3–6
15. Winner26 September 1977Aix-en-Provence, FranceClay Ilie Năstase Patrice Dominguez
Rolf Norberg
7–5, 7–6
16. Winner3 October 1977Tehran, IranClay Guillermo Vilas Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
1–6, 6–1, 6–4
17. Winner3 October 1977Tehran, IranClay Guillermo Vilas Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
1–6, 6–1, 6–4
18. Winner21 November 1977Buenos Aires, ArgentinaClay Guillermo Vilas Ricardo Cano
Antonio Muñoz
6–4, 6–0
19. Winner23 May 1978BMW Open, Munich, GermanyClay Guillermo Vilas Jürgen Fassbender
Tom Okker
3–6, 6–4, 7–6
19. Runner-up30 July 1978South Orange, New Jersey, USClay Guillermo Vilas John McEnroe
Peter Fleming
3–6, 3–6
20. Winner25 September 1978Aix-en-Provence, FranceClay Guillermo Vilas Jan Kodeš
Tomáš Šmíd
7–6, 6–1
20. Runner-up5 November 1978Paris Bercy, FranceHard Guillermo Vilas Andrew Pattison
Bruce Manson
6–7, 2–6
21. Runner-up1 January 1979Hobart, Tasmania, AustraliaGrass Guillermo Vilas Bob Giltinan
Phil Dent
6–8
22. Runner-up29 January 1979Richmond, Virginia, USACarpet Guillermo Vilas John McEnroe
Brian Gottfried
4–6, 3–6
21. Winner19 March 1979San José, Costa RicaHard Guillermo Vilas Anand Amritraj
Colin Dibley
7–6, 6–1
23. Runner-up28 May 1979French Open, Paris, FranceClay Virginia Ruzici Wendy Turnbull
Bob Hewitt
3–6, 6–2, 3–6
24. Runner-up9 July 1979Gstaad, SwitzerlandClay Guillermo Vilas John Marks
Mark Edmondson
3–6, 6–2, 3–6
22. Winner29 July 1979Volvo International, North Conway, New Hampshire, USAClay Guillermo Vilas John Sadri
Tim Wilkison
6–4, 7–6

Performance timeline

Companies

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