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)
;KeyGrand Slam tournaments |
Grand Prix Masters |
Group 1 tournaments |
Group 2 tournaments |
Team events |
Outcome | Week of | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
1. Winner | 1970 | Philadelphia WCT, USA | Carpet | Ilie Năstase | Arthur Ashe Dennis Ralston | 6–4, 6–3 |
2. Winner | 4 May 1970 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Arthur Ashe Charlie Pasarell | 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 |
3. Winner | 1970 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Ilie Năstase | William Bowrey Owen Davidson | 0–6, 10–8, 6–3, 6–8, 6–1 |
1. Runner-up | 13 July 1970 | Washington DC, USA | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan | 5–7, 0–6 |
4. Winner | 20 July 1970 | Cincinnati, USA | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan | 6–3, 6–4 |
2. Runner-up | 27 July 1970 | U.S. Clay Court Championships, Indianapolis | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Arthur Ashe Clark Graebner | 6–2, 4–6, 4–6 |
3. Runner-up | 16 November 1970 | Embassy British Indoor Championships, London | Carpet | Ilie Năstase | Ken Rosewall Stan Smith | 4–6, 3–6, 2–6 |
5. Winner | 7 March 1971 | Hampton, USA | Hard | Ilie Năstase | Clark Graebner Thomaz Koch | 6–4, 4–6, 7–5 |
6. Winner | 12 April 1971 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Tom Okker Roger Taylor | 1–6, 6–3, 6–3, 8–6 |
4. Runner-up | 18 April 1971 | Palermo, Sicily, Italy | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Georges Goven Pierre Barthes | 2–6, 3–6 |
5. Runner-up | 22 May 1971 | Brussels, Belgium | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Marty Riessen Tom Okker | |
7. Winner | 6 February 1972 | Kansas City, USA | Indoor | Ilie Năstase | Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes | 6–7, 6–4, 7–6 |
6. Runner-up | 14 February 1972 | Los Angeles, California, USA | Ilie Năstase | Jim Osborne Jim McManus | 2–6, 7–5, 4–6 | |
8. Winner | 5 March 1972 | Hampton, USA | Hard | Ilie Năstase | Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes | 6–4, 7–6 |
9. Winner | 24 April 1972 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Lew Hoad Frew McMillan | 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 5–3, RET. |
7. Runner-up | 13 May 1972 | Bournemouth, England | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt | 5–7, 2–6 |
8. Runner-up | 5 June 1972 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Ilie Năstase Jan Kodeš | 6–4, 0–6, 6–3, 2–6, 2–6 |
10. Winner | 14 August 1972 | Montreal, Canada | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Jan Kodeš Jan Kukal | 7–6, 6–3 |
9. Runner-up | 4 February 1973 | Des Moines, Iowa, USA | Hard | Juan Gisbert | Jan Kukal Jiří Hřebec | 6–4, 6–7, 1–6 |
10. Runner-up | 3 March 1973 | Hampton, Virginia, USA | Hard | Jimmy Connors | Ilie Năstase Clark Graebner | 6–4, 6–7, 1–6 |
11. Winner | 26 March 1973 | Valencia, Spain | Clay | Mike Estep | Patrick Hombergen Bernard Mignot | 6–4, 1–6, 10–8 |
11. Runner-up | 2 April 1973 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Mike Estep | Manuel Orantes Juan Gisbert | 4–6, 6–7 |
12. Runner-up | 7 May 1973 | Bournemouth, England | Clay | Adriano Panatta | Ilie Năstase Juan Gisbert | 4–6, 6–8 |
13. Runner-up | 11 June 1973 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Manuel Orantes | Hans-Jürgen Pohmann Jürgen Fassbender | 6–7, 6–7, 6–7 |
14. Runner-up | 23 June 1973 | Eastbourne, England | Grass | Manuel Orantes | Jim McManus Ove Nils Bengtson | 4–6, 6–4, 5–7 |
12. Winner | 5 August 1973 | Louisville, Kentucky, USA | Clay | Manuel Orantes | Clark Graebner John Newcombe | 0–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
15. Runner-up | 13 August 1973 | Indianapolis, Indiana, USA | Clay | Manuel Orantes | Frew McMillan Bob Carmichael | 3–6, 4–6 |
13. Winner | 17 January 1977 | Baltimore, Maryland, USA | Carpet | Guillermo Vilas | Ross Case Jan Kodeš | 6–3, 6–7, 6–4 |
16. Runner-up | 7 February 1977 | Springfield, Massachusetts | Carpet | Guillermo Vilas | Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt | 6–7, 6–2 |
14. Winner | 28 March 1977 | Nice, France | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | Chris Kachel Chris Lewis | 6–4, 6–1 |
17. Runner-up | 31 July 1977 | South Orange, New Jersey, US | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | Colin Dibley Wojciech Fibak | 1–6, 5–7 |
18. Runner-up | 19 September 1977 | Paris, France | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Jacques Thamin Christophe Roger-Vasselin | 2–6, 6–4, 3–6 |
15. Winner | 26 September 1977 | Aix-en-Provence, France | Clay | Ilie Năstase | Patrice Dominguez Rolf Norberg | 7–5, 7–6 |
16. Winner | 3 October 1977 | Tehran, Iran | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan | 1–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
17. Winner | 3 October 1977 | Tehran, Iran | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan | 1–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
18. Winner | 21 November 1977 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | Ricardo Cano Antonio Muñoz | 6–4, 6–0 |
19. Winner | 23 May 1978 | BMW Open, Munich, Germany | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | Jürgen Fassbender Tom Okker | 3–6, 6–4, 7–6 |
19. Runner-up | 30 July 1978 | South Orange, New Jersey, US | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | John McEnroe Peter Fleming | 3–6, 3–6 |
20. Winner | 25 September 1978 | Aix-en-Provence, France | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | Jan Kodeš Tomáš Šmíd | 7–6, 6–1 |
20. Runner-up | 5 November 1978 | Paris Bercy, France | Hard | Guillermo Vilas | Andrew Pattison Bruce Manson | 6–7, 2–6 |
21. Runner-up | 1 January 1979 | Hobart, Tasmania, Australia | Grass | Guillermo Vilas | Bob Giltinan Phil Dent | 6–8 |
22. Runner-up | 29 January 1979 | Richmond, Virginia, USA | Carpet | Guillermo Vilas | John McEnroe Brian Gottfried | 4–6, 3–6 |
21. Winner | 19 March 1979 | San José, Costa Rica | Hard | Guillermo Vilas | Anand Amritraj Colin Dibley | 7–6, 6–1 |
23. Runner-up | 28 May 1979 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | Virginia Ruzici | Wendy Turnbull Bob Hewitt | 3–6, 6–2, 3–6 |
24. Runner-up | 9 July 1979 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | John Marks Mark Edmondson | 3–6, 6–2, 3–6 |
22. Winner | 29 July 1979 | Volvo International, North Conway, New Hampshire, USA | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | John Sadri Tim Wilkison | 6–4, 7–6 |
Performance timeline
Companies
- Țiriac Holdings
- ȚiriacAIR
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