Michael Joyce (tennis)
Michael T. Joyce (born February 1, 1973) is an American former tennis player, who turned professional in 1991. The right-hander reached his highest ATP singles ranking of World No. 64 in April 1996. He also became a coach of professional players, most notably former world number one Maria Sharapova from 2004-2011.
| Full name | Michael T. Joyce |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | February 1, 1973 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Turned pro | 1991 |
| Retired | 2003 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand)[1] |
| Prize money | $756,999 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 46–67 |
| Career titles | 0 3 Challengers |
| Highest ranking | No. 64 (April 8, 1996) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (1996, 1997) |
| French Open | 1R (1998) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1995) |
| US Open | 2R (1991, 1993) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 8–21 |
| Career titles | 0 2 Challengers |
| Highest ranking | No. 181 (June 9, 2003) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1995) |
| US Open | 1R (1993, 1995, 1996) |
Tennis career
Juniors
He reached the final of the Wimbledon Jr event in 1991, where he was runner-up to Thomas Enqvist.
Professional tennis player
On the professional tour, Joyce won 3 Challenger events and reached the 4th round of the 1995 Wimbledon Championships. He won the men's singles in the Ojai Tennis Tournament in 2004.[2]
He was the subject of an essay by David Foster Wallace in Esquire;[1] the essay was later republished in Wallace's collections A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again and String Theory.
Coach
Joyce was the coach of Maria Sharapova, along with her father, Yuri Sharapov, from summer 2004 until January 2011, when he was replaced by Thomas Högstedt. During her cooperation with Joyce, Sharapova won three Grand Slam singles titles and reached the World No. 1 ranking.[3]
Joyce coached American tennis player Jessica Pegula from 2012-2017. While with Joyce, in 2013 before suffering from an injury, Pegula reached a career high singles world ranking of 123 and a doubles world ranking of 92.
In 2017, Joyce coached former world number one Victoria Azarenka for 8 months after she returned to competition following maternity leave. However, with family issues interrupting her schedule, the pair split at the end of the year,[4] and Joyce took up the position of coach to Johanna Konta.[5] In October 2018, Joyce split ways with Konta and began coaching Eugenie Bouchard.[6] In April 2019, Joyce split ways with Bouchard;[7] two months later he started to work with Tímea Babos.[8]
Personal life
Joyce currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida, with his wife Jenna and their daughter (born May 2016).
References
- Wallace, David Foster (2008-09-17). "The String Theory". Esquire. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- "Sharapova's long-time coach leaves job". RIA Novosti. January 16, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- http://www.wtatennis.com/news/azarenka-splits-coach-joyce
- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/johanna-konta-hires-maria-sharapovas-fantastic-former-coach-l57hpbm2j
- https://www.womenstennisblog.com/2018/10/10/konta-splits-with-coach-michael-joyce-bochard-hires-him/
- https://twitter.com/mikejoyce73/status/1121942095877554176?s=21
- "Wimbledon: Babos Tímea amerikai sztáredzővel készül". Nemzeti Sport (in Hungarian). Retrieved 20 June 2019.
External links
- Michael Joyce at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Michael Joyce at the International Tennis Federation
- Esquire: "The String Theory," July 1996