Goran Ivanisevic

Tennis Player

Croatian tennis star Goran Ivanisevic turned pro in 1988 and quickly gained a reputation for tremendous serves (he stood 6'4") and a freewheeling personality. He was ranked #2 in the world several times in the mid-1990s; by 2001 he had made over $18 million in career winnings, but his talent had waned and many considered him over the hill. He made it to Wimbledon in 2001 only after receiving a wild-card berth from the tournament committee, then shocked everyone by playing his way into the finals and defeating Australian Pat Rafter in five sets to become the Wimbledon champion.

Extra credit: Ivanisevic won bronze medals in both singles and doubles (with Goran Prpic) at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.