France’s Yannick Noah was a prominent figure on the ATP Tour starting from the 1980s until his retirement from the sport. He has remained in the public eye over the years despite hanging up his racket. He’s also back in the spotlight in a prominent way thanks to the Laver Cup 2025, replacing Bjorn Borg as the captain of Team Europe.
Noah made his professional debut in 1977 and improved his results with each passing season. By the end of 1981, he was ranked No. 13 and had won seven titles from 10 finals. He cracked the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time in 1982 and captured four titles that year.
The Frenchman ended his country’s 37-year wait for a home player to win the French Open in 1983. He beat defending champion Mats Wilander in the summit clash to win his first and only Major title in singles. While he couldn’t defend his title the following year, he didn’t go home empty handed, hoisting the winner’s trophy in doubles.
Trending
Noah peaked at No. 3 in the singles rankings and attained the top ranking in doubles. He finished his career with 23 titles in singles and 16 in doubles. While he stopped competing after 1990, he officially retired in 1996. He was inducted in the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005.
Following the end of his playing days, Noah took over the reins of France's Davis Cup team. He led the team to their first title in 59 years in 1991 in his first year as the team captain, beating the heavily favored USA in the final. He coached the team to two more titles over the years, in 1996 and 2017. He also helped the women win the Fed Cup (now known as the Billie Jean King Cup) in 1997, their very first title.
Noah juggled another career while being the captain of his country's tennis teams. He gained popularity as a musician, starting with his debut album Black & What in 1991. He has released a total of 13 albums over the years, and has performed at some of the biggest events in popular culture. His attention will now turn to tennis once again with the upcoming Laver Cup.
Yannick Noah to captain Team Europe for the first time at Laver Cup 2025
The Laver Cup 2025 has one major change, with both teams returning with a new man at the helm. Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe had captained Team Europe and Team World respectively since the inception of the tournament. Both of them stepped down after last year's edition.
Borg has been replaced by Yannich Noah, while Andre Agassi has taken over from McEnroe. This year's Laver Cup will be held in San Francisco, United States, from September 19-21.
Noah will have some big shoes to fill as the captain of Team Europe. Borg led the Europeans to five titles from the tournament's seven editions, including a triumph last year. However, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is the ace up his sleeve, making Noah's team the favorite to retain their title.
