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Richard Peter Stanislav Krajicek (b. December 6,
1971, in Rotterdam, Netherlands) is a former
professional tennis player from the Netherlands.
He is best remembered for winning the men's
singles title at Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon
in 1996.

The son of Czech immigrants in Holland, Krajicek
began playing tennis at the age of four. As a
youngster he won the Dutch 12-under and 14-under
National Championships twice each.

Krajicek turned professional in 1989. In 1991, he
won his first top-level singles title at Hong Kong
and his first tour doubles title in Hilversum. 

In 1992, he reached his first Grand Slam
(tennis)|Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian
Open, but then had to withdraw from his semi-final
match due to a shoulder injury. The following
year, he reached the semi-finals at the French
Open where he lost in four sets to the
defending-champion Jim Courier.

Coming into Wimbeldon in 1996, Krajicek had never
previous progressed beyond the fouth round at the
championships (and had lost in the first round in
the two previous years). He was a player with
undoubted potential, but was not considered to be
one of the strongest contenders to win the title.
The clear favourite was Pete Sampras, who had won
the title for the past three consecutive years.
Krajicek met Sampras in the quarter-finals and
shocked the tennis world by defeating him in
straight sets 7-5, 7-6, 6-4. (Krajicek was the
only player to beat Sampras in a Wimbledon singles
match in the eight-year period from 1993-2000.)
Krajicek then beat Australia's Jason Stoltenberg
in the semi-finals, and went on to face American
MaliVai Washington in the final. He won the final
in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to become the first
Dutchman to win Wimbledon. 

Krajicek's victory over Sampras proved to be no
fluke as Krajicek amassed a 6-4 record against the
American tennis legend. The big-serving Dutchman
is only tennis player of his generation to have a
career winning record against Sampras. 

In 1998, Krajicek was in the Wimbledon semi-finals
again, where he lost to Goran Ivanišević in a
marathon match 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-7, 15-13. His
final attempt in winning his second title ended in
2002 where he lost in the quarter final to the
Xavier Malisse from Belgium.

Krajicek retired from the professional tour in
2003. During his career, he won 17 singles titles
and 3 doubles titles. His career-high singles
ranking was World No. 4 in 1999. 

In 1999, Krajicek married Daphne Deckers, a Dutch
fashion model (person)|model, writer and
actor|actress who appeared in the James Bond movie
Tomorrow Never Dies.

His younger sister Michaella Krajicek was a no.1
junior and has won several Grand Slam tournaments
on the junior tour. Now she has entered the
top-100 for the first time (June 6, 2005) in the
career at the age of only 16.

==External Links==

*http://www.atptennis.com/en/players/playerprofile
s/default2.asp?playersearch=Richard+Krajicek
Official ATP Profile