Roger Rasheed (born 10 March 1969) is an Australian former Australian rules football player, tennis player, tennis coach and tennis commentator with the Seven Network. Rasheed is best known as the coach of Australian former world No. 1 and major champion Lleyton Hewitt, former world No. 6 Gaël Monfils, former world No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, former world No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov, and for his website ProTennisCoach.com. In addition, Rasheed is a media personality on Channel Seven and is the founder of the Roger Rasheed Sports Foundation.
 Rasheed at the 2015 Aegon Championships in London, coaching Grigor Dimitrov | |
| Country (sports) |  Australia |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 March 1969 Adelaide, Australia |
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm) |
| Turned pro | 1989 |
| Retired | 2005 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 5–6 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 192 (11 May 1992) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (1988, 1992) |
| Wimbledon | Q3 (1988) |
| US Open | Q2 (1992) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 4–14 |
| Career titles | 0 4 Challengers |
| Highest ranking | No. 134 (17 August 1992) |
| Coaching career (2003–) | |
| |
| Coaching achievements | |
| Coachee singles titles total | 6(H) + 2(M) + 1(T) + 4(D) = 13(total) |
| List of notable tournaments (with champion)
| |
Career
editPlayer
editPrior to his work as a coach, Rasheed was the youngest ever player to qualify for an Australian Open in 1985 at 16 years of age, a feat eclipsed by Lleyton Hewitt, whom Rasheed later coached.[1] Rasheed also competed in the ATP Challenger Series and won four titles in 1992. He reached number 192 in ATP rankings and number 132 in the doubles rankings in 1992.
Coaching
editIn Australia, Rasheed is notable as Lleyton Hewitt's coach from 2003 until 2007.[2] During Rasheed's tenure as coach, Hewitt enjoyed significant domestic and international success, including becoming the first Australian in seventeen years to reach the Australian Open final and winning the 2006 Queen's Club Championships. Whilst Hewitt's coach, Rasheed also was the coach of the Australian Davis Cup team in 2006.[3]
Rasheed then coached Gaël Monfils from July 2008 to July 2011 which coincided with Monfils rise in rankings from 38 to 7 in the ATP World Rankings.[4] Since, Rasheed coached Frenchman and former Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga between October 2012 and 2013.[5] Tsonga achieved considerable success over this period, including defeating Roger Federer in straight sets at the French Open.
Since October 2013, Rasheed agreed to coach Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the most successful Bulgarian male tennis player, both in financial and ranking terms, in history.[6] Dimitrov credited Rasheed for his success in the 2014 Australian Open.[7] Following a run of poor results in 2015, which culminated in a straight-sets defeat to Richard Gasquet at Wimbledon, Rasheed parted ways with Dimitrov.[8]
ProTennisCoach.com
editWith Paul Annacone, Brad Gilbert and Darren Cahill, Rasheed developed ProTennisCoach.com — a professional and open coaching website launched in 2013.[9]
Media
editRasheed regularly commentated both men's and women's matches in the Australian Open for the Seven Network between 2007 and 2018. In particular, Rasheed was known for his court-side commentary and special analysis.
He now works for the broadcaster Nine Network whilst working for the Tennis Australia world feed in an expert commentary role. In 2024 he worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in their radio commentary.
Foundation
editIn addition, Rasheed has launched the Roger Rasheed Sports Foundation a not for profit organisation which focuses on children's health across socioeconomic and geographic boundaries.[10] Greg Norman is the Foundation's patron.[11] The organisation's first project is developing the Rajah Street Community Reserve in the City of Marion, Adelaide.[12]
Personal life
editRoger was born to Druze immigrants Najeeb Rasheed and Ibithaj Majid. His father was born in Beit Mery in 1934. He is Australian of Lebanese descent.[13] Born in Adelaide, Rasheed played Australian rules football, including seven games in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) with the Sturt Football Club.[14] He also tried to coach the Pembroke School football team. He is a keen supporter of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).[15]
Challenger finals
editDoubles: 5 (4–1)
edit| Legend |
|---|
| ATP Challenger Tour (4–1) |
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 26 November 1989 | Hobart, Australia | Carpet | Carl Turich
|
Jamie Morgan Todd Woodbridge
|
6–7, 6–7 |
| Winner | 1. | 17 May 1992 | Antwerp, Belgium | Clay | Michael Brown
|
 Mikael Pernfors Kris Goossens
|
6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 2. | 5 July 1992 | Salerno, Italy | Clay | Andrew Kratzmann
|
 Daniel Orsanic Gabriel Markus
|
6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 3. | 2 August 1992 | Winnetka, United States | Hard | Andrew Kratzmann
|
 Rick Witsken Todd Witsken
|
6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 4. | 16 August 1992 | Fortaleza, Brazil | Hard | Andrew Kratzmann
|
Christer Allgårdh Maurice Ruah
|
7–6, 6–4 |
References
edit- ^ Clarke, Ali (5 September 2014). "The Advertiser: Tennis coach Roger Rasheed courting ultimate success". The Advertiser. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ Australian Associated Press (5 January 2007). "Rasheed quits as Lleyton Hewitt's coach". www.smh.com.au. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
- ^ "Roger Rasheed".
- ^ "France's Monfils splits with coach Roger Rasheed". Agence France-Presse. 9 July 2011. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
- ^ Tsonga picks Rasheed as new coach - ABC Grandstand Sport - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
- ^ Roger Rasheed is the new coach of Grigor Dimitrov
- ^ "Rising star Grigor Dimitrov and Roger Rasheed hit on a winning formula". 15 January 2014.
- ^ "Grigor Dimitrov parts with coach Roger Rasheed after run of bad form". TheGuardian.com. 6 July 2015.
- ^ "Home". protenniscoach.com.
- ^ "RRSF". www.rogerrasheed.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013.
- ^ "RRSF". www.rogerrasheed.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013.
- ^ "RRSF". www.rogerrasheed.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013.
- ^ Flanagan, Martin (12 September 2007). "Footy through the eyes of a tennis coach". realfooty.com.au. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
- ^ "The Players - Roger Rasheed is player 972, commenced 19/3/1993". Sturt Football Club. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- ^ Fjeldstad, Jesper (8 June 2013). "Roger Rasheed's Power and passion". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
External links
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