Taylor
Dent
Athlete Bio#
Age
43
Hometown
Huntington Beach
The Short List
Despite having parents who were pro tennis players, Dent didn't take up the sport seriously until he was 10 and a Grand Slam champion came over to the house. "(My dad) was teaching tennis a lot at our house and one year he was coaching Michael Chang after he won the French Open," Dent told BBC Sport Academy. "Seeing someone like Michael come over to your house and play in the back garden was awesome. He was hitting balls every day and I used to watch and think, ‘Hey, maybe I can do that.'"
Quote
Dent first beat his father, former Aussie Davis Cupper Phil Dent, when he was 14. "But," Taylor told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "he let me win. And then he would never play me again because he didn't want that pressure on me." Did he want to play his father again in a serious match? "Sure, I would have loved to have played him. Every kid wants to kick his dad's butt."
- Making Olympic debut in 2004
- Winner of 4 ATP singles titles
- Served fastest serve of 2001, 144 mph (232 Kmh), in five-set Wimbledon loss to Lleyton Hewitt
- Son of Australian top 20 tennis player Phil Dent, who reached 1974 Australian Open final, and American Betty Ann (Grubb) Stuart, who reached 1977 U.S. Open doubles final
- Cousin Misty May is on the 2004 U.S. Olympic beach volleyball team
- Phil and Taylor Dent are first father and son to win pro singles titles in the Open Era
- To honor his heritage, Taylor has tattoos of the Australian and American flags on his arm
- Nickname is Tails
- Attended same high school as Olympic skater Michelle Kwan
- Member of 2003 Davis Cup team
Despite having parents who were pro tennis players, Dent didn't take up the sport seriously until he was 10 and a Grand Slam champion came over to the house. "(My dad) was teaching tennis a lot at our house and one year he was coaching Michael Chang after he won the French Open," Dent told BBC Sport Academy. "Seeing someone like Michael come over to your house and play in the back garden was awesome. He was hitting balls every day and I used to watch and think, ‘Hey, maybe I can do that.'"
Related Links
Official website for tennis player Taylor Dent: http://www.taylordentonline.vze.com/
Quote
Dent first beat his father, former Aussie Davis Cupper Phil Dent, when he was 14. "But," Taylor told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "he let me win. And then he would never play me again because he didn't want that pressure on me." Did he want to play his father again in a serious match? "Sure, I would have loved to have played him. Every kid wants to kick his dad's butt."
