Recently the tennis world has been dominated by the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Without a doubt, professional tennis players are serious about their sport, but there is one tennis player that never takes himself too seriously. His name is Mansour Bahrami, and he can be likened to the Harlem Globetrotters in basketball. His hilarious and deceptive moves are purely designed to entertain fans.
The Iranian-born Bahrami never made much of an impact in the pro league, but he was found great success on the Champions Tour, where retired pros and fan favorites play for entertainment rather than recognition.
His life story is even more remarkable than his tennis moves. As a child, Bahrami worked as a ball boy, and he was unable to afford a racket of his own, so he improvised with frying pans and broom handles to teach himself the game. His progress came to an abrupt halt when the Islamic Revolution banned professional sports in Iran, so he departed to France with his life savings. Despite not being recognized as a serious tennis player, Bahrami did manage to reach the finals of the French Open Doubles in 1989. In 1993 when the Champions Tour cam into existence, he found his calling. He now spends over 40 weeks of the year playing in tournaments and exhibitions around the world.
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