Mark Knowles

Mark Knowles was a Bahamian professional tennis player who primarily competed in the doubles. Knowles was ranked world #1 in doubles, and won three Grand Slam doubles titles and a mixed doubles title. He won more than $7 million in prize money during his career and competed at five Olympic Games.

At junior Grand Slams Knowles reached the doubles semi-finals at the 1988 US Open and the final of the French Open the following year. After playing three seasons in college tennis at UCLA he turned professional in 1992. Knowles won his first ATP doubles title in August 1993 at the Canadian Open with partner Jim Courier. He won 55 doubles titles, with most of the wins coming with Daniel Nestor of Canada from 1994 to 2007, before teaming with India’s Mahesh Bhupathi towards the end of his career.

In 2002 Knowles won his first Grand Slam doubles title when he and Nestor won the Australian Open. Later that year the pair reached the final of Wimbledon but lost to Jonas Björkman and Todd Woodbridge. In 2004 Knowles and Nestor won the doubles title at the US Open, with the duo going on to win the French Open doubles three years later. Although he never won the doubles title at Wimbledon, Knowles and Germany’s Anna-Lena Grönefeld won the mixed doubles title at the All England Club in 2009.

Starting with the 1992 Barcelona Olympics Knowles competed in the doubles at five consecutive Summer Olympics as well as the singles at the 1996 Atlanta Games. His best performance came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he and partner Mark Merklein reached the quarter-finals. Following his playing career Knowles coached several players, including Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, and Milos Raonic.