Sports
Michael Russell
born 1978 · tennis player, coach
Detroit-born professional tennis player who reached a career-high world No. 60 and set the all-time record for USTA Pro Circuit singles titles.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 48- Birth name
- Michael Craig Russell
- Detroit years
- 1978–1990s
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Russell was born in Detroit and grew up in the suburb of Bloomfield Hills, taking up tennis at age five with his father, a former University of Michigan Big Ten champion. He attended Detroit Country Day School before playing college tennis at the University of Miami, where he was named NCAA Rookie of the Year, and turning pro in 1997. Over a long career slowed at times by knee injuries, Russell twice came within a set of beating a defending Grand Slam champion, leading Gustavo Kuerten at the 2001 French Open and Lleyton Hewitt at the 2007 Australian Open before losing both in five sets. His 23 USTA Pro Circuit singles titles remain an all-time record, and he later became a tennis coach.
Highlights
- Born and raised in the Detroit area
- Attended Detroit Country Day School
- Career-high singles ranking of World No. 60, 2007
- Held two-set leads over Grand Slam champions at the 2001 French Open and 2007 Australian Open
- All-time record 23 USTA Pro Circuit singles titles
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1990s
Detroit Country Day School
The private school he attended growing up in the Detroit area.