Ivan Lendl was a Czech-American professional tennis player who was active in the 1980s and 1990s. He is best known for his eight Grand Slam singles titles, which included three consecutive US Open titles from 1985 to 1987. He was also a runner-up at seven other Grand Slam tournaments and was ranked world No. 1 for 270 weeks. He was nicknamed 'Ivan of the Courts' due to his dominance on the court.