Flashback 100: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing
September 20, 2024
Todd Martin is widely recognized for his successful professional tennis career, and that success was rooted in mid-Michigan.
He excelled on the tennis court for East Lansing, winning the Class A No. 1 singles title in 1987 after finishing as the flight runner-up in 1986. His flight championship also helped the Trojans secure second place as a team.
After graduating from high school, Martin continued his tennis journey at Northwestern University, where he played for two years before turning professional in 1990.
His breakthrough came in 1993, with five victories over top-10 players, solidifying his rise in the sport. Martin represented the United States in the Davis Cup for nine consecutive years and was part of the championship-winning team in 1995. He reached his first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in 1994 and made it to the finals of the U.S. Open in 1999, where he lost to Andre Agassi in a five-set match - watch here. Martin achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 4 in 1999 and won a total of eight career titles.
Beyond his on-court achievements, Todd Martin is also known for his philanthropic efforts. He founded the Todd Martin Youth Leadership program, which provides educational and athletic opportunities to underserved youth in Michigan. His commitment to both the sport of tennis and his community has left a lasting legacy, both during his playing career and in his post-professional life.
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Previous "Flashback 100" Features
Sept. 13: James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read
PHOTOS At left, Todd Martin, and at right Martin (back row, center) stands among 1986 WMTA District Qualifier champions. (Photos courtesy of the Todd Martin Youth Leadership Program.)
Moment: Tennis Powers Begin Surges
May 8, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, Midland Dow, Detroit Country Day and Ann Arbor Greenhills concluded the first decade of the 2000s with Lower Peninsula boys tennis championships.
They also gave previews of a successful decade the come.
Today’s “Moment” takes a look back at all four teams’ 2009 title runs as part of a postseason wrap-up by the MHSAA Network.
Dow in Division 2 won its first championship since 1984, and the first of what would be five straight. Greenhills’ Division 4 title was the second in a run that would stretch to eight consecutive.
Country Day’s win in Division 3 started a string of 10 top-two finishes, with five of those championships. And although Brother Rice is still seeking its next Division 1 title, the Warriors have finished runners-up four of the last nine seasons.