Mark Philippoussis

A former Top 10 ranked Tennis player on the World Tour, Mark Philippoussis, was a frightening opponent on his day who had a thunderous first serve and a powerful baseline and volley game to match.

Climbing as high as Number 8 in the World in 1999, Mark had the ability to make the game look easy, with his daring attack to hit winning shots, and overwhelm his opponents with power and accuracy. Now at the age of 44, Mark reflects on his professional career with no regrets on the way he approached his career and the style in which he attempted to win his matches.

Mark’s greatest Tennis achievements came in 1998 where he appeared in the US Open Final and 2003 where he made the decider at Wimbledon. Whilst they were terrific personal achievements, Mark has amazing memories of his Davis Cup career where he represented Australia and won the deciding rubbers to take out the Title in 1999 and 2003. Representing his country is something he reflects on with pride and passion.

Based in the US for 23 years, Mark returned to Australia with his wife, Silvana, and his two young children, Nicholas and Maia in 2019. Landing back in Williamstown, a stones throw from where Mark was born and raised in the Western suburbs, Mark and his family have recently moved down to Jan Juc which is situated along Victoria’s Surf Coast. A passion for the Ocean due to his love of surfing and fitness, Mark and Silvana have enjoyed being back in Australia and having the water at their doorstep where they are free to roam the beaches with their children and live a healthy lifestyle. Although he endured multiple major surgeries throughout his professional career, Mark has a focus on his ongoing health and wellbeing. Whilst his injuries prevent him from the rigorous training he performed as an athlete, he finds that the combination of Surfing, functional daily exercises, and the odd weights session a perfect blend to keeping his body in check and a clear mind.

Whilst the unfolding COVID pandemic has put a pause on Mark’s Tennis, he is looking forward to re-joining the Champion’s Tour and being able to travel the World. However, for the moment Mark’s focus and energy is spent on his family, along with his clothing label ‘As We Create’. The label originated from his own personal fashion experiences, where he found it hard to find clean classic designs made from natural fabrics with a focus on comfort. With a passion for design, Mark ensures the products use natural organic fabrics and are ethically made within Australia. Mark has big plans for ‘As We Create’ moving forward.

At the beginning of 2021, Mark was part of the Channel 9 commentary team for the Australian Open, providing expert opinion for the tournament drawing on his tremendous insight of the game. In addition, Mark will also feature on the upcoming series of SAS Australia on the Seven Network, where he along with 18 other identities are pushed to their limits through a series of arduous physical and phycological challenges in a course which only the toughest can survive. The series commenced on Monday 13th September.