Grand Slam heartbreak, infidelity and financial disaster: What happened to Mark Philippoussis?

Mark Philippoussis is a name many fans will remember. The former tennis star was in his prime in the late 1990s, but also made headlines off the court. This is Philippoussis's unparalleled story.

Philippoussis was born on 7 November 1976 in Melbourne to a Greek father and an Italian mother.

He started playing tennis at the age of six and was coached by his father.

Philippoussis was already successful as a junior, winning Wimbledon doubles with Ben Ellwood.

Philippoussis began his professional career in 1994 and would shoot to the top like a rocket.

In 1995, he was the youngest player ever to be ranked in the top 50 at the end of the year, aged just 19.

His first major Grand Slam result came in 1996, when he defeated Pete Sampras in the third round of the Australian Open to reach the fourth round for the first time in his career.

That same year, he won his first singles title by beating Magnus Larsson in Toulouse (France).

Philippoussis impressed during his career with his lightning-fast serve, frustrating opponents with his aces.

In 1998, Philippoussis took the next step in his career and reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open.

He faced compatriot and defending champion Pat Rafter (pictured), who left Philippoussis empty-handed after four sets.

In 1999, Philippoussis won Indian Wells after a hard-fought final against Spaniard Carlos Moyá. Shortly afterwards, he reached a career-high ranking of world No. 8.

Philippoussis's best surface was grass, reaching three consecutive quarter-finals at Wimbledon from 1998 to 2000.

In 2003, he even reached the Wimbledon final, but lost to a young and upcoming Roger Federer.

At an international level, Philippoussis represented Australia and managed to win three titles: the Davis Cup in 1999 and 2003, and the Hopman Cup in 1999.

Philippoussis's career was marred by injuries, especially his knee problems, which kept him off the field regularly.

These problems did not stop him, however, from winning 11 singles titles in his career.

Philippousis retired in 2008, but made his final ATP appearance in 2015, when he hung up his racket for good.

During and after his career, his love life regularly made headlines. In 2004, he dated Delta Goodrem, a relationship that would end after reports of Philippoussis cheating on the Australian singer/actor.

In 2005, he became engaged to Alexis Barbara, a model and actress, but the two split up later.

In 2007, Philippoussis featured as the bachelor on the NBC reality dating show Age of Love.

In 2009, Philippoussis ran into financial problems when he was unable to pay the mortgage on his house, the Sunday Herald Sun reported. He reportedly faced a $1.3 million legal battle with a finance company.

"Money came in left, right and centre; you just thought that's how it was for everyone and that's how it will always be," he told the newspaper. "If I only knew a tenth of what I know now. It's like that show Entourage – I did all that and more."

The problems were wearing him down mentally, at the time. "Things are tough. Financially tough – oh my God – but more importantly than that, it's been the mental side," the former tennis star said. "I wouldn't say I'm battling depression, but have I been depressed a lot in the past two years and freaked out about a lot of things? The answer is, 'Yes'."

In 2009, Philippoussis became engaged to actress Jennifer Esposito, but they separated the following year.

Philippoussis married for the first time in 2013, to Romanian-born model Married Silvana Lovin. Together they have two children.

Philippoussis also tried his hand at coaching after this career, working together with Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas (pictured).

In July 2023, Philippoussis was in the news again when he was fined $10,000 by the ITIA for not respecting betting sponsorship rules. He also received a four-month ban.

Although he did not win a Grand Slam in his career, Philippoussis left his mark on Australian and international tennis and will always be remembered for it.