He is considered one of Australia’s most successful tennis stars.
And Pat Rafter delighted fans on Wednesday morning when he made a rare TV appearance on Channel Seven’s Sunrise.
The two-time US Open winner, 51, has barely aged a day in two decades, but has swapped his trademark ponytail for short hair and now sports a graying beard.
He appeared on the breakfast show after it was announced he would be the first to slide at the Big Freeze fundraiser at the MCG this year.
The Big Freeze is an annual event hosted by FightMND, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding effective treatments and ultimately a cure for motor neurone disease (MND).
Pat Rafter delighted fans on Wednesday morning when he made a rare television appearance on Channel Seven’s Sunrise. Photographed in 1998
The 51-year-old two-time US Open winner barely appears to have aged a day in two decades, sporting a graying beard and short hair.
Pat is swapping his tennis racquet for the celebrity slide before the King’s Birthday Bank Holiday AFL match between Collingwood and Melbourne begins on June 10.
During his television appearance, Pat said he was delighted to take part in the ice dive next month.
“Well, you know, it’s just about supporting a great charity and a great cause, and I know some people who have been affected by MND and it’s a horrible, horrible disease,” he told co-hosts Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr.
He appeared on the breakfast show after it was announced he would be the first to slide at the Big Freeze fundraiser at the MCG this year.
Pat was once voted People’s Sexiest Athlete Alive, the same year he rose to stardom after his first US Open victory in 1997.
“So I want to get on the boat and see what happens… It seemed like a great idea at the time,” he joked.
Pat was once voted People’s Sexiest Athlete Alive, the same year he rose to stardom after his first US Open victory in 1997.
The former world number one tennis player now opts for a quieter life away from the public eye with his family in Byron Bay.
The former world number one tennis player now opts for a quieter life away from the public eye with his family in Byron Bay
Pat married his long-time partner, Lara Rafter, a former model in 2004. The couple share their son Joshua, who recently turned 21.
The tennis star was a very popular sex symbol in the late ’90s and proved she had the ability to match him on the court.
Since retiring, Pat has become an underwear model for Bonds, a brand ambassador for the Mantra hotel group and a successful businessman.
He was named Australian of the Year in 2002, three years after winning the Davis Cup for his country.
After an impressive career, Pat was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.
His greatest achievements came at the US Open, where he won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998, propelling him to no. 1 status in 1999.
After an impressive career, Pat was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.
