Tennis Legends - Mary Pierce: Most recent French winner of a singles title at Roland Garros also known for volatile relationship with father

Not since Mary Pierce lifted the French Open women's singles trophy in 2000 has a French player lifted the men's or women's singles crown at their home major. It was one of two Grand Slams singles titles for Pierce.

Born on the 15th January, 1975 in Montreal, Canada, to a French mother, Yannick Adjaj and American father Jim Pierce. She grew up in America but chose to represent France in international competition.

Pierce started playing at the age of 10, relatively late compared to many, but quickly made strides as a junior. She then made her professional debut at just 14, at the 1989 Hilton Head tournament.

She was instantly recognised for her powerful ball-striking. Dad Jim became her coach but this relationship would often prove volatile and ultimately led to the pair becoming estranged for several years.

The first of Pierce’s 18 WTA titles materialised at the 1991 Palermo International. This was followed in 1992 by trophy lifts in Cesena and a successful defence in Palermo. A third title came this year at the Puerto Rico Open. Four WTA titles were won before Pierce had turned 18.

Pierce's main draw debut at a Grand Slam unfolded at the 1990 French Open at just 15 years of age, winning one round. In 1992 Pierce made it through to a round of 16 clash at both the French and US Opens.

The 1993 season commenced with an appearance in her first major quarter-final at the Australian Open. This was backed up later in the season by runs to the last 16 at Roland Garros and the US Open.

A title was picked up in Stuttgart during the October of 1993. Pierce finished the term ranked at world number twelve.

Pierce was hugely consistent through the 1994 campaign. She progressed to a quintet of finals. One of these was a first major final at Roland Garros. A 6-4, 6-4 loss to Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario put paid to home glory.

Pierce was also a quarter-finalist in New York at the US Open, and peaked at the last 16 stage of the Australian Open. She finished inside the season-end top ten for the first time, ending 1994 at number five.

In a reversal of her maiden Grand Slam singles final result, Pierce bested Sanchez-Vicario to land a first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open.

Pierce's journey to glory was incredibly serene. She didn't concede a single set and wasn't extended to seven games in any of the fourteen sets she won.

Later in 1995, Pierce again prevailed against Sanchez-Vicario in the title match at Nichirei International Championships in Japan.

A split with legendary coach Nick Bollettieri triggered a loss in form for the Frenchwoman. She made just one final (Amelia Island) during the 1996 season. From a starting point of five in the world, Pierce finished the campaign at number 20.

Pierce's fortunes changed for the better in 1997 when she reached her third Grand Slam final at the Australian Open. A defeat to Martina Hingis was disappointing but acted as a catalyst for an extended return to the game's upper echelons.

She won her biggest title on clay to date at the Italian Open, ending Conchita Martinez's long winning streak in the Rome final. Pierce finished the year by losing in the prestigious WTA Tour Finals title match to the much-missed Czech Jana Novotna.

Now firmly back inside the top ten, Pierce added titles in France, USA, Russia and Luxembourg to her tennis CV in 1998. A quartet of triumphs that enabled her to finish the campaign inside the top ten for a second successive term.

Quarter-finals were reached at the Australian and US Opens in 1999. Pierce made five finals this year, but would've been frustrated to convert only one of these into victory. The solitary title came in Linz. Another consistent year saw her end it at five.

The outstanding highlight of Pierce's career unfolded at Roland Garros in the 2000 French Open. A final victory over Martinez ended the French wait of 33 years for a women's singles champion since Francoise Durr triumphed in 1967.

Pierce came from a set down in the last eight to beat Monica Seles. Her semi-final, against Martina Hingis, went to three sets. The final was secured in straight sets. She's the only French woman to win the singles in Paris during the Open Era.

Pierce doubled up at the 2000 French Open, adding the women's doubles title alongside Hingis. The two of them had lost the Australian Open final together earlier in the year.

The Charleston Open was the only additional singles title accrued by Pierce in 2000. She finished the season inside the top ten for a fourth consecutive campaign.

The year after her greatest hour was a turbulent one. A severe loss of form allied to injury problems saw Pierce slide outside the top 100.

The 2002 season was another difficult campaign. A last eight appearance at Roland Garros represented the only relative highlight in a campaign where she returned to the top 100 ending the year at 52.

2003 saw Pierce fail to reach the last eight of a major or reach a final on the circuit for a third consecutive term.

One redeeming feature of the 2003 season was Pierce being part of a France squad that claimed a second Fed Cup title. She'd been a member of the squad that won their inaugural title in 1997.

Pierce turned around her descent in 2004. She won her first title since the French Open at the Rosmalen Championships on the grass. This would be her solitary title on the green stuff. A quarter-final run at the Athens Olympics and a lady appearance at the US Open were further signs Pierce was trending in the right direction.

Despite a few positive indicators in 2004, Pierce's 2005 season was a big surprise as she reached two major finals and ended the season residing in the world's top five again.

The first of those Grand Slam singles finals came at the French Open. Pierce had no answer to the best clay courter of her generation, Justine Henin, who won comfortably in straight sets.

Another Belgian, Kim Clijsters, got the better of her in the US Open final later that year. To be back in two major finals after such a fallow period was a remarkable comeback narrative. She also left New York with a mixed doubles title in alliance with Mahesh Bhupathi.

Two titles were amassed - the Southern and California Open and the Kremlin Cup. Her consistency resulted in reaching the WTA Finals title match, losing a tight three-setter with compatriot Amélie Mauresmo.

The 2006 season would be Pierce's last. She made one further final but the renaissance of 2005 couldn't be maintained.

Pierce finished her career with 18 singles titles from 41 finals, and 10 doubles titles plus one in mixed. She appeared in six Grand Slam singles finals, winning two.

Pushy parenting has often been a theme in the history of women's tennis, but it was at its apex in the 1990s. The likes of Jennifer Capriati, Jelena Dokic and Mirjana Lucic were three who suffered in varying degrees at their hands of fathers who seemed hellbent on their daughters achieving success regardless of how it affected their well-being.

Mary Pierce’s father Jim ruled by fear and became notorious for his outbursts towards not only his daughter but fighting with rival parents and even a bodyguard who was hired to look after her in case her father attempted to contact her.

He denigrated her opponents, he fought with their parents and then verbally slammed his daughter in public. At the 1987 Orange Bowl, one of the prestigious junior tournaments, he yelled “Mary, kill the bitch.”

Although some were critical, a lot of it was lapped up by the media. Some people were basking in his outrageous behaviour. He was once ejected from the French Open for punching a pair of Dutch fans.

Pierce turned to Christianity in 2000 and through its teachings of forgiveness and reconciliation, found a way of forgiving her dad and cared for him until he passed away.

Engagements to baseball star Roberto Alomar and pilot David Emmanuel Ades were called off quickly.

She's resided in Mauritius for many years now, doing some coaching on the island. Pierce was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2019. Her ball-striking was of a ferocity that very few matched in the women's game. When she produced her A-game, Pierce’s opponents were often left floundering. The testimony of Steffi Graf and Serena Williams is telling. After losing to Pierce in a 1994 French Open semi-final, Graf said, “There was very little I could do”. Serena, known for her brutal power, once lost 6-2, 6-1 to Pierce and remarked, “Everything she hit was on the line or a winner. So, I mean, what can you do?”

During her heyday, Pierce's Frenchness was often questioned. She was born in Canada but Pierce firmly embedded herself into the bosom of the French sporting public with her home Grand Slam triumph in 2000. As the wait extends further for a new French singles champion, Pierce is becoming more of a national treasure.