Joakim Noah Defensive Player of the Year. Noah was born in New York City, to French singer and former world No. 3 tennis player Yannick Noah, winner of the French Open in 1983, and Cécilia Rodhe, Miss Sweden and fourth runner-up at Miss Universe 1978. His grandfather Zacharie Noah was a Cameroonian professional football player, winner of the Coupe de France in 1961. Noah lived in Paris, France from 1988 to 1998 and returned to New York City at age 13. He played high school basketball for the United Nations International School, Poly Prep Country Day School and Lawrenceville School. Considered a
Patrice Beust at the 1976 French Open with Gail Benedetti and at the 1979 French Open with Betty Stöve. As a singles player he made the third rounds of the 1963 French Championships and the 1966 Wimbledon Championships. One of the early coaches of Yannick Noah, Beust headed the National Tennis Etudes, which was opened in Nice in 1970. He has worked for many years as a coach for the Fédération Française de Tennis and in 2015 was appointed Director of the international tennis tournament held in Pléneuf-Val-André. He is an active player on the ITF senior circuit. Patrice Beust Patrice Beust