"Friends" star Matthew Perry, who died Saturday at the age of 54, was a tennis superfan whose presence was felt in the sport throughout his life.
Perry, who shot to fame by playing sarcastic Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom, had tennis on his mind from an early age. He was a nationally ranked junior player for Canada -- Top 20 in singles and Top 10 in doubles -- before moving into acting.
Even after becoming an Emmy-nominated television superstar, Perry continued to keep tabs on the sport and was a fixture at the US Open for decades.
Perry routinely showed up to support former World No.1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Jennifer Capriati during her run at the top of the game in the 2000s, frequently sitting in her player box alongside her family.
Perry also participated in charitable events and met with junior players while attending tournaments.
Perry remained a key celeb sighting in the sport as recently as this year. He cheered on Iga Swiatek in person as she won her 2022 US Open title. Perry also traveled to Paris to attend 2023 Roland Garros.
Congratulations on your wonderful win yesterday, Champ!
— matthew perry (@MatthewPerry) September 11, 2022
