Career
He became a national hero in Belarus after the Davis Cup 2004, when he and Vladimir Voltchkov defeated Russia 3–2 and Argentina 5–0, reaching the semifinals, where they lost to the United States. For that achievement, he was awarded the government's highest degree medal of honor.
Mirnyi was supposed to be the flag bearer of the Belarus national team for the official opening of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, but Belarusian sport officials changed their minds after they found out that Mirnyi let one Belarusian glamour magazine publish erotic images of himself and his wife.
In 2006, he scored an upset as he took down James Blake 6–4, 3–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–0, at Wimbledon. He then lost to his doubles partner Jonas Björkman 3–6, 6–7, 6–4, 6–2, 3–6. Björkman's run to the semifinals may have tired him out, as he and Björkman lost to Fabrice Santoro and Nenad Zimonjić in straight sets.
In September 2008, Mirnyi completed his studies at the BSU (Belarus State University), where he got a degree in international law. His thesis was about international protection of children's rights. Since 2005, he has served as a Good Will Ambassador to the United Nations in Belarus and regularly takes part in various programs in the framework of UN AIDS and UNICEF.
Read more about this topic: Max Mirnyi
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