Won the 1972 US Open and the 1973 French Open and became the first player to hold the ATP computer No. 1 ranking, in August 1973, finishing with 64 singles and 45 doubles titles. He was known for shot variety, exceptional speed and a showman's habit of playing to the crowd, and for the recovery flick Bud Collins named the Bucharest Backfire. He entered Romanian politics in 1995, served as a senator from 2014 to 2016 and captained both the Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams.