Inside former US Open champion’s stunning seven-bedroom beachfront mansion bought by ex-Prime Minister
THIS stunning house used to belong to former US Open champion Pat Rafter.
And he ended up banking millions for it before a former Prime Minister eventually moved in.
Rafter, 51, is a former tennis player who hails from Australia and was once the World No1.
He bagged 11 career titles before being inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006, three years after his retirement.
Rafter is known by British fans for losing consecutive Wimbledon finals in 2000 and 2001, first to Pete Sampras and then Goran Ivanisevic.
But in 1997 and 1998, Rafter became a superstar when he landed back-to-back US Open titles.
He first got the better of British favourite Greg Rusedski in a four-set thriller.
Rafter then defeated fellow Aussie Mark Philippoussis in another four-set battle a year later.
And after banking over £8m in prize money from his successes, Rafter splashed a cool £7m on a beautiful mansion on Australia’s Sunshine Beach in 2006.
Located in Noosa, Queensland, the house boasts seven bedrooms and five bathrooms across a space of 1286sqm.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
The property is located right next to the golden sands and blue sea of the Sunshine Beach.
And it even features an infinity pool which gazes out on the luxurious shores.
In keeping with its location, the house also boasts a private gatehouse beach cabana with showers and enough room for FORTY surfboards.
Rafter put the house up for sale in 2016 amid reports he was relocating to Byron Bay, located 186 miles away in New South Wales.
He wanted £14m for the property, double the price he paid for it a decade earlier.
But it was eventually snapped up for the cheaper sum of £11m by David Hales, founder of Aussie fast food company Betty’s Burgers.
However, Hales did not stick around for long.
And in 2020 the mansion was flogged for £13m to former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was in power between 2007 and 2010, and again in 2013.