Gustavo Kuerten
Encyclopedia
Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil
. He won the French Open
three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup
champion in 2000. After 12 years on the international tour, he retired from top-level tennis in May 2008.
Kuerten is also known as "Guga" (ˈɡuɡɐ), an affectionate nickname which is a common abbreviation of the name "Gustavo" in Portuguese-speaking countries. He is a polyglot
who speaks fluent Portuguese, Spanish, English and French.
in southern Brazil. He comes from an ethnically German
family. He began playing tennis when he was six, an early start to a life and career marked by family tragedy. His father, a former amateur tennis player, died of a heart attack in 1985 while umpiring a junior tennis match in Curitiba
, when Kuerten was only eight years old. His older brother, Raphael, is currently his business manager. His youngest brother suffered prolonged oxygen deprivation and consequently irreparable brain damage during birth, and as a result suffered from mental retardation and severe physical disability until his death in 2007. Kuerten was deeply affected by his brother's daily struggles, later donating the entire prize money from one tournament he has won every year of his professional career so far to a hometown NGO that provides assistance for people suffering from similar disabilities. He gave every trophy he won to his younger brother as a souvenir, including the three miniature replicas of the French Open men's singles trophy.
As a young player, Kuerten first learned from Carlos Alves. Alves would continue to coach Kuerten for the next 8 years. When he was 14 years old, Kuerten met Larri Passos
who would be his coach for the following 15 years. Passos convinced Kuerten and his family that the youth was talented enough to make a living out of playing tennis. The two started traveling all over the world to participate in junior tournaments. Kuerten turned professional in 1995.
After two years as a professional, Kuerten rose to the position of no. 2 player in Brazil, second only to Fernando Meligeni
, and had his then highest point by helping the Brazil Davis Cup team
defeat Austria
in 1996 and reach the competition's first division, the World Group.
Following his unexpected victory in the 1997 French Open, Kuerten had a difficult year and a half, adjusting to his sudden fame and the pressure of being expected to win. 1998 was the worst year in his career that was not related to injuries (in that year, Kuerten played beneath his potential, despite not being hindered by physical problems). The pressure for him to become an "ambassador" for tennis in Brazil was made evident after his early defeat to a then unknown Marat Safin
in the 1998 French Open: the entire body of Brazilian journalists that had been dispatched to Paris to cover the event immediately returned home, leaving the rest of the tournament unaccounted for in Brazil.
Like many South Americans his favorite court surface is clay. He has won three Grand Slam
titles, all of them at the French Open, played on the clay courts of Roland Garros
. He won these titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. In every one of the three French Open victories he defeated Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov
in the quarterfinal match and defeated exactly two Top 10 players on his way to the title. Kuerten became the No. 1 player in the world in 2000 using his unique serve and strong ground strokes.
Kuerten won at least one title a year between 1997 and 2004. The streak came to an end in 2005, when injuries and below-average performances kept him from winning tournaments. He was also a regular participant for Brazil in Davis Cup
.
Kuerten embraces the baseline style of play, with heavily topspin ground strokes and a solid serve that enables him to wear down his opponent from the back of the court. His unique "grunt
" when he strikes the ball is recognised by millions of fans around the world. He plays right-handed with a single-handed backhand using a western grip
.
last single title at 1966 U.S. Open
. Victories over three former champions: Thomas Muster
(3rd round), Yevgeny Kafelnikov
(quarterfinals) and Sergi Bruguera
(final) made him the third-lowest ranked Grand Slam Champion (ranked 66th) and this led to him entering the ATP
top 20. Only Mark Edmondson
(ranked 212th) and Goran Ivanišević
(ranked 125th) were ranked lower than Kuerten when winning a Grand Slam singles title.
He received his French Open trophy from former champions Björn Borg
and Guillermo Vilas
. When called to the stage to receive the winner's trophy, Kuerten reverently bowed a few times to his childhood idol Borg, who was waiting at the top of the stairs to shake his hand. Later, during the ceremony, Vilas whispered something in Kuerten's ear that caused him to laugh during the speech of the chairman of the event. Kuerten later refused to reveal what it was that Vilas had said, claiming it would be inelegant to do so, but journalists that were equipped with powerful lenses were able to read Vilas's lips, and it was revealed that he had said in Spanish something like: "Get ready kid, it's going to rain women on your lap!"
, beating Patrick Rafter
in the final. In June he reached the quarterfinals at the French Open. At Wimbledon, he became the first Brazilian to reach the quarterfinals since Thomaz Koch
in 1972. He was defeated by Andre Agassi
in the quarterfinals, but had lost just one set until that stage. In July, he defeated Sébastien Grosjean
9–7 in the fifth set of the 1999 Davis Cup
quarterfinal between Brazil and France
. That match lasted 4 hours and 43 minutes. He also became the first Brazilian to qualify for the ATP World Championship, today known as the ATP Tennis Masters Cup
, which is exclusive to the eight best ranked players in the calendar year.
. Kuerten became the first South American to finish the year as World No. 1 in the history of the ATP rankings (since 1973). It was a close contest with young up-and-comer Marat Safin
at the year's last event, the Tennis Masters Cup (in its first year under that name) in Lisbon
, Portugal, with one loss meaning that Safin would have been No. 1. In order to finish the year as the world No. 1 player, Kuerten did what many critics had deemed impossible (for him to do): beat Pete Sampras
and Andre Agassi
in back-to-back matches on an indoor hard court.
He broke an eight-year hold of players from the U.S. on the year-end No. 1 position. He also became the first South American to finish in Top 5 in consecutive years since Guillermo Vilas
of Argentina
in 1977–78.
(6), Ivan Lendl
(3) and Mats Wilander
(3) with three or more French Open titles in the Open Era; former champion Jim Courier
presented him with the trophy. His road to the title was not uneventful: Kuerten saved a match point against Fourth Round opponent Michael Russell
. He also won the biggest hardcourt title of his career in August at the Cincinnati Masters
, where he defeated Patrick Rafter
in the final. He led the ATP in prize money for the second straight year, with US$4,091,004.
for the second time. In that year, the tournament had been moved from September to February, and the surface had been changed from hard to clay (all this was done as a result of a compromise with the Buenos Aires Open, in Argentina, and the Viña del Mar Open, in Chile, so as to tighten up a clear South American tournament circuit). With his victory, Kuerten became the only player so far to have won the title on both surfaces and dates (he had won the previous version of the tournament in 2002).
The one other noteworthy event in Kuerten's season was that he was responsible for the only defeat of Roger Federer
in a Grand Slam event in that year. In Kuerten's only previous encounter against Federer on clay, in the Hamburg Masters 2002, Federer defeated Kuerten 6–0, 1–6, 6–2. When they met again in the third round at the French Open in 2004, it was Federer who was in dominant form, the world #1, and expected to win handily against the injury-ridden Kuerten. Instead, it was Kuerten who overpowered and dominated Federer, sending him off in straight sets (6–4, 6–4, 6–4). Until June 2010, where he was beaten in 4 sets by Robin Söderling in the quarter finals of the French Open, this remained the last time that Federer was defeated in any Grand Slam prior to the semifinals.
On September 1, Kuerten announced that he would be withdrawing from the ATP Tour for an indefinite period of time, in order to undergo detailed exams of his operated hip, which had reportedly started to bother him again. He did not play again for the rest of the year.
and Flávio Saretta
) and was expected to need wildcards to play any of the main tournaments of the season. His main attempt to come back, at the 2006 Brasil Open, was cut short in the first round. Following this debacle, Kuerten managed to obtain wildcards to play in the two North American Masters Series events, Miami and Indian Wells, but injuries forced Kuerten to withdraw from both. The French Tennis Federation had announced that Kuerten, as a three-time champion, would have every chance of being granted a wildcard to play at the 2006 French Open
, provided that he managed to remain active throughout the 2006 season leading up to the French Open. Because Kuerten had been inactive in the Men's Tour since mid-February, he was not granted the wildcard to play, thus missing the French Open for the first time in his professional career.
to enter those events. Kuerten finished with a 2–7 win–loss record for the year.
In November, Gustavo Kuerten's younger brother, Guilherme, who had cerebral palsy
, died.
where he lost in the first round, the Brasil Open
, and the Miami Masters
. After two first-round defeats in singles (Costa do Sauípe, l. to Berlocq and Miami, l. to Grosjean), Kuerten won his first ATP Masters Series level match in a long time, partnering Nicolás Lapentti
, in Miami, against Feliciano López
and Fernando Verdasco
.
. He arrived on court wearing his 'lucky' uniform, the same blue & yellow one that he wore in 1997 when he won his first French Open tournament. Despite saving a match point against his opponent Paul-Henri Mathieu
, he finally lost in three sets (6–3, 6–4, 6–2)—his result in the final of French Open in 1997. He was honoured after the game by the tournament organizers and by all the fans present for what he has achieved throughout his career.
, where he enjoys being an active member of life in the lakeside town of Lagoa da Conceição
. He still enjoys teaching and playing tennis with the local enthusiasts and is known to enjoy some sake after a match down at the local Mexican restaurant Cafe do Sol. In his hometown, he is known as the "Cachorro Grande" (literally Big Dog)
He is an avid surfer
and can sometimes be seen surfing at Praia Brava where he has an apartment.
Kuerten has been accepted to a drama course on Ceart, Center of Arts at UDESC – Santa Catarina State University in Florianópolis. He began his studies there on February 16, 2009.
Runner-ups (2)
Doubles
Notes:
After losing his first Round Robin match, Kuerten had to win the tournament in order to finish the year as world n.1 (had he won the first match, a semifinal result would have sufficed).
1999 Rome Masters
2000 Hamburg Masters
2001 Monte Carlo Masters
2001 Cincinnati Masters *
Kuerten was first called to play for Brazil in the Davis Cup
in 1996, when he became the second-best ranked player in the country (to Fernando Meligeni
). Since then, Kuerten has always answered the invitations to play, claiming that it was a unique opportunity to represent his country.
In the 1999 and 2000 seasons, Kuerten took criticism from his fans, who accused him of not giving 100% in the Davis Cup matches. They claimed he was more concerned with sparing his energy for the ATP tournaments. At one point, Kuerten interrupted a match to argue with a fan who had shouted out for him to apply himself to the match at hand.
In 2004, following the country's unexpected defeat to Canada
in the Repechage match, and the country's demotion to the American Group I after having been defeated by Sweden
in that year's First Round, discontent with the politics of the Brazilian Tennis Confederation spilled over. Kuerten refused to play for Brazil in the American Group I. The unexpected firing of then captain of the Brazilian team, Ricardo Accioly, was the trigger. Kuerten thought it was an arbitrary decision, since it was made without consulting the players. In his view that was just the last in a sequence of questionable decisions made by organization's board.
All other professional Brazilian players followed Kuerten's lead, as well as the newly-appointed captain, former player Jaime Oncins
. As a result, Brazil had to play the first round in the Zonal Group with a team made up of junior players (which was only possible after much negotiation, during which time the country was at risk of forfeiting the Round, which would have resulted in automatic demoting to the American Group II), which resulted in a defeat and the possibility of demotion to the American Group II.
The protest continued, and as a result, Brazil had to play the Repechage match again with a junior team, and was demoted to the American Group II for the 2005 season. As of 2005, following the fall of the BTC board in the aftermath of the protest, Kuerten and the other players have decided to return to the team, now captained by former player Fernando Meligeni
. Kuerten, however, had to delay his return beyond the end of the players' strike, since his hip injuries kept him off courts between September 2004 and May 2005. He returned in the Tie with the Netherlands Antilles
, valid for the Second Round of the American Zonal Group II, which was played in Santa Catarina
, Brazil (on clay) between July 15 and July 17, 2005.
QF – Quarterfinal|SF – Semifinal|QR – Qualifying Round
* During the Doubles match, the star of the Austrian team, Thomas Muster, got angry over what he claimed to be disrespectful Brazilian fans, who were allegedly insulting him from the stands. The match umpire did not recognize his claim, so Muster walked off the court, throwing the match. He then convinced the entire Austrian team to defect the confront, which led to the cancellation of the two singles matches on Sunday and the automatic demotion of Austria to the European Zonal Group I.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He won the French Open
French Open (tennis)
The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are...
three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup
Tennis Masters Cup
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings....
champion in 2000. After 12 years on the international tour, he retired from top-level tennis in May 2008.
Kuerten is also known as "Guga" (ˈɡuɡɐ), an affectionate nickname which is a common abbreviation of the name "Gustavo" in Portuguese-speaking countries. He is a polyglot
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
who speaks fluent Portuguese, Spanish, English and French.
Early life
Kuerten was born in FlorianópolisFlorianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...
in southern Brazil. He comes from an ethnically German
German Brazilian
A German Brazilian is a Brazilian person of ethnic German ancestry or origin...
family. He began playing tennis when he was six, an early start to a life and career marked by family tragedy. His father, a former amateur tennis player, died of a heart attack in 1985 while umpiring a junior tennis match in Curitiba
Curitiba
Curitiba is the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is the largest city with the biggest economy of both Paraná and southern Brazil. The population of Curitiba numbers approximately 1.75 million people and the latest GDP figures for the city surpass US$61 billion according to...
, when Kuerten was only eight years old. His older brother, Raphael, is currently his business manager. His youngest brother suffered prolonged oxygen deprivation and consequently irreparable brain damage during birth, and as a result suffered from mental retardation and severe physical disability until his death in 2007. Kuerten was deeply affected by his brother's daily struggles, later donating the entire prize money from one tournament he has won every year of his professional career so far to a hometown NGO that provides assistance for people suffering from similar disabilities. He gave every trophy he won to his younger brother as a souvenir, including the three miniature replicas of the French Open men's singles trophy.
As a young player, Kuerten first learned from Carlos Alves. Alves would continue to coach Kuerten for the next 8 years. When he was 14 years old, Kuerten met Larri Passos
Larri Passos
Larri Passos is a Brazilian tennis coach most recognized for being coach of the tennis player Gustavo Kuerten. Larri had started to play tennis in Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. However, since he was teenager, he showed that he had more ability as a coach...
who would be his coach for the following 15 years. Passos convinced Kuerten and his family that the youth was talented enough to make a living out of playing tennis. The two started traveling all over the world to participate in junior tournaments. Kuerten turned professional in 1995.
Professional career
As a junior player in South America, Guga always stood out winning many of the most important tournaments in the region. Curiously, many times he played in an age group above his. For example, when he was 16 instead of playing in the category 15–16 he many times played in the category 17–18.After two years as a professional, Kuerten rose to the position of no. 2 player in Brazil, second only to Fernando Meligeni
Fernando Meligeni
Fernando Ariel Meligeni , nicknamed Fininho is a former professional tennis player from Brazil....
, and had his then highest point by helping the Brazil Davis Cup team
Brazil Davis Cup team
The Brazil Davis Cup team represents Brazil in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation.Brazil currently compete in the Americas Zone of Group I...
defeat Austria
Austria Davis Cup team
The Austria Davis Cup team represents Austria in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by Tennis Austria.In 2010 Austria was re-promoted to the World Group after being relegated to the Europa/Africa Zone Group I only one year earlier....
in 1996 and reach the competition's first division, the World Group.
Following his unexpected victory in the 1997 French Open, Kuerten had a difficult year and a half, adjusting to his sudden fame and the pressure of being expected to win. 1998 was the worst year in his career that was not related to injuries (in that year, Kuerten played beneath his potential, despite not being hindered by physical problems). The pressure for him to become an "ambassador" for tennis in Brazil was made evident after his early defeat to a then unknown Marat Safin
Marat Safin
Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken...
in the 1998 French Open: the entire body of Brazilian journalists that had been dispatched to Paris to cover the event immediately returned home, leaving the rest of the tournament unaccounted for in Brazil.
Like many South Americans his favorite court surface is clay. He has won three Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
titles, all of them at the French Open, played on the clay courts of Roland Garros
Stade Roland Garros
Le Stade de Roland Garros is a tennis venue located in Paris, France. It hosts the French Open tennis tournament , a Grand Slam event played annually in May and June. The facility was constructed in 1928 to host France's first defense of the Davis Cup...
. He won these titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. In every one of the three French Open victories he defeated Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002...
in the quarterfinal match and defeated exactly two Top 10 players on his way to the title. Kuerten became the No. 1 player in the world in 2000 using his unique serve and strong ground strokes.
Kuerten won at least one title a year between 1997 and 2004. The streak came to an end in 2005, when injuries and below-average performances kept him from winning tournaments. He was also a regular participant for Brazil in Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
.
Kuerten embraces the baseline style of play, with heavily topspin ground strokes and a solid serve that enables him to wear down his opponent from the back of the court. His unique "grunt
Grunting (tennis)
Grunting in tennis refers to the loud noise, sometimes described as "shrieking" or "screaming", made by some players during their strokes. It is prominent in women's tennis but also exists in men's tennis...
" when he strikes the ball is recognised by millions of fans around the world. He plays right-handed with a single-handed backhand using a western grip
Grip (tennis)
In tennis, a grip is a way of holding the racquet in order to hit shots during a match. The three most commonly used conventional grips are: the Continental , the Eastern and the Western...
.
1997
At the 1997 French Open, he became the first Brazilian to win a Grand Slam singles title since Maria Ester BuenoMaria Bueno
Maria Esther Andion Bueno is a former professional tennis player from Brazil. During her 11-year career , she won 19 Major titles ....
last single title at 1966 U.S. Open
1966 U.S. National Championships (tennis)
List of Champions of the 1966 U.S. National Championships :-Men's Singles: Fred Stolle defeated John Newcombe 4-6 12-10 6-3 6-4-Women's Singles: Maria Bueno defeated Nancy Richey Gunter 6-3, 6-1...
. Victories over three former champions: Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list...
(3rd round), Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002...
(quarterfinals) and Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:...
(final) made him the third-lowest ranked Grand Slam Champion (ranked 66th) and this led to him entering the ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
top 20. Only Mark Edmondson
Mark Edmondson
Mark Edmondson is a former professional Australian male tennis player....
(ranked 212th) and Goran Ivanišević
Goran Ivaniševic
Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
(ranked 125th) were ranked lower than Kuerten when winning a Grand Slam singles title.
He received his French Open trophy from former champions Björn Borg
Björn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
and Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:...
. When called to the stage to receive the winner's trophy, Kuerten reverently bowed a few times to his childhood idol Borg, who was waiting at the top of the stairs to shake his hand. Later, during the ceremony, Vilas whispered something in Kuerten's ear that caused him to laugh during the speech of the chairman of the event. Kuerten later refused to reveal what it was that Vilas had said, claiming it would be inelegant to do so, but journalists that were equipped with powerful lenses were able to read Vilas's lips, and it was revealed that he had said in Spanish something like: "Get ready kid, it's going to rain women on your lap!"
1999
In 1999, he became one of three South Americans to complete the year in the top 10 in all the history of the ATP rankings. In May he won the Rome MastersRome Masters
The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's...
, beating Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
in the final. In June he reached the quarterfinals at the French Open. At Wimbledon, he became the first Brazilian to reach the quarterfinals since Thomaz Koch
Thomaz Koch
Thomaz Koch , is a left-handed former tennis player from Brazil, who won two gold medals in the men's tennis competition at the 1967 Pan American Games....
in 1972. He was defeated by Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
in the quarterfinals, but had lost just one set until that stage. In July, he defeated Sébastien Grosjean
Sébastien Grosjean
Sébastien René Grosjean is a retired tennis player from France. His career-high ATP Entry ranking is No. 4 . He retired from tennis on May 27, 2010.-Career:...
9–7 in the fifth set of the 1999 Davis Cup
1999 Davis Cup
The 1999 Davis Cup was the 88th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. A total of 128 nations participated in the tournament. In the final, Australia defeated France at the Acropolis Exhibition Hall in Nice, France, on 3–5 December, giving Australia their 22nd...
quarterfinal between Brazil and France
France Davis Cup team
The France Davis Cup team represents France in Davis Cup tennis competition, and is governed by the Fédération Française de Tennis.France is the third most successful nation, with 9 wins...
. That match lasted 4 hours and 43 minutes. He also became the first Brazilian to qualify for the ATP World Championship, today known as the ATP Tennis Masters Cup
Tennis Masters Cup
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings....
, which is exclusive to the eight best ranked players in the calendar year.
2000
Kuerten won his second French Open title; the trophy was presented to him by Boris BeckerBoris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
. Kuerten became the first South American to finish the year as World No. 1 in the history of the ATP rankings (since 1973). It was a close contest with young up-and-comer Marat Safin
Marat Safin
Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken...
at the year's last event, the Tennis Masters Cup (in its first year under that name) in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal, with one loss meaning that Safin would have been No. 1. In order to finish the year as the world No. 1 player, Kuerten did what many critics had deemed impossible (for him to do): beat Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
and Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
in back-to-back matches on an indoor hard court.
He broke an eight-year hold of players from the U.S. on the year-end No. 1 position. He also became the first South American to finish in Top 5 in consecutive years since Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in 1977–78.
2001
In 2001, he won his third French Open crown, joining former greats Björn BorgBjörn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
(6), Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
(3) and Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
(3) with three or more French Open titles in the Open Era; former champion Jim Courier
Jim Courier
James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open...
presented him with the trophy. His road to the title was not uneventful: Kuerten saved a match point against Fourth Round opponent Michael Russell
Michael Russell (tennis)
Michael Craig Russell is an American tennis player.Russell is best known for, on two occasions, holding surprise two-set leads in Grand Slam tournaments against former Grand Slam champions before eventually being defeated both times...
. He also won the biggest hardcourt title of his career in August at the Cincinnati Masters
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
, where he defeated Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
in the final. He led the ATP in prize money for the second straight year, with US$4,091,004.
2004
In an injury-ridden year, Kuerten still managed to win one ATP Tour title, which he did at home, by winning the Brasil OpenBrasil Open
The Brasil Open is a tennis tournament held annually in Costa do Sauípe, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. A part of the ATP World Tour 250 series, it is currently the main event in the Brazilian tennis calendar. Since 2004, it has been a part of the South American clay court circuit but was held on hard...
for the second time. In that year, the tournament had been moved from September to February, and the surface had been changed from hard to clay (all this was done as a result of a compromise with the Buenos Aires Open, in Argentina, and the Viña del Mar Open, in Chile, so as to tighten up a clear South American tournament circuit). With his victory, Kuerten became the only player so far to have won the title on both surfaces and dates (he had won the previous version of the tournament in 2002).
The one other noteworthy event in Kuerten's season was that he was responsible for the only defeat of Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
in a Grand Slam event in that year. In Kuerten's only previous encounter against Federer on clay, in the Hamburg Masters 2002, Federer defeated Kuerten 6–0, 1–6, 6–2. When they met again in the third round at the French Open in 2004, it was Federer who was in dominant form, the world #1, and expected to win handily against the injury-ridden Kuerten. Instead, it was Kuerten who overpowered and dominated Federer, sending him off in straight sets (6–4, 6–4, 6–4). Until June 2010, where he was beaten in 4 sets by Robin Söderling in the quarter finals of the French Open, this remained the last time that Federer was defeated in any Grand Slam prior to the semifinals.
On September 1, Kuerten announced that he would be withdrawing from the ATP Tour for an indefinite period of time, in order to undergo detailed exams of his operated hip, which had reportedly started to bother him again. He did not play again for the rest of the year.
2006
In the first months of 2006, injuries and weak performances kept Kuerten from reclaiming his status as a top world player. Ranked out of the top 200, Kuerten was no longer the top player in Brazil (currently behind Ricardo MelloRicardo Mello
Ricardo Mello is a Brazilian tennis player. His preference is for clay courts. He has had the occasional win in hard court tournaments. His best singles rank was no. 50 in 2005...
and Flávio Saretta
Flávio Saretta
Flávio Saretta Filho is a professional tennis player from Brazil who turned professional in 1998....
) and was expected to need wildcards to play any of the main tournaments of the season. His main attempt to come back, at the 2006 Brasil Open, was cut short in the first round. Following this debacle, Kuerten managed to obtain wildcards to play in the two North American Masters Series events, Miami and Indian Wells, but injuries forced Kuerten to withdraw from both. The French Tennis Federation had announced that Kuerten, as a three-time champion, would have every chance of being granted a wildcard to play at the 2006 French Open
2006 French Open
The 2006 French Open was held in Paris, France from May 28 to June 11, 2006. Both defending champions, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin-Hardenne, retained their titles. It is one of the four tennis Grand Slams. This edition made history as it became the first Grand Slam tournament to start on a...
, provided that he managed to remain active throughout the 2006 season leading up to the French Open. Because Kuerten had been inactive in the Men's Tour since mid-February, he was not granted the wildcard to play, thus missing the French Open for the first time in his professional career.
2007
Kuerten's form did not improve in 2007. Because his ranking was not high enough to qualify for ATP Tour tournaments, Kuerten relied on wild cardsWild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
to enter those events. Kuerten finished with a 2–7 win–loss record for the year.
In November, Gustavo Kuerten's younger brother, Guilherme, who had cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, died.
2008
Kuerten made an announcement that he expected 2008 to be his final year of play. Kuerten chose to devise his schedule around tournaments that had sentimental value to him, such as the French OpenFrench Open (tennis)
The French Open |Roland Garros]]) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between late May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. It is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world and the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments – the other three are...
where he lost in the first round, the Brasil Open
Brasil Open
The Brasil Open is a tennis tournament held annually in Costa do Sauípe, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. A part of the ATP World Tour 250 series, it is currently the main event in the Brazilian tennis calendar. Since 2004, it has been a part of the South American clay court circuit but was held on hard...
, and the Miami Masters
Miami Masters
The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park...
. After two first-round defeats in singles (Costa do Sauípe, l. to Berlocq and Miami, l. to Grosjean), Kuerten won his first ATP Masters Series level match in a long time, partnering Nicolás Lapentti
Nicolás Lapentti
----Nicolás Alexander Lapentti Gómez is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador who is ranked 214th...
, in Miami, against Feliciano López
Feliciano López
Feliciano López Diaz-Guerra is a Spanish professional male tennis player. He was born in Toledo and now lives in the Spanish capital Madrid....
and Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco Carmona is a professional tennis player. He is currently ranked no. 22 in the world. Verdasco started playing tennis at four years of age and had a full-time coach when he was eight...
.
Retirement
On May 25, 2008, Gustavo Kuerten played his last professional singles match in front of 15,000 spectators at Roland GarrosStade Roland Garros
Le Stade de Roland Garros is a tennis venue located in Paris, France. It hosts the French Open tennis tournament , a Grand Slam event played annually in May and June. The facility was constructed in 1928 to host France's first defense of the Davis Cup...
. He arrived on court wearing his 'lucky' uniform, the same blue & yellow one that he wore in 1997 when he won his first French Open tournament. Despite saving a match point against his opponent Paul-Henri Mathieu
Paul-Henri Mathieu
Paul-Henri Mathieu is a French tennis player.-Tennis career:Mathieu was born in Strasbourg, France. He first began playing tennis at age 3, with his older brother Pierre-Yves. Between 1997 and 2000 he trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida...
, he finally lost in three sets (6–3, 6–4, 6–2)—his result in the final of French Open in 1997. He was honoured after the game by the tournament organizers and by all the fans present for what he has achieved throughout his career.
Life after Tennis
Since retirement he has settled down in his place of birth, the Brazilian island of FlorianópolisFlorianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...
, where he enjoys being an active member of life in the lakeside town of Lagoa da Conceição
Lagoa da Conceição
Lagoa da Conceição is a district located within a large lagoon of same name near the center of Florianópolis, capital city of the state of Santa Catarina, located in the south of Brazil....
. He still enjoys teaching and playing tennis with the local enthusiasts and is known to enjoy some sake after a match down at the local Mexican restaurant Cafe do Sol. In his hometown, he is known as the "Cachorro Grande" (literally Big Dog)
He is an avid surfer
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
and can sometimes be seen surfing at Praia Brava where he has an apartment.
Kuerten has been accepted to a drama course on Ceart, Center of Arts at UDESC – Santa Catarina State University in Florianópolis. He began his studies there on February 16, 2009.
Distinctions
- Kuerten won his first slam in his third attempt—tied with Mats WilanderMats WilanderMats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
as the fastest of any player in the Open era. - He, Andy Murray, Roger FedererRoger FedererRoger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
and Novak DjokovicNovak DjokovicNovak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open...
are the only non-North American tennis players who have appeared in the finals of all four ATP Masters SeriesATP Masters SeriesThe ATP Masters Series was a series of nine tennis tournaments that formed part of the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, held annually throughout the year in Europe, North America...
events played on the continent (Indian WellsIndian Wells MastersThe Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California....
, MiamiMiami MastersThe Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park...
, Montreal/TorontoCanada MastersThe Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour...
and CincinnatiCincinnati MastersThe Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
). - His fastest serve was measured at 212 km/h (131 mph) at the Gstaad Open in 1999.
- Kuerten has won ATP Tour singles titles in 13 different countries: ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, MonacoMonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, Russia, and the United States. - His highest rank in the ATP Champions Race was #1 December 4, 2000.
- When Kuerten won the 1997 French Open ranked 66th in the world (Entry system, prior to the creation of the Champions' Race), he became the second lowest ranked player to win a Grand Slam event (second to Mark EdmondsonMark EdmondsonMark Edmondson is a former professional Australian male tennis player....
, who won the 1976 Australian Open ranked 212th in the world). Since then, Kuerten has been bumped down to third place, when Goran IvaniševićGoran IvaniševicGoran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous...
won the 2001 Wimbledon ranked 125th in the world. - In 2005, Tennis Magazine put him in 37th place in its list of "The 40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era".
Singles: 3 (3–0)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1997 1997 French Open List of the 1997 French Open champions:-Men's Singles: Gustavo Kuerten def. Sergi Bruguera, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2*It was Kuerten's 1st overall title.-Women's Singles: Iva Majoli def. Martina Hingis, 6–4, 6–2... |
French Open | Clay |  Spain Sergi BrugueraSergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:... |
6–3, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 2000 2000 French Open List of the 2000 French Open champions:-Men's Singles:* Men's Singles-Men's singles: Gustavo Kuerten def. Magnus Norman, 6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6... |
French Open (2) | Clay |  Sweden Magnus NormanMagnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... |
6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(8–6) |
| Winner | 2001 2001 French Open The 2001 French Open was the second Grand Slam event of 2001 and the 100th edition of the French Open. It took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from late May through early June, 2001.-Men's Singles:... |
French Open (3) | Clay | Spain Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999... |
6–7(3–7), 7–5, 6–2, 6–0 |
Singles: 1 (1–0)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2000 | Lisbon 2000 Tennis Masters Cup The 2000 Tennis Masters Cup and the ATP Tour World Championships were tennis tournaments played on indoor hard courts for the singles event, and outdoor hard courts for the doubles event... |
Hard (i) |  United States Andre AgassiAndre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... |
6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |
Singles: 10 (5–5)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1997 | Canada (Montréal) Canada Masters The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour... |
Hard | United States Chris Woodruff Chris Woodruff Chris Woodruff is an American former professional male tennis player. He hails from Knoxville, Tennessee and was trained at the Knoxville Racquet Club.- College career :... |
5–7, 6–4, 3–6 |
| Winner | 1999 | Monte Carlo | Clay |  Chile Marcelo RíosMarcelo Ríos Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No... |
6–4, 2–1, retired |
| Winner | 1999 | Rome Rome Masters The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's... |
Clay |  Australia Patrick RafterPatrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... |
6–4, 7–5, 7–6(8–6) |
| Runner-up | 2000 | Miami Miami Masters The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park... |
Hard | United States Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... |
1–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10) |
| Runner-up | 2000 | Rome | Clay | Sweden Magnus Norman Magnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... |
3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 2000 | Hamburg Hamburg Masters The German Open Hamburg, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany and part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Originally a Grand Prix Tennis Tour event between 1978 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Championship... |
Clay |  Russia Marat SafinMarat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... |
6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 5–7, 7–6(7–3) |
| Winner | 2001 | Monte Carlo (2) | Clay |  Morocco Hicham AraziHicham Arazi Hicham Arazi is a male tennis player from Morocco. He played professionally from 1993 to the end of the 2007. The left-hander reached his highest singles ranking in the ATP Tour on November 5, 2001, when he reached number 22 in the world. During his career, Arazi captured one singles title, in... |
6–3, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 2001 | Rome (2) | Clay | Spain Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002... |
6–3, 1–6, 6–2, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 2001 | Cincinnati Cincinnati Masters The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between... |
Hard | Australia Patrick Rafter |
6–1, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 2003 | Indian Wells Indian Wells Masters The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California.... |
Hard | Australia Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... |
1–6, 1–6 |
Singles: 29 (20–9)
Wins (20)EWLINE
|
EWLINE
|
| Outcome | No. | Date | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | June 8, 1997 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | Spain Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:... |
6–3, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 1. | June 15, 1997 | Bologna ATP Bologna Outdoor The Bologna Outdoor is a defunct Grand Prix and ATP affiliated tennis tournament played from 1985 to 1998. It was held in Bologna in Italy and held on outdoor clay courts.-Singles:-Doubles:-External links:*... , Italy |
Clay | Spain Félix Mantilla Félix Mantilla Botella Félix Mantilla Botella is a former Spanish professional tennis player, born in Barcelona. In common with many of his fellow countrymen, Mantilla's best surface is clay. While not as successful away from the clay, Mantilla also produced good hardcourt results... |
6–4, 2–6, 1–6 |
| Runner-up | 2. | August 3, 1997 | Montreal Canada Masters The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour... , Canada |
Hard | United States Chris Woodruff Chris Woodruff Chris Woodruff is an American former professional male tennis player. He hails from Knoxville, Tennessee and was trained at the Knoxville Racquet Club.- College career :... |
5–7, 6–4, 3–6 |
| Winner | 2. | July 26, 1998 | Stuttgart Mercedes Cup The Mercedes Cup is an ATP World Tour 250 series tennis tournament on the ATP Tour. Held since 1916 in Stuttgart, Germany, the Mercedes Cup is played on clay courts... , Germany |
Clay |  Slovakia Karol KučeraKarol Kucera Karol Kučera is a retired ATP professional male tennis player from Slovakia. He is a former top 10 player and has been ranked as high as World No. 6.-Tennis career:... |
4–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 3. | October 4, 1998 | Majorca Open de Tenis Comunidad Valenciana The Valencia Open 500, formerly known as Open de Tenis Comunidad Valenciana, is a professional tennis tournament played in Valencia, Spain. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. The tournament was first played in Valencia in 1995 before moving to Marbella, Spain for... , Spain |
Clay | Spain Carlos Moyà Carlos Moyá Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland... |
6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–3 |
| Winner | 4. | April 25, 1999 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Chile Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No... |
6–4, 2–1, retired |
| Winner | 5. | May 16, 1999 | Rome Rome Masters The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's... , Italy |
Clay | Australia Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... |
6–4, 7–5, 7–6(8–6) |
| Winner | 6. | March 5, 2000 | Santiago Movistar Open The Movistar Open is an ATP International Series men's tennis tournament held in February 2010 in Las Condes commune, and it's played on clay. It was previously played in Viña del Mar.-History:In 1992, Brazil suspended its three ATP tournaments... , Chile |
Clay |  Argentina Mariano PuertaMariano Puerta Mariano Ruben Puerta is a former Argentine professional male tennis player best known for making the final of the French Open in 2005, where he lost to Rafael Nadal in four sets.-Career:... |
7–6(7–3), 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 3. | April 2, 2000 | Miami Miami Masters The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park... , USA |
Hard | United States Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... |
1–6, 7–6(7–2), 6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10) |
| Runner-up | 4. | May 14, 2000 | Rome Rome Masters The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's... , Italy |
Clay | Sweden Magnus Norman Magnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... |
3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 7. | May 21, 2000 | Hamburg Hamburg Masters The German Open Hamburg, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany and part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Originally a Grand Prix Tennis Tour event between 1978 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Championship... , Germany |
Clay | Russia Marat Safin Marat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... |
6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 5–7, 7–6(7–3) |
| Winner | 8. | June 11, 2000 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | Sweden Magnus Norman Magnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... |
6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(8–6) |
| Winner | 9. | August 20, 2000 | Indianapolis, USA | Hard | Russia Marat Safin |
3–6, 7–6(7–2), 7–6(7–2) |
| Winner | 10. | December 3, 2000 | Year-End Championships Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... , Lisbon, Portugal |
Hard (i) | United States Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... |
6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Winner | 11. | February 25, 2001 | Buenos Aires ATP Buenos Aires The ATP Buenos Aires is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and it is played on outdoor clay courts at the 5,500 capacity Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club,... , Argentina |
Clay | Argentina José Acasuso José Acasuso José Javier "Chucho" Acasuso is a professional male tennis player from Argentina. Like many of his fellow countrymen, he favours clay. He is known for his strong serve and his hard groundstrokes off both sides... |
6–1, 6–3 |
| Winner | 12. | March 4, 2001 | Acapulco Abierto Mexicano Telcel The Abierto Mexicano Telcel is a tennis tournament held in Acapulco, Mexico. It is an event on both the ATP Tour and the WTA Tour... , Mexico |
Clay | Spain Galo Blanco Galo Blanco Galo Blanco is a retired professional tennis player from Oviedo, Spain. Blanco is a member of the men's professional tour since 1995.Most of Blanco's early professional tour appearances were earned by qualifying for tournaments... |
6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 13. | April 22, 2001 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Morocco Hicham Arazi Hicham Arazi Hicham Arazi is a male tennis player from Morocco. He played professionally from 1993 to the end of the 2007. The left-hander reached his highest singles ranking in the ATP Tour on November 5, 2001, when he reached number 22 in the world. During his career, Arazi captured one singles title, in... |
6–3, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 5. | May 13, 2001 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Spain Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002... |
6–3, 1–6, 6–2, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 14. | June 10, 2001 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | Spain Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999... |
6–7(3–7), 7–5, 6–2, 6–0 |
| Winner | 15. | July 22, 2001 | Stuttgart, Germany | Clay | Argentina Guillermo Cañas Guillermo Cañas Guillermo Ignacio Cañas , often referred to as Willy Cañas, is a retired Argentine professional tennis player. He was born in Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, and named after Argentine tennis star Guillermo Vilas. His highest singles ranking was 8th . After retirement Cañas took on coaching, he... |
6–3, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 16. | August 12, 2001 | Cincinnati Cincinnati Masters The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between... , USA |
Hard | Australia Patrick Rafter |
6–1, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 6. | August 19, 2001 | Indianapolis, USA | Hard | Australia Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... |
2–4, retired |
| Winner | 17. | September 15, 2002 | Costa do Sauípe Brasil Open The Brasil Open is a tennis tournament held annually in Costa do Sauípe, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. A part of the ATP World Tour 250 series, it is currently the main event in the Brazilian tennis calendar. Since 2004, it has been a part of the South American clay court circuit but was held on hard... , Brazil |
Hard | Argentina Guillermo Coria Guillermo Coria Guillermo Sebastián Coria , nicknames include El Mago , is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina who was runner-up in the 2004 French Open... |
6–7(4–7), 7–5, 7–6(7–2) |
| Runner-up | 7. | October 13, 2002 | Lyon Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon The Open Sud de France is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour. It was held annually at the Palais des Sports de Gerland in Lyon, France, in October, from 1987 through to 2009, before being relocated to... , France |
Carpet |  France Paul-Henri MathieuPaul-Henri Mathieu Paul-Henri Mathieu is a French tennis player.-Tennis career:Mathieu was born in Strasbourg, France. He first began playing tennis at age 3, with his older brother Pierre-Yves. Between 1997 and 2000 he trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida... |
6–4, 3–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 18. | January 12, 2003 | Auckland Heineken Open (tennis) The Heineken Open is a tennis tournament on the ATP International Series played in Auckland, New Zealand. It was also a combined mens and womens tournament until 1981.-History:... , New Zealand |
Hard | Slovakia Dominik Hrbatý Dominik Hrbatý Dominik Hrbatý is a retired professional tennis player from Slovakia.-Personal life:Hrbatý was born on 4 January 1978 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. His father was an architecture engineer and his younger brother is an umpire... |
6–3, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 8. | March 16, 2003 | Indian Wells Indian Wells Masters The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California.... , USA |
Hard | Australia Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20... |
1–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 19. | October 26, 2003 | St. Petersburg St. Petersburg Open The St. Petersburg Open is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour. It has been held annually at the Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex in St. Petersburg, Russia,... , Russia |
Hard (i) |  Armenia Sargis SargsianSargis Sargsian Sargis Sargsian is a former professional tennis player from Armenia.Sargsian turned pro in 1995, and has won one singles and two doubles titles during his career on the ATP Tour... |
6–4, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 9. | February 15, 2004 | Viña del Mar Movistar Open The Movistar Open is an ATP International Series men's tennis tournament held in February 2010 in Las Condes commune, and it's played on clay. It was previously played in Viña del Mar.-History:In 1992, Brazil suspended its three ATP tournaments... , Chile |
Clay | Chile Fernando González Fernando González ----Fernando Francisco González Ciuffardi is a professional tennis player from Chile. He is known for having one of the hardest forehands on the circuit. In Spanish he is called El Bombardero de La Reina and Mano de Piedra... |
5–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 20. | February 29, 2004 | Costa do Sauípe, Brazil | Clay | Argentina Agustín Calleri Agustín Calleri Agustín Calleri Shaal is a retired professional male tennis player from Argentina. His nickname is Gordo which means Fat in Spanish. He is known as a hard-hitter and he prefers playing on clay.... |
3–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
Doubles: 10 (8–2)
Wins (8)EWLINE
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EWLINE
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| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | November 10, 1996 | Santiago Movistar Open The Movistar Open is an ATP International Series men's tennis tournament held in February 2010 in Las Condes commune, and it's played on clay. It was previously played in Viña del Mar.-History:In 1992, Brazil suspended its three ATP tournaments... , Chile |
Clay |  Brazil Fernando MeligeniFernando Meligeni Fernando Ariel Meligeni , nicknamed Fininho is a former professional tennis player from Brazil.... |
 Romania Dinu PescariuDinu Pescariu Dinu Dănuţ Mihai Pescariu is a former tennis player from Romania, who turned professional in 1991. The right-hander represented his native country at two Summer Olympics: in Barcelona and in Atlanta . He reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on August 6, 1998, when he became the number 75 of... Spain Albert PortasAlbert Portas Albert Portas Soy is a former professional tennis player.-Career:Portas turned professional in 1994... |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 2. | April 13, 1997 | Estoril Estoril Open The Estoril Open is an ATP and WTA clay court tournament held in Jamor, Oeiras, Portugal . The men's tournament was created in 1990 and since its inception, every champion except 2004 champion Juan Ignacio Chela and 2009–2010 champion Albert Montañés has been in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings,... , Portugal |
Clay | Brazil Fernando Meligeni |
 Italy Andrea GaudenziAndrea Gaudenzi Andrea Gaudenzi is a former tennis player from Italy, who turned professional in 1990.Gaudenzi was born in Faenza, Emilia-Romagna. A right-hander, he represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was defeated in the third round by America's eventual... Italy Filippo MessoriFilippo Messori Filippo Messori is a former professional tennis player from Italy. He was born in Modena, Italy.Messori enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 1 doubles title. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 63 in 1997.-Doubles titles... |
6–2, 6–2 |
| 3. | June 15, 1997 | Bologna ATP Bologna Outdoor The Bologna Outdoor is a defunct Grand Prix and ATP affiliated tennis tournament played from 1985 to 1998. It was held in Bologna in Italy and held on outdoor clay courts.-Singles:-Doubles:-External links:*... , Italy |
Clay | Brazil Fernando Meligeni |
United States Dave Randall Dave Randall Dave Randall , is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Randall enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 3 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 39 in 1994.-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:... United States Jack WaiteJack Waite Jack Waite , is a former American tennis player.Waite won 3 doubles titles during his professional career. The right-hander reached his highest doubles ATP ranking on September, 1997, when he became the number 44 in the world.-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:... |
6–2, 7–5 |
| 4. | July 20, 1997 | Stuttgart Mercedes Cup The Mercedes Cup is an ATP World Tour 250 series tennis tournament on the ATP Tour. Held since 1916 in Stuttgart, Germany, the Mercedes Cup is played on clay courts... , Germany |
Clay | Brazil Fernando Meligeni |
United States Donald Johnson Donald Johnson ----Donald James "Don" Johnson is a former professional tennis player from the United States who reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking in 2002. Although born in Bethlehem, PA he was raised and learned the sport of tennis in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania... United States Francisco MontanaFrancisco Montana Francisco Montana is a former professional male tennis player from the United States. He turned pro in 1990.He reached his career high doubles ranking, World No. 13, on July 8, 1998.-Doubles titles :... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 5. | July 12, 1998 | Gstaad Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad The Swiss Open is a tennis tournament held in Gstaad, Switzerland. Held since 1915, the tournament is played on outdoor clay courts... , Switzerland |
Clay | Brazil Fernando Meligeni |
Argentina Daniel Orsanic Daniel Orsanic Daniel Orsanic is a former professional male tennis player from Argentina and currently works as a coach on ATP tour.-Playing career:Orsanic was a left-hander and a double handed backhand...  Czech Republic Cyril SukCyril Suk Cyril Suk III is a former professional tennis player. A doubles specialist, Suk has won one Grand Slam men's doubles title and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles during his career.... |
6–4, 7–5 |
| 6. | January 10, 1999 | Adelaide, Australia | Hard |  Ecuador Nicolás LapenttiNicolás Lapentti ----Nicolás Alexander Lapentti Gómez is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador who is ranked 214th... |
United States Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... United States Patrick GalbraithPatrick Galbraith Patrick Galbraith is a former professional tennis player from the United States.A doubles specialist, Galbraith reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking in 1993. During his career he won 38 top-level doubles titles. He was a mixed doubles champion at the US Open in 1994 and 1996... |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 7. | March 5, 2000 | Santiago, Chile | Clay | Brazil Antônio Prieto Antonio Prieto Juan Antonio Espinoza Prieto was a Chilean actor who developed most of his acting career in Argentina.Also a popular singer, he scored an international 1961 hit with "La novia", later known as "The Wedding" in Great Britain and the US. In 1995 a 20 Greatest Hits CD was released, which included... |
 South Africa Lan BaleLan Bale Lan Bale , is a former professional tennis player from South Africa. He enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 4 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional 4 times. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No... South Africa Piet NorvalPiet Norval Pieter Norval is a former tennis player from South Africa, who turned professional in 1988. The right-hander represented his native country in the doubles competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he partnered Wayne Ferreira... |
6–2, 6–4 |
| 8. | March 4, 2001 | Acapulco Abierto Mexicano Telcel The Abierto Mexicano Telcel is a tennis tournament held in Acapulco, Mexico. It is an event on both the ATP Tour and the WTA Tour... , Mexico |
Clay | United States Donald Johnson Donald Johnson ----Donald James "Don" Johnson is a former professional tennis player from the United States who reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking in 2002. Although born in Bethlehem, PA he was raised and learned the sport of tennis in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania... |
South Africa David Adams David Adams (tennis) David Adams is a former professional tennis player from South Africa. He turned pro in 1989. During his career he won 19 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional 33 times, including at the French Open in 1992. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No... Argentina Martín García |
6–3, 7–6(7–5) |
Runner-ups (2)
EWLINE
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EWLINE
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| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | September 15, 2002 | Costa do Sauípe Brasil Open The Brasil Open is a tennis tournament held annually in Costa do Sauípe, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. A part of the ATP World Tour 250 series, it is currently the main event in the Brazilian tennis calendar. Since 2004, it has been a part of the South American clay court circuit but was held on hard... , Brazil |
Hard | Brazil André Sá André Sá André Rezende Sá is a professional Brazilian tennis player. He is number 29 for doubles, and 467 for singles.-Personal:... |
United States Scott Humphries Scott Humphries Scott Humphries , is a professional tennis player from the United States.Humphries achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 29 in 2000...  The Bahamas Mark MerkleinMark Merklein Mark Merklein is a former college and professional tennis player from the Bahamas.Merklein was born in Freeport, Bahamas. He received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for the Florida Gators men's tennis team in National... |
3–6, 6–7(1–7) |
| 2. | November 3, 2002 | Paris Paris Masters The Paris Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Paris, France. It is played indoors at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The event is part of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour... , France |
Carpet (I) | France Cédric Pioline Cédric Pioline Cédric Pioline is a retired French professional tennis player who played on the professional tour from 1989 to 2002. He reached the men's singles final at the 1993 US Open and at Wimbledon in 1997... |
France Nicolas Escudé Nicolas Escudé Nicolas Jean-Christophe Escudé is a former professional tennis player from France, who turned professional in 1995. He won four singles titles and two doubles titles during his career.... France Fabrice SantoroFabrice Santoro Fabrice Vetea Santoro is a retired French professional male tennis player from Tahiti. Though not counted among the top ranked players, he had an unusually long professional career – with many of his accomplishments coming toward the end of his career – and he is popular among spectators and other... |
3–6, 6–7(1–8) |
Performance timelines
Singles| Tournament | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | SR | W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam Tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
A | A | A | A | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 3R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 8 | 7–8 |
| French Open | A | A | A | 1R | W 1997 French Open - Men's Singles Gustavo Kuerten defeated Sergi Bruguera 6-3 6-4 6-2 in the final to win the Men's Singles title at the 1997 French Open. See also:-Key:* Q = Qualifier* WC = Wild Card* LL = Lucky Loser* r. = retired-Finals:-Section 1:-Section 2:-Section 3:... |
2R | QF | W 2000 French Open - Men's Singles Andre Agassi was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Karol Kučera.Gustavo Kuerten won in the final 6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6, against Magnus Norman.-Seeds:# Andre Agassi # Pete Sampras ... |
W 2001 French Open - Men's Singles Gustavo Kuerten was the defending champion, and won in the final 6–7, 7–5, 6–2, 6–0, against Àlex Corretja.-Seeds:# Gustavo Kuerten # Marat Safin # Andre Agassi ... |
4R | 4R | QF | 1R | A | A | 1R | 3 / 11 | 36–8 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | QF | 3R | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 5 | 7–5 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... |
A | A | A | A | 3R | 2R | QF | 1R | QF | 4R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | A | 0 / 9 | 15–9 |
| Win–Loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 10–3 | 3–4 | 13–4 | 9–3 | 12–2 | 6–3 | 5–4 | 6–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3 / 33 | 65–30 |
| Masters Cup Tennis Masters Cup The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is a tennis tournament played at the end of each year, involving the top eight players in the men's tennis world rankings.... |
A | A | A | A | A | A | RR | W | RR | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1 / 3 | 5–6 |
| ATP Masters Series | ||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Wells Indian Wells Masters The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California.... |
A | A | A | Q2 | 3R | 1R | SF | 2R | 3R | A | F | 2R | A | A | 1R | A | 0 / 8 | 14–8 |
| Miami Miami Masters The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park... |
A | A | A | Q2 | 3R | QF | 2R | F | 3R | A | 2R | 2R | A | A | 1R | 1R | 0 / 9 | 11–9 |
| Monte Carlo | A | A | A | A | 1R | 3R | W | 1R | W | A | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | A | 1R | 2 / 9 | 14–7 |
| Rome Rome Masters The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's... |
A | A | A | A | A | SF | W | F | F | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | A | 1 / 7 | 20–6 |
| Hamburg Hamburg Masters The German Open Hamburg, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany and part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Originally a Grand Prix Tennis Tour event between 1978 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Championship... |
A | A | Q3 | A | 1R | QF | QF | W | 1R | QF | 3R | A | 2R | A | A | A | 1 / 8 | 16–7 |
| Montreal/Toronto Canada Masters The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour... |
A | A | A | A | F | 1R | A | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 3R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 7 | 9–7 |
| Cincinnati Cincinnati Masters The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between... |
A | A | A | A | QF | A | QF | SF | W | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | A | A | 1 / 7 | 16–6 |
| Madrid (Stuttgart) Madrid Masters There are two sporting events named the Madrid Masters:*Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open — a men's and women's tennis tournament*Madrid Masters... |
A | A | A | A | 3R | A | 3R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 3–6 |
| Paris Paris Masters The Paris Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Paris, France. It is played indoors at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The event is part of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour... |
A | A | A | A | 2R | A | 2R | SF | 3R | 1R | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 6–6 |
| Win–Loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 12–8 | 10–6 | 21–6 | 25–8 | 23–7 | 4–6 | 10–9 | 3–5 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 5 / 67 | 109–62 |
| Year End Ranking | 670 | 371 | 188 | 88 | 14 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 16 | 40 | 291 | 1078 | 680 | 1150 | ||
- A = did not participate in the tournament
- LQ = lost in the qualifying draw
Doubles
| Tournament | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
1R | QF | 2R | 1R | ||||||||
| French Open | 2R | QF | 2R | |||||||||
| Wimbledon | 1R | 1R | ||||||||||
| US Open | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R |
Grand Slam tournaments
| 1. 1997 French Open 1997 French Open - Men's Singles Gustavo Kuerten defeated Sergi Bruguera 6-3 6-4 6-2 in the final to win the Men's Singles title at the 1997 French Open. See also:-Key:* Q = Qualifier* WC = Wild Card* LL = Lucky Loser* r. = retired-Finals:-Section 1:-Section 2:-Section 3:... |
||
| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1R | Czech Republic Sláva Doseděl (73) |
6–0, 7–5, 6–1 |
| 2R | Sweden Jonas Björkman Jonas Björkman Jonas Lars Björkman is a former World Number 4 Swedish professional tennis player. He is also a former World No. 1 in doubles. Björkman retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup Doubles championships.... (23) |
6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 7–5 |
| 3R |  Austria Thomas MusterThomas Muster Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list... (5) |
6–7(3–7), 6–1, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 |
| 4R |  Ukraine Andrei MedvedevAndrei Medvedev Andriy Medvedev , is a former professional tennis player from Ukraine. Medvedev made a splash on the international tennis scene when, as a 17-year-old, he won titles in Genoa and Stuttgart... (20) |
5–7, 6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 7–5 |
| QF | Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... (3) |
6–2, 5–7, 2–6, 6–0, 6–4 |
| SF |  Belgium Filip DewulfFilip Dewulf Filip Dewulf is a former professional male tennis player from Belgium.In his career he won 2 ATP Tour singles titles and 1 title in doubles... (122) |
6–1, 3–6, 6–1, 7–6(7–4) |
| F | Spain Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera Sergi Bruguera i Torner is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.-Career:... (19) |
6–3, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 2. 2000 French Open 2000 French Open - Men's Singles Andre Agassi was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Karol Kučera.Gustavo Kuerten won in the final 6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6, against Magnus Norman.-Seeds:# Andre Agassi # Pete Sampras ... |
||
| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1R | Sweden Andreas Vinciguerra Andreas Vinciguerra Andreas Vinciguerra is a tennis player from Sweden, who turned professional in 1998. He was an impressive junior, winning the European junior championships and making the final of the junior Australian Open when he was 17, when he finished number 6 in the junior rankings.-Tennis career:Vinciguerra... (42) |
6–0, 6–0, 6–3 |
| 2R | Argentina Marcelo Charpentier (230) |
7–6(7–5), 6–2, 6–2 |
| 3R | United States Michael Chang Michael Chang Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.... (44) |
6–3, 6–7(9–11), 6–1, 6–4 |
| 4R | Ecuador Nicolás Lapentti Nicolás Lapentti ----Nicolás Alexander Lapentti Gómez is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador who is ranked 214th... (15) |
6–3, 6–4, 7–6(7–4) |
| QF | Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov (4) |
6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| SF | Spain Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002... (11) |
7–5, 4–6, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| F | Sweden Magnus Norman Magnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... (2) |
6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(8–6) |
| 3. 2001 French Open 2001 French Open - Men's Singles Gustavo Kuerten was the defending champion, and won in the final 6–7, 7–5, 6–2, 6–0, against Àlex Corretja.-Seeds:# Gustavo Kuerten # Marat Safin # Andre Agassi ... |
||
| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1R | Argentina Guillermo Coria Guillermo Coria Guillermo Sebastián Coria , nicknames include El Mago , is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina who was runner-up in the 2004 French Open... (13) |
6–1, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 2R | Argentina Agustín Calleri Agustín Calleri Agustín Calleri Shaal is a retired professional male tennis player from Argentina. His nickname is Gordo which means Fat in Spanish. He is known as a hard-hitter and he prefers playing on clay.... (88) |
6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 3R | Morocco Karim Alami Karim Alami Karim Alami is a tennis player from Morocco, who turned professional in 1990. He represented his native country as a qualifier at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he was defeated in the first round by Switzerland's eventual winner Marc Rosset. The right-hander won two career titles in... (117) |
6–3, 6–7(3–7), 7–6(7–5), 6–2 |
| 4R | United States Michael Russell Michael Russell (tennis) Michael Craig Russell is an American tennis player.Russell is best known for, on two occasions, holding surprise two-set leads in Grand Slam tournaments against former Grand Slam champions before eventually being defeated both times... (136) |
3–6, 4–6, 7–6(7–3), 6–3, 6–1 |
| QF | Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov (8) |
6–1, 3–6, 7–6(7–3), 6–4 |
| SF | Spain Juan Carlos Ferrero (2) |
6–4, 6–4, 6–3 |
| F | Spain Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999... (32) |
6–7(3–7), 7–5, 6–2, 6–0 |
Notes:
- 1997: Defeated 3 champions, who had won the previous 4 editions, en route to title: Bruguera (1993–94), Muster (1995) and Kafelnikov (1996).
- 2000: As in 1997, faced Kafelnikov in the quarterfinal match; second final of the year against Norman ("a historical rivalry", in Kuerten's words).
- 2001: For the third time faced Kafelnikov in the quartefinal match; for the second time, faced Ferrero in the semifinal match. Saved a match point against Russell in the 4th round.
Tennis Masters Cup tournaments
2000 Tennis Masters Cup (Lisbon)| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| RR | United States Andre Agassi Andre Agassi Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... (8) |
6–4, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Sweden Magnus Norman Magnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... (4) |
7–5, 6–3 | |
| Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... (5) |
6–3, 6–4 | |
| SF | United States Pete Sampras Pete Sampras Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.... (3) |
6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–4 |
| F | United States Andre Agassi (8) |
6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |
After losing his first Round Robin match, Kuerten had to win the tournament in order to finish the year as world n.1 (had he won the first match, a semifinal result would have sufficed).
Masters Series tournaments
1999 Monte Carlo Masters| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1R | Brazil Marcio Carlsson (131) |
6–1, 6–3 |
| 2R | Czech Republic Bohdan Ulihrach Bohdan Ulihrach Bohdan Ulihrach is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Ulihrach turned professional in 1993. He won his first top-level singles title in July 1995 at Prague, where he defeated Javier Sánchez in the final... (34) |
6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–4 |
| 3R | Brazil Fernando Meligeni Fernando Meligeni Fernando Ariel Meligeni , nicknamed Fininho is a former professional tennis player from Brazil.... (51) |
6–2, 7–6(7–2) |
| QF | United States Vincent Spadea (33) |
6–3, 6–3 |
| SF | Spain Félix Mantilla Félix Mantilla Botella Félix Mantilla Botella is a former Spanish professional tennis player, born in Barcelona. In common with many of his fellow countrymen, Mantilla's best surface is clay. While not as successful away from the clay, Mantilla also produced good hardcourt results... (17) |
3–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| F | Chile Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No... (13) |
6–4, 2–1, retired |
1999 Rome Masters
| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1R | Spain Fernando Vicente Fernando Vicente Fernando Vicente Fibla is a tennis player from Spain, who turned professional in 1996. He reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on 12 June 2000, when he became the World Number 29.-Singles: 6 :Wins... (54) |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 2R | Spain Francisco Clavet Francisco Clavet Francisco Javier Clavet González is a former tennis player from Spain.From 2009 he has been coaching his countryman Feliciano López.-Singles career titles:* 1990 - Hilversum* 1995 - Palermo* 1996 - Amsterdam... (21) |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 3R | Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... (1) |
7–5, 6–1 |
| QF | Slovakia Karol Kučera Karol Kucera Karol Kučera is a retired ATP professional male tennis player from Slovakia. He is a former top 10 player and has been ranked as high as World No. 6.-Tennis career:... (12) |
3–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
| SF | Spain Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999... (7) |
6–4, 6–2 |
| F | Australia Patrick Rafter Patrick Rafter Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of... (4) |
6–4, 7–5, 7–6(8–6) |
2000 Hamburg Masters
| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1R | Morocco Karim Alami Karim Alami Karim Alami is a tennis player from Morocco, who turned professional in 1990. He represented his native country as a qualifier at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he was defeated in the first round by Switzerland's eventual winner Marc Rosset. The right-hander won two career titles in... (28) |
5–7, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 2R | France Sébastien Grosjean Sébastien Grosjean Sébastien René Grosjean is a retired tennis player from France. His career-high ATP Entry ranking is No. 4 . He retired from tennis on May 27, 2010.-Career:... (30) |
6–1, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 3R | South Africa Wayne Ferreira Wayne Ferreira Wayne Richard Ferreira is a former tennis player from South Africa. He attended Parktown Boys' High School.... (25) |
6–1, 6–2 |
| QF | Sweden Magnus Norman Magnus Norman Magnus Norman is a retired Swedish professional tennis player who is best known for being the runner-up at the French Open in 2000 and for briefly being ranked World Number 2. He won 12 singles titles, including a Tennis Masters Series tournament in Rome, Italy.Norman reached his career high... (4) |
6–4, 6–2 |
| SF | Romania Andrei Pavel Andrei Pavel Andrei Pavel is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Romania. He is currently coaching former world No. 1 and the current world No. 15 of the WTA, Jelena Janković.-Career:... (67) |
6–3, 6–3 |
| F | Russia Marat Safin Marat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... (18) |
6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 5–7, 7–6(7–3) |
2001 Monte Carlo Masters
| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1R | Morocco Younes El Aynaoui Younes El Aynaoui Younes El Aynaoui is a professional tennis player from Morocco.He is a five-time singles winner on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of No. 14 in 2003, at the age of 31. His long career has been plagued by injuries and he did not play competitive tennis between September... (72) |
6–4, 4–6, 6–4 |
| 2R | Spain Fernando Vicente (26) |
6–2, 6–2 |
| 3R |  Germany Tommy HaasTommy Haas Tommy Haas is a German and recently naturalized American professional tennis player. He has competed on the ATP Tour since 1996. After breaking into the world top 100 in 1997, and reaching a career-high ranking of world no... (18) |
6–7(6–8), 6–3, 6–3 |
| QF |  Netherlands Sjeng SchalkenSjeng Schalken Sjeng Schalken is a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands.-Playing style:A right-handed baseliner with a single-handed backhand, Schalken's game is characterised by his consistency of both wings and his continental technique on both the forehand and backhand... (82) |
6–7(1–7), 6–2, 6–4 |
| SF | Argentina Guillermo Coria Guillermo Coria Guillermo Sebastián Coria , nicknames include El Mago , is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina who was runner-up in the 2004 French Open... (28) |
6–4, 6–2 |
| F | Morocco Hicham Arazi Hicham Arazi Hicham Arazi is a male tennis player from Morocco. He played professionally from 1993 to the end of the 2007. The left-hander reached his highest singles ranking in the ATP Tour on November 5, 2001, when he reached number 22 in the world. During his career, Arazi captured one singles title, in... (77) |
6–3, 6–2, 6–4 |
2001 Cincinnati Masters *
| Round | Opponent (Rank) | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1R | United States Andy Roddick Andy Roddick Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish.... (24) |
7–6(7–3), 6–1 |
| 2R | Germany Tommy Haas (22) |
7–6(7–4), 7–6(10–8) |
| 3R |  Croatia Goran IvaniševićGoran Ivaniševic Goran Ivanišević is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. He achieved this in 2001, having previously been runner-up at the championships in 1992, 1994 and 1998. Ivanišević is famous... (11) |
6–2, 6–1 |
| QF | Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov (10) |
6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| SF |  United Kingdom Tim HenmanTim Henman Timothy Henry "Tim" Henman OBE is a retired English professional tennis player and former British Number One. Henman played a serve-and-volley style of tennis that suited the grass courts of Wimbledon. He was the first player from the United Kingdom since Roger Taylor in the 1970s to reach the... (8) |
6–2, 1–6, 7–6(7–4) |
| F | Australia Patrick Rafter (4) |
6–1, 6–3 |
- * Kuerten later described this as his best-played tournament, given how many difficult opponents he had to defeat en route to the title. One statistic supports this position: The average ranking of his opponents was 13.16 which was the best of any of his Grand Slam or Masters Series title wins. It is also the best for any Cincinnati champion since the ATP world rankings began in 1973. (The second- and third-best average opponent rankings in Cincinnati were Andre AgassiAndre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
's 18.16 in 2004, and Patrick RafterPatrick RafterPatrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
's 18.80 in 1998, although in 1998, Rafter only had to play 5 matches.)
ATP Tour career earnings
| Year | Majors | ATP wins | Total wins | Earnings ($) | Money list rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1,586,753 | 7 |
| 1998 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 732,804 | 25 |
| 1999 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1,762,269 | 6 |
| 2000 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4,701,610 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4,091,004 | 2 |
| 2002 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 441,974 | 43 |
| 2003 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 768,447 | 21 |
| 2004 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 385,208 | 62 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 89,389 | 188 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7,525 | 681 |
| 2007* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23,660 | 175 |
| Career | 3 | 17 | 20 | 14,755,588 | 11 |
- * As of March 5, 2007.
Davis Cup
| Total | Surface | Indoor/Outdoor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | Carpet | Grass | Hard | Indoor | Outdoor | ||
| Won | 34 | 28 | 6 | – | – | 8 | 26 |
| Lost | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | – | 5 | 10 |
Kuerten was first called to play for Brazil in the Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
in 1996, when he became the second-best ranked player in the country (to Fernando Meligeni
Fernando Meligeni
Fernando Ariel Meligeni , nicknamed Fininho is a former professional tennis player from Brazil....
). Since then, Kuerten has always answered the invitations to play, claiming that it was a unique opportunity to represent his country.
In the 1999 and 2000 seasons, Kuerten took criticism from his fans, who accused him of not giving 100% in the Davis Cup matches. They claimed he was more concerned with sparing his energy for the ATP tournaments. At one point, Kuerten interrupted a match to argue with a fan who had shouted out for him to apply himself to the match at hand.
In 2004, following the country's unexpected defeat to Canada
Canada Davis Cup team
The Canada Davis Cup team represents Canada in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by Tennis Canada.Canada currently competes in the Americas Zone of Group I. The team's best result came in its first appearance in 1913 when it reached the World Group final, losing to the United States 0–3...
in the Repechage match, and the country's demotion to the American Group I after having been defeated by Sweden
Sweden Davis Cup team
The Sweden Davis Cup team represents Sweden in Davis Cup tennis competition and is governed by the Svenska Tennisförbundet.Sweden is the 5th most successful nation, winning the title 7 times...
in that year's First Round, discontent with the politics of the Brazilian Tennis Confederation spilled over. Kuerten refused to play for Brazil in the American Group I. The unexpected firing of then captain of the Brazilian team, Ricardo Accioly, was the trigger. Kuerten thought it was an arbitrary decision, since it was made without consulting the players. In his view that was just the last in a sequence of questionable decisions made by organization's board.
All other professional Brazilian players followed Kuerten's lead, as well as the newly-appointed captain, former player Jaime Oncins
Jaime Oncins
Jaime Oncins is a former tennis player from Brazil.Oncins represented his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he reached the quarter-finals before falling to Russia's Andrei Cherkasov. The right-hander won two individual career titles...
. As a result, Brazil had to play the first round in the Zonal Group with a team made up of junior players (which was only possible after much negotiation, during which time the country was at risk of forfeiting the Round, which would have resulted in automatic demoting to the American Group II), which resulted in a defeat and the possibility of demotion to the American Group II.
The protest continued, and as a result, Brazil had to play the Repechage match again with a junior team, and was demoted to the American Group II for the 2005 season. As of 2005, following the fall of the BTC board in the aftermath of the protest, Kuerten and the other players have decided to return to the team, now captained by former player Fernando Meligeni
Fernando Meligeni
Fernando Ariel Meligeni , nicknamed Fininho is a former professional tennis player from Brazil....
. Kuerten, however, had to delay his return beyond the end of the players' strike, since his hip injuries kept him off courts between September 2004 and May 2005. He returned in the Tie with the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
, valid for the Second Round of the American Zonal Group II, which was played in Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
, Brazil (on clay) between July 15 and July 17, 2005.
1996
| American Group I | |||||||
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Surface | Match | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QF | February 9–11, 1996 | Santiago Santiago, Chile Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level... |
Clay | Doubles (with Jaime Oncins Jaime Oncins Jaime Oncins is a former tennis player from Brazil.Oncins represented his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he reached the quarter-finals before falling to Russia's Andrei Cherkasov. The right-hander won two individual career titles... ) |
Rebolledo/Ríos Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No... |
7–5, 6–3, 4–6, 6–2 | |
| SF | April 5–7, 1996 | Santos Santos (São Paulo) -Sister cities: Shimonoseki, Japan Nagasaki, Japan Funchal, Portugal Trieste, Italy Coimbra, Portugal Ansião, Portugal Arouca, Portugal Ushuaia, Argentina Havana, Cuba Taizhou. China Ningbo. China Constanţa, Romania Ulsan, South Korea Colón, Panama* Cadiz, Spain... |
Clay | Singles 2 | Nicolas Pereira | 6–2, 6–7(2–7), 6–1, 6–2 | |
| Singles 4 | Jimy Szymanski | 6–2, 6–7(6–8), 6–0 | |||||
| World Group | |||||||
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Surface | Match | Opponent | Score |
| QR | September 20–22, 1996 | São Paulo São Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among... |
Hard | Singles 2 | Markus Hipfl | 4–6, 3–6, 7–6(7–0), 7–6(7–5), 6–1 | |
| Doubles (with Jaime Oncins Jaime Oncins Jaime Oncins is a former tennis player from Brazil.Oncins represented his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he reached the quarter-finals before falling to Russia's Andrei Cherkasov. The right-hander won two individual career titles... ) |
Muster Thomas Muster Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list... /Plamberger |
7–6(7–2), 4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 2–0 def.* | |||||
QF – Quarterfinal|SF – Semifinal|QR – Qualifying Round