Àlex Corretja

Àlex Corretja

Country (sports)	Spain
Residence	Barcelona, Spain
Born	(1974-04-11) 11 April 1974 Barcelona, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro	1991
Retired	2005
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 10,411,354
Singles
Career record	438–281
Career titles	17
Highest ranking	No. 2 (1 February 1999)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	4R (1998)
French Open	F (1998, 2001)
Wimbledon	2R (1994, 1996)
US Open	QF (1996)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	W (1998)
Olympic Games	3R (2000)
Doubles
Career record	103–115
Career titles	3
Highest ranking	No. 50 (9 June 1997)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	3R (1998)
Wimbledon	3R (1996)
US Open	3R (1996)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (2000)
Medal record Olympic Games – Tennis 2000 Sydney Doubles

Àlex Corretja i Verdegay (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈaɫəks kuˈrɛdʒə j βərðəˈɣaj]; born 11 April 1974, in Barcelona, Spain) is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open (in 1998 and 2001). He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 2 in 1999. He also played a key role in helping Spain win its first-ever Davis Cup title in 2000. He became a temporary coach of British tennis player Andy Murray in April 2008 for the duration of the clay-court season and resumed the role in 2009.^[1] On 29 March 2011, Corretja and Murray parted company by mutual agreement.

From 2012 until 2013, Corretja coached the Spanish Davis Cup team. He was replaced by Carlos Moyá.

Early career

Corretja first came to the tennis world's attention as a promising junior player who won the Orange Bowl 16s title in 1990. He turned professional in 1991 and won his first top-level singles title in 1994 at Buenos Aires. His first doubles title came in 1995 at Palermo.

1996

In 1996, Corretja faced Pete Sampras in an epic five-set quarterfinal match at the US Open. Pete Sampras threw up in the fifth set tiebreak, where Corretja held a match point later on, but he eventually lost to Sampras on a double fault in 4 hours and 9 minutes 6–7, 7–5, 7–5, 4–6, 6–7^(7–9).

1997

In 1997, Corretja captured three titles, including his first Tennis Masters Series title in Rome, where he defeated Marcelo Ríos 7–5, 7–5, 6–3. (He won a second Masters Series title in 2000 at Indian Wells.)

1998

1998 saw Corretja reach his first Grand Slam final at the French Open. In the third round, he defeated Argentina's Hernán Gumy in (at the time) the longest match in the tournament's history. Corretja won the 5-hour 31-minute marathon 6–1, 5–7, 6–7, 7–5, 9–7. In the final, Corretja lost to fellow-Spaniard Carlos Moyà in straight sets 3–6, 5–7, 3–6.

Corretja finished 1998 by winning the most significant title of his career, the ATP Tour World Championships (now known as the World Tour Finals). In the semifinals, he saved three match points on the way to beating Sampras 4–6, 6–3, 7–6. In the final, Corretja faced Moyà in a five-set marathon and came back from two sets down to win in 4 hours and 1 minute 3–6, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 7–5. Corretja's win made him the first man to ever win the Tour Championships without having ever won a Grand Slam tournament (David Nalbandian and Nikolay Davydenko have since repeated the feat.)

In total, Corretja won a career-high five singles titles in 1998 and finished the year ranked world no. 3. This year Corretja won in Lyon, played in carpet, a "damned" surface for Spanish tennis in the 90's. This year also won in Dubai (hard court), defeating countryman Felix Mantilla. These results, joining with the good results on clay, made Corretja the most versatile Spanish player for several years. In February 1999, Corretja reached his career-high ranking of world no. 2.

Later career

2000

In 2000, Corretja helped Spain win its first-ever Davis Cup title. He went 3–0 in singles rubbers during the earlier rounds, and then teamed up with Joan Manuel Balcells to win the doubles match in the final as Spain beat Australia 3–1. Corretja also won a men's doubles Bronze Medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, partnering Albert Costa.

2001

In 2001, Corretja reached the men's singles final at the French Open for the second time. He lost in the final to defending-champion Gustavo Kuerten in four sets 7–6, 5–7, 2–6, 0–6. In July of that year, Corretja won a five-set marathon match in the final at Amsterdam against Younes El Aynaoui 6–3, 5–7, 7–6, 3–6, 6–4. The 53-game match was the year's longest tour final.

2002

Corretja's biggest win of 2002 came in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup, where he rallied from two sets down to beat Sampras on grass 4–6, 4–6, 7–6, 7–5, 6–4. (Spain eventually lost the tie 3–1.) At the French Open, Corretja saved four match points in the third round against Arnaud Clément, before going on to win 6–1, 6–2, 4–6, 5–7, 8–6. Corretja then progressed to the semifinals, where he lost in four sets to Albert Costa (who went on to win the title). One week later, Corretja was the best man at Costa's wedding.

2003

In 2003, Corretja was again part of a Spanish team which reached the Davis Cup final. He won two doubles and one singles rubber in the earlier rounds. However, in the final, Corretja and Feliciano López lost the doubles rubber, as Spain were beaten 3–1 by Australia.

Life after tennis

Corretja announced his retirement on 24 September 2005. He won a total of 17 top-level singles titles and 3 doubles titles during his career.

Corretja coached Britain's Andy Murray from 2008 to 2011.

As of 2015, he works for Eurosport as an field interviewer at the Grand Slam tournaments.

Grand Slam singles finals

Runners-up (2)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1998	French Open	Carlos Moyá	3–6, 5–7, 3–6
2001	French Open	Gustavo Kuerten	7–6(7–3), 5–7, 2–6, 0–6

Singles finals

Wins (17–13)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	2 November 1992	Guarujá, Brazil	Hard	Carsten Arriens	6–7, 3–6
Runner-up	2.	3 October 1994	Palermo, Italy	Clay	Alberto Berasategui	6–2, 6–7(6–8), 4–6
Winner	1.	14 November 1994	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	Javier Frana	6–3, 5–7, 7–6(7–5)
Runner-up	3.	13 May 1996	Hamburg, Germany	Clay	Roberto Carretero	6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 4–6
Runner-up	4.	29 July 1996	Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	Alberto Berasategui	2–6, 4–6, 4–6
Runner-up	5.	7 October 1996	Marbella, Spain	Clay	Marc-Kevin Goellner	6–7(4–7), 6–7(2–7)
Winner	2.	14 April 1997	Estoril, Portugal	Clay	Francisco Clavet	6–3, 7–5
Runner-up	6.	28 April 1997	Monte Carlo, Monaco	Clay	Marcelo Ríos	4–6, 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up	7.	5 May 1997	Munich, Germany	Clay	Mark Philippoussis	6–7, 6–1, 4–6
Winner	3.	19 May 1997	Rome, Italy	Clay	Marcelo Ríos	7–5, 7–5, 6–3
Winner	4.	21 July 1997	Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany	Clay	Karol Kučera	6–2, 7–5
Winner	5.	16 February 1998	Dubai, UAE	Hard	Félix Mantilla Botella	7–6(7–0), 6–0
Runner-up	8.	11 May 1998	Hamburg, Germany	Clay	Albert Costa	2–6, 0–6, 0–1, ret.
Runner-up	9.	8 June 1998	French Open, Paris, France	Clay	Carlos Moyà	3–6, 5–7, 3–6
Winner	6.	13 July 1998	Gstaad, Switzerland	Clay	Boris Becker	7–6(7–5), 7–5, 6–3
Winner	7.	24 August 1998	Indianapolis, U.S.	Hard	Andre Agassi	2–6, 6–2, 6–3
Winner	8.	26 October 1998	Lyon, France	Carpet	Tommy Haas	2–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–1
Winner	9.	30 November 1998	Tennis Masters Cup, Hanover, Germany	Hard	Carlos Moyà	3–6, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 7–5
Runner-up	10.	18 January 1999	Sydney, Australia	Hard	Todd Martin	3–6, 6–7
Runner-up	11.	30 August 1999	Long Island, U.S.	Hard	Magnus Norman	6–7(4–7), 6–4, 3–6
Runner-up	12.	20 September 1999	Mallorca, Spain	Clay	Juan Carlos Ferrero	6–2, 5–7, 3–6
Winner	10.	20 March 2000	Indian Wells, U.S.	Hard	Thomas Enqvist	6–4, 6–4, 6–3
Winner	11.	17 July 2000	Gstaad, Switzerland	Clay	Mariano Puerta	6–1, 6–3
Winner	12.	30 July 2000	Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	Emilio Benfele Álvarez	6–3, 6–1, 3–0 retired
Winner	13.	21 August 2000	Washington, U.S.	Hard	Andre Agassi	6–2, 6–3
Winner	14.	23 October 2000	Toulouse, France	Hard	Carlos Moyà	6–3, 6–2
Runner-up	13.	11 June 2001	French Open, Paris, France	Clay	Gustavo Kuerten	7–6(7–3), 5–7, 2–6, 0–6
Winner	15.	23 July 2001	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Clay	Younes El Aynaoui	6–3, 5–7, 7–6(7–0), 3–6, 6–4
Winner	16.	15 July 2002	Gstaad, Switzerland	Clay	Gastón Gaudio	6–3, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–3)
Winner	17.	29 July 2002	Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	Juan Carlos Ferrero	6–4, 6–1, 6–3

Singles performance timeline

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Àlex Corretja.

• Àlex Corretja at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Àlex Corretja at the International Tennis Federation
• Àlex Corretja at the Davis Cup