Àlex Corretja facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Àlex Corretja

Country (sports)	Spain
Residence	Barcelona, Spain
Born	(1974-04-11) 11 April 1974 (age 51) Barcelona, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro	1991
Retired	2005
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	$10,411,354
Singles
Career record	438–281 (60.92%)
Career titles	17
Highest ranking	No. 2 (1 February 1999)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (1998)
French Open	F (1998, 2001)
Wimbledon	2R (1994, 1996)
US Open	QF (1996)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	W (1998)
Grand Slam Cup	1R (1996)
Olympic Games	3R (2000)
Doubles
Career record	103–115 (47.25%)
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 Bronze 2000 Sydney Doubles

Àlex Corretja (born 11 April 1974) is a famous Spanish former tennis player. He was a professional tennis player for many years.

During his career, Àlex was a runner-up twice at the French Open, which is a very important tennis tournament. He also won the Tour Finals in 1998. He reached a high ranking of world No. 2 in 1999.

He also won big titles called Masters at the Italian Open in 1997 and the Indian Wells Masters in 2000. Àlex Corretja was also a key player when Spain won its first ever Davis Cup title in 2000.

After he stopped playing, Àlex became a coach. He coached Andy Murray and later the Spanish Davis Cup team.

Àlex Corretja's Tennis Journey

Àlex Corretja was born in Barcelona, Spain. He started gaining attention as a talented young player. In 1990, he won the Orange Bowl for players under 16.

He became a professional tennis player in 1991. His first major singles win was in 1994 in Buenos Aires. He won his first doubles title in 1995 in Palermo.

Tough Matches and Big Wins

In 1996, Àlex played a very long and exciting match against Pete Sampras at the US Open. It was a quarterfinal match that lasted over four hours. Àlex had a chance to win, but he eventually lost.

In 1997, Àlex won three titles. One of these was his first Tennis Masters Series title in Rome. He beat Marcelo Ríos in the final. He would win another Masters title in 2000 at Indian Wells.

Reaching a Grand Slam Final

The year 1998 was a big one for Àlex. He reached his first Grand Slam final at the French Open. In an earlier round, he played a very long match against Hernán Gumy. It lasted over five and a half hours, which was a record for the tournament at the time.

In the final, Àlex played against another Spanish player, Carlos Moyà. Àlex lost this match.

Later in 1998, Àlex won the biggest title of his career, the ATP Tour World Championships. He beat top players like Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. In the final, he again faced Carlos Moyà. Àlex came back from being two sets down to win the match. This win made him the first player to win the Tour Championships without having won a Grand Slam.

Àlex won five singles titles in 1998. He ended that year ranked as the world No. 3 player.

Continued Success and Davis Cup Glory

In 1999, Àlex reached three tournament finals. He also made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open. In February of that year, he reached his highest ranking ever, world No. 2.

In 2000, Àlex won the Indian Wells Masters title. He also won the Washington Open, beating world No. 1 Andre Agassi easily.

Àlex played a big part in Spain winning its first ever Davis Cup title in 2000. He won all his singles matches in the early rounds. In the final, he and his partner Joan Manuel Balcells won their doubles match. Spain beat Australia to win the cup. Àlex also won a bronze medal in men's doubles at the Olympic Games in Sydney with his partner Albert Costa.

More Finals and Important Matches

In 2001, Àlex reached the French Open final for the second time. He lost to Gustavo Kuerten in a tough four-set match. In July, he won a very long match at the Dutch Open against Younes El Aynaoui. This match was the longest final of the year.

In 2002, Àlex had another memorable win in the Davis Cup. He came back from two sets down to beat Pete Sampras. He also reached the semifinals of the French Open that year. He lost to Albert Costa, who went on to win the title. A week later, Àlex was the best man at Albert Costa's wedding!

Final Years and Retirement

In 2003, Àlex was part of the Spanish Davis Cup team again. They reached the final but lost to Australia. Àlex won some doubles and singles matches in the earlier rounds.

Àlex Corretja announced he was retiring from tennis on 24 September 2005. He had won a total of 17 singles titles and three doubles titles in his career.

After Retirement

After retiring from playing, Àlex Corretja became a coach. He coached British tennis star Andy Murray from 2008 to 2011.

As of 2015, he works for Eurosport. He interviews players at the big Grand Slam tournaments.

Career statistics

Images for kids

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  Àlex Corretja in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Álex Corretja para niños