André Sá facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
André Sá

Full name	André Rezende Sá
Country (sports)	Brazil
Residence	Blumenau, Brazil
Born	(1977-05-06) 6 May 1977 (age 48) Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	1996
Retired	2018
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	$2,632,597
Singles
Career record	52–92 (36.11%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 55 (12 August 2002)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	2R (2001)
French Open	1R (2000, 2002, 2003)
Wimbledon	QF (2002)
US Open	2R (2000, 2001)
Doubles
Career record	291–306 (48.74%)
Career titles	11
Highest ranking	No. 17 (2 February 2009)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2004)
French Open	3R (2002, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Wimbledon	SF (2007)
US Open	QF (2007, 2016)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2004, 2008, 2016)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2009, 2010, 2013)
French Open	QF (2008, 2009)
Wimbledon	2R (2010, 2016)
US Open	2R (2009)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	SF (2000)
Medal record Pan American Games Gold 1999 Winnipeg Men's Doubles

André Rezende Sá (born May 6, 1977) is a former professional tennis player from Brazil. He was known for his strong doubles play, winning 11 titles in his career. He also had a great moment in singles, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2002.

Early Life and Training

André Sá started playing tennis when he was eight years old. His older brother encouraged him to pick up a racket. By the age of 12, he was the top-ranked player in Brazil for his age group.

Because of his talent, André moved to the famous Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He trained there for five years. In 1996, he finished his studies at the Brandenton Academy. He even played basketball for three years while he was there!

In 2019, after his tennis career, André Sá and his family moved to Australia. He took on a new role there, working for Tennis Australia.

Starting His Professional Journey

André Sá played his first professional tennis match in 1993. He was just 16 years old at the time. This first match was in his hometown of Belo Horizonte.

In 1997, he began traveling more to play in tournaments across South America. He reached his first semifinal in Quito, Ecuador. Later that year, he played in his first professional final in his hometown. He also played his first Davis Cup match for Brazil in 1997. This is a big team tennis competition for countries.

A year later, in 1998, André won his first "Challenger" tournaments. These are professional events just below the main ATP Tour. He won titles in Vietnam, Ecuador, and Brazil. This was also the year he first played in a Grand Slam tournament, which are the biggest events in tennis. He played at Wimbledon.

Big Wins and Career Highlights

André Sá continued to improve in the late 1990s. In 1999, he won three more Challenger titles in the United States. He had an amazing winning streak of 13 matches in a row!

In 2000, he reached his first ATP Tour semifinal in Memphis. He also played in three Grand Slams that year: the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. He was also part of the Brazilian Davis Cup team that reached the semifinals.

Wimbledon Success

The year 2002 was André Sá's best year in singles tennis. He reached his highest singles ranking, number 55 in the world. He played in all four Grand Slams that year. His biggest achievement was reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

At Wimbledon, he won against several tough players. He played a long, exciting match in the quarterfinals against British player Tim Henman. Even though he lost, it was a fantastic achievement for André.

Doubles Achievements

While André had great moments in singles, he became especially known as one of Brazil's best doubles players. He won 11 doubles titles on the ATP Tour. He also reached a high doubles ranking of world number 17.

In 2007, André Sá and his partner, fellow Brazilian Marcelo Melo, had an incredible run at Wimbledon. They reached the semifinals! During that tournament, they played one of the longest matches ever at Wimbledon. It lasted almost six hours! They won that match 28-26 in the final set.

André also won a gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. He won this medal in men's doubles with his partner Paulo Taicher.

Representing Brazil

André Sá proudly represented Brazil many times. He played in 17 Davis Cup matches for his country. He had a great record in doubles for the Davis Cup team.

He also played for Brazil in the Olympic Games three times:

• 2004 Athens Olympics
• 2008 Beijing Olympics
• 2016 Rio Olympics

Retirement

André Sá retired from professional tennis in 2018. His last doubles match was at the 2018 Brasil Open in Brazil. He played alongside his friend and fellow Brazilian player, Thomaz Bellucci.

See also

In Spanish: André Sá para niños