Guillermo Coria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Guillermo Coria

Country (sports)	Argentina
Residence	Venado Tuerto, Argentina
Born	(1982-01-13) 13 January 1982 (age 43) Rufino, Argentina
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro	2000
Retired	28 April 2009
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Gustavo Luza (2000) Mariano Monachesi (2001) Franco Davín (2002–2003) Alberto Mancini (2003–2004) Fabián Blengino (2004) Gabriel Markus (2004) José Perlas (2004–2005) José Higueras (2006) Horacio de la Peña (2006) Hernán Gumy (2007–2008) Martin Rodríguez (2009)
Prize money	,915,620
Singles
Career record	218–114 (65.7%)
Career titles	9
Highest ranking	No. 3 (3 May 2004)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2003, 2005)
French Open	F (2004)
Wimbledon	4R (2005)
US Open	QF (2003, 2005)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2003, 2004, 2005)
Doubles
Career record	10–25
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 183 (1 March 2004)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2003)
Wimbledon	1R (2004)

Guillermo Sebastián Coria (born January 13, 1982) is an Argentine former professional tennis player. He was often called El Mago, which means The Magician in Spanish. He became one of the top tennis players in the world.

In May 2004, Coria reached his highest ranking as world No. 3 in singles. He was especially good on clay courts. Eight of his nine ATP singles titles were won on clay. During his best years, 2003 and 2004, many people thought he was the best clay-court player in the world. He played in the final of the 2004 French Open. He lost this match to Gastón Gaudio, even though he was winning by two sets. Later, injuries and a lack of confidence made it hard for him to play his best. He stopped playing tennis professionally in 2009 when he was 27 years old.

Tennis Career Highlights

Coria became a professional tennis player in 2000. He finished the years 2003, 2004, and 2005 ranked among the top ten players. He was known for being one of the fastest players on the ATP Tour. He was especially good at clay-court tournaments. His playing style was called a "counter-puncher." This means he was great at returning his opponent's shots.

Between 2003 and 2005, Coria was often called the "King of Clay." He reached six out of eight possible Masters finals on clay during this time. He also made it to the semifinals of the French Open in 2003. In the 2004 French Open final, he even had two chances to win the match.

Junior Tennis Success

As a junior player, Coria was ranked world No. 2 in singles. He was also ranked world No. 5 in doubles.

In 1997, Coria won the Orange Bowl 16s tournament. The next year, in 1998, he reached the Orange Bowl 18s final. There, he lost to Roger Federer, who later became a world No. 1 player. Coria won the boys' singles title at the 1999 French Open. He won without losing a single set. He beat his friend, David Nalbandian, in the final.

A month later, at Wimbledon, Coria reached the semifinals in singles. He didn't lose a set until then. He was defeated by Kristian Pless. However, in boys' doubles at the same tournament, Coria and Nalbandian teamed up. They won the boys' doubles title together.

Becoming the "King of Clay" (2003–2005)

2003: Clay Court Dominance Begins

In 2003, Coria showed everyone he was a top clay-court player. He reached the finals in Buenos Aires, where he lost to Carlos Moyá. He also made it to the final at the Monte Carlo Masters, losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero. Coria then won his first big Masters title at Hamburg. He beat Agustín Calleri in the final.

At the French Open, Coria defeated tennis legend Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals. But he then lost in the semifinals to Martin Verkerk. In July, Coria proved he was the new "King of Clay." He won three clay-court tournaments in just three weeks. These were the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, the Generali Open in Kitzbühel, and the Orange Prokom Open in Sopot. He won all three without losing a single set. He finished 2003 ranked No. 5 in the world.

2004: French Open Final and Injuries

In 2004, Coria won the clay-court tournament in Buenos Aires. He also reached his first Masters final on a hard court. This was at the NASDAQ-100 Open against Andy Roddick. Coria was in pain from kidney stones during the match. He won the first set, but Roddick won the next two. Coria had to stop playing in the fourth set due to the pain.

Three weeks later, Coria won his second Masters title. He defeated Rainer Schüttler at the Monte Carlo Masters. Coria had now won five clay-court tournaments in a row. He had also won 26 matches in a row on clay. On May 3, 2004, Coria reached his highest ranking, world No. 3. He tried to defend his title at the Hamburg Masters. He extended his clay-court winning streak to 31 matches. But he lost in the final to world No. 1, Roger Federer.

At the French Open, Coria only lost one set on his way to the final. He beat top players like Carlos Moyá and Tim Henman. But in the final, he was unexpectedly defeated by his fellow Argentine, Gastón Gaudio. Coria won the first two sets easily. He was even leading in the third set. However, Gaudio came back and won the third set. Coria then suffered from leg cramps. He could barely move at times. Despite this, Coria still had chances to win in the fifth set. He even had two "championship points" to win the title. But he just missed his shots. This loss was very tough for him. Many fans believe Coria was never quite the same player after this match.

In 2004, Coria reached finals on three different types of courts. He surprised many by reaching his first grass-court final at 's-Hertogenbosch. He lost to Michaël Llodra. This was only two weeks after his difficult French Open loss. Coria then played at Wimbledon. He won a long first-round match against Wesley Moodie. But he lost in the second round and hurt his right shoulder. This injury made him stop playing for the rest of the season. He had surgery on his shoulder in August. He returned to play in November but did not perform well.

2005: More Masters Finals and Serving Troubles

After the 2004 French Open, Coria reached five more finals. He lost four of them to the rising star, Rafael Nadal. One of the most famous matches was the Rome Masters final. This match lasted almost 5 hours and 20 minutes. Many people say it was one of the greatest clay-court matches ever. Nadal won this very close match in a tiebreak in the fifth set.

Coria's only win in a final in 2005 was in Umag, Croatia. He defeated Carlos Moyá. Coria had a very consistent 2005 season. He was one of only three players to reach the fourth round or better at every Grand Slam. The other two were Roger Federer and David Nalbandian.

However, during his win in Umag, Coria started having problems with his serve. This is a psychological condition called the "service yips." It makes it hard for a player to hit the ball correctly when serving. It became very noticeable at the US Open. Coria served many "double faults" (missing both serves). In one match, he lost after two double faults in a row.

As 2005 ended, Coria's performance dropped. This was because of the many double faults he was serving. He lost nine of his last eleven matches that year. Some experts think his losses to Nadal also affected his confidence. Between 2003 and 2005, Coria had an amazing record on clay. He won 90 matches and lost only 13. This included a 31-match winning streak on clay.

Later Career (2006–2009)

2006: Decline in Performance

Coria's serving problems got worse in 2006. He still reached the third round of the Australian Open. He even beat Novak Djokovic at the Miami Masters without any double faults.

At the Monte-Carlo Masters, Coria made a great comeback in a match. He won despite serving 20 double faults. He then won another match with 22 double faults. But he was easily beaten by Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. After Monte Carlo, Coria won fewer matches. He did reach a semifinal in Amersfoort in July 2006.

Coria did not play in the French Open and Wimbledon. He was dealing with personal issues and an elbow injury. In August 2006, he hired Horacio de la Peña as his coach. At the US Open, Coria stopped playing in his first-round match after only five games. He would not play another ATP Tour match for 17 months.

2007–2009: Injuries and Retirement

Coria tried to return to tennis in October 2007. He played in a smaller tournament in Brazil. But he had to stop playing due to a back injury.

In January 2008, Coria returned to the main tour in Chile. He showed some good signs but lost in the first round. In February, he won his first ATP match in 19 months.

Coria played in his first Grand Slam since 2006 at the French Open. He lost in four sets to Tommy Robredo. Coria played well, and it gave him some hope. However, Coria never fully recovered from his serving problems. These issues kept his ranking much lower than his previous top-ten spot. On April 28, 2009, he announced he was retiring from professional tennis. He said he "didn’t feel like competing anymore."

Playing Style

Guillermo Coria was a very skilled tennis player. He had excellent technique. He was known for being a strong baseline player and outstanding on clay courts. He was incredibly fast, making him one of the best defenders in tennis. He could hit great shots even when running. His groundstrokes (shots hit after the ball bounces) were powerful and balanced. He also often used "drop shots," which are soft shots that barely go over the net.

Coria's serve was considered his weakest point. Especially later in his career, he made many double faults because of his "service yips." Sometimes, he would hit a very slow second serve to avoid a double fault. Even though he wasn't very tall and didn't have huge power, Coria was very consistent. He was also smart about how he played on the court. This helped him become a top player, especially on clay.

Coria also had one of the best "return games" in men's tennis history. He is ranked No. 1 for winning points on his opponent's first serve. He is also No. 1 for winning return games. His amazing return game often helped him win matches, even with his serving problems.

Personal Life

Guillermo Coria was named after Guillermo Vilas, another famous Argentine tennis champion. Coria started playing tennis at age three. His father, Oscar, was a tennis coach and taught him the game. His mother, Graciela, is a housewife. Guillermo was the oldest of three brothers.

Coria went to preschool with David Nalbandian in Argentina. They were born only 12 days apart. Growing up, he looked up to tennis players like Andre Agassi and Marcelo Ríos. He enjoys playing soccer and is a big fan of the River Plate team. Coria married Carla Francovigh on December 27, 2003. They have a son named Thiago, born in 2012, and a daughter named Delfina, born in 2013.

As of 2010, Coria was coaching his younger brother, Federico Coria. Since 2016, Coria has been traveling around Argentina. He manages a government program called "Our Tennis." This program helps promote tennis and find new talented young players.

Equipment

Guillermo Coria used a Prince O3 Tour tennis racquet. His racquet strings were Luxilon Big Banger Original 16 String. His clothing sponsor was Adidas.

Significant Finals

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 1 (1 Runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2004	French Open	Clay	Gastón Gaudio	6–0, 6–3, 4–6, 1–6, 6–8

Masters Series Finals

Singles: 7 (2 Titles, 5 Runner-ups)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2003	Monte-Carlo Masters	Clay	Juan Carlos Ferrero	2–6, 2–6
Win	2003	Hamburg Masters	Clay	Agustín Calleri	6–3, 6–4, 6–4
Loss	2004	Miami Masters	Hard	Andy Roddick	7–6(7–2), 3–6, 1–6, ret.
Win	2004	Monte-Carlo Masters	Clay	Rainer Schüttler	6–2, 6–1, 6–3
Loss	2004	Hamburg Masters	Clay	Roger Federer	6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 3–6
Loss	2005	Monte-Carlo Masters	Clay	Rafael Nadal	3–6, 1–6, 6–0, 5–7
Loss	2005	Italian Open	Clay	Rafael Nadal	4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–7(6–8)

ATP Career Finals

Singles: 20 (9 Wins, 11 Losses)

Result	W/L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1.	Feb 2001	Viña del Mar, Chile	Clay	Gastón Gaudio	4–6, 6–2, 7–5
Loss	1.	May 2001	Mallorca, Spain	Clay	Alberto Martín	3–6, 6–3, 2–6
Loss	2.	Sep 2002	Costa do Sauipe, Brazil	Hard	Gustavo Kuerten	7–6(7–4), 5–7, 6–7(2–7)
Loss	3.	Feb 2003	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	Carlos Moyá	3–6, 6–4, 4–6
Loss	4.	Apr 2003	Monte-Carlo, Monaco	Clay	Juan Carlos Ferrero	2–6, 2–6
Win	2.	May 2003	Hamburg, Germany	Clay	Agustín Calleri	6–3, 6–4, 6–4
Win	3.	Jul 2003	Stuttgart, Germany	Clay	Tommy Robredo	6–2, 6–2, 6–1
Win	4.	Jul 2003	Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	Nicolás Massú	6–1, 6–4, 6–2
Win	5.	Jul 2003	Sopot, Poland	Clay	David Ferrer	7–5, 6–1
Win	6.	Oct 2003	Basel, Switzerland	Carpet (i)	David Nalbandian	w/o
Win	7.	Feb 2004	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	Carlos Moyá	6–4, 6–1
Loss	5.	Apr 2004	Miami, United States	Hard	Andy Roddick	7–6(7–2), 3–6, 1–6, ret.
Win	8.	Apr 2004	Monte-Carlo, Monaco	Clay	Rainer Schüttler	6–2, 6–1, 6–3
Loss	6.	May 2004	Hamburg, Germany	Clay	Roger Federer	6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 3–6
Loss	7.	Jun 2004	French Open, Paris	Clay	Gastón Gaudio	6–0, 6–3, 4–6, 1–6, 6–8
Loss	8.	Jun 2004	's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands	Grass	Michaël Llodra	3–6, 4–6
Loss	9.	Apr 2005	Monte-Carlo, Monaco	Clay	Rafael Nadal	3–6, 1–6, 6–0, 5–7
Loss	10.	May 2005	Rome, Italy	Clay	Rafael Nadal	4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–7(6–8)
Win	9.	Jul 2005	Umag, Croatia	Clay	Carlos Moyá	6–2, 4–6, 6–2
Loss	11.	Sep 2005	Beijing, China	Hard	Rafael Nadal	7–5, 1–6, 2–6

Wins Over Top 10 Players

#	Player	Rank	Event	Surface	Rd	Score
2003
1.	David Nalbandian	9	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	QF	3–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–5)
2.	Carlos Moyá	4	Monte-Carlo, Monaco	Clay	SF	7–6(7–3), 6–2
3.	Andre Agassi	2	French Open, Paris	Clay	QF	4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4
4.	Carlos Moyá	7	Tennis Masters Cup, Houston	Hard	RR	6–2, 6–3
2004
5.	Carlos Moyá	7	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	F	6–4, 6–1
6.	David Nalbandian	9	Monte-Carlo, Monaco	Clay	QF	6–4, 6–3
7.	Rainer Schüttler	6	Monte-Carlo, Monaco	Clay	F	6–2, 6–1, 6–3
8.	Carlos Moyá	5	French Open, Paris	Clay	QF	7–5, 7–6(7–3), 6–3
9.	Tim Henman	9	French Open, Paris	Clay	SF	3–6, 6–4, 6–0, 7–5
2005
10.	Andre Agassi	9	Rome, Italy	Clay	QF	7–5, 7–6(9–7)

See also

In Spanish: Guillermo Coria para niños