João Sousa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
João Sousa

Sousa at the 2022 French Open
Full name	João Pedro Coelho Marinho de Sousa
Country (sports)	Portugal
Residence	Barcelona, Spain
Born	(1989-03-30) 30 March 1989 (age 36) Guimarães, Portugal
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	2008
Retired	2024
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Frederico Marques
Prize money	US$8,329,175
Singles
Career record	220–269 (44.99% in Grand Slams, ATP Tour, Davis Cup)
Career titles	4
Highest ranking	No. 28 (16 May 2016)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2015, 2016, 2019)
French Open	2R (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022)
Wimbledon	4R (2019)
US Open	4R (2018)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2016)
Doubles
Career record	101–141 (41.74% in Grand Slams, ATP Tour & Davis Cup)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 26 (13 May 2019)
Current ranking	No. 567 (15 January 2024)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2019)
French Open	3R (2014, 2018)
Wimbledon	3R (2018)
US Open	QF (2015, 2019, 2022)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2016)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	38–26

João Pedro Coelho Marinho de Sousa (born March 30, 1989), known as João Sousa, is a former professional tennis player from Portugal. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 28 in singles in May 2016. He was also ranked No. 26 in doubles in May 2019.

João Sousa was in the world's top 100 players for many years. He won four singles titles on the ATP Tour. Many people think he is the best Portuguese tennis player ever. He is called Conquistador, which means "Conqueror" in Portuguese. This nickname comes from his hometown, Guimarães, which is also where Portugal's first king, Afonso I, was born.

Sousa started playing tennis when he was seven years old. When he was 15, he moved to Barcelona, Spain, to focus on his tennis career. He became a professional player in 2008. His first big win was at the Malaysian Open in 2013. He was the first Portuguese player to win a tournament at that level.

Early Life and Family

João Sousa was born on March 30, 1989, in Guimarães, Portugal. His father, Armando, was a judge and played tennis as a hobby. His mother, Adelaide, worked at a bank. João has a younger brother named Luís Carlos.

João started playing tennis with his father at a local club when he was seven. He won national titles for young players. He also played football until he was 14. Then, he decided to focus only on tennis.

In 2004, when he was 15, João moved to Barcelona, Spain. He joined a tennis academy there. He met his future coach, Frederico Marques, at the academy. João still trains at this academy today.

When he was young, João looked up to famous tennis players like Pete Sampras, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Roger Federer. He can speak Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, English, French, and Italian. Since 2008, he has been dating Júlia Villanueva.

João and his family own a hotel in his hometown of Guimarães. It is called the Conquistador Palace hotel.

Tennis Journey

Starting as a Junior Player

João Sousa began playing in junior tournaments in 2004. He reached the semifinals in his first event. He won his first junior doubles title in 2005. He never won a singles title as a junior, but he reached three finals. He also won five doubles titles.

In 2007, João was ranked number 61 in the world for junior players. He played in the qualifying rounds of the French Open for boys.

Even before becoming a pro, João played in some senior tournaments. His first win as a senior player was in a doubles tournament in 2006.

Becoming a Professional (2008–2012)

In 2008, João won his first professional doubles title. He also played in his first ATP Tour tournament, the Estoril Open. He won his first ATP match there. João also started playing in the ATP Challenger Tour and for the Portugal Davis Cup team.

In 2009, he won his first professional singles title. He kept playing in the Davis Cup, winning matches for Portugal. In 2010, he won his first Challenger doubles title. He started playing more in the Challenger tour and less in smaller Futures tournaments.

João reached important goals in 2011. He won his first Challenger singles title. He also tried to get into the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. In October 2011, he hired Frederico Marques as his coach.

In 2012, João reached the quarterfinals of an ATP tournament for the first time at the 2012 Estoril Open. He also played in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2012 French Open. He won two more Challenger singles titles that year. In September 2012, João became the top-ranked Portuguese tennis player. He also entered the ATP top 100 singles ranking for the first time.

Big Breakthrough (2013)

João started 2013 by playing in more ATP tournaments. At the Australian Open, he won his first Grand Slam match. He then lost to the world number three, Andy Murray.

In February, João helped Portugal win their Davis Cup match. He won his singles and doubles matches. He then played in his first Masters event at the Miami Masters.

João Sousa and his coach Frederico Marques celebrate the 2013 Malaysian Open title.

João returned to play at the 2013 French Open. He won his first round match there. He also won another Challenger singles title. At the US Open, João reached the third round. This was his best Grand Slam result at that time.

In September, João helped Portugal get promoted in the Davis Cup. He won important matches. His biggest win came at the Malaysian Open. He beat world No. 4 David Ferrer, which was his first win against a top-10 player. João then won the final, becoming the first Portuguese player to win an ATP World Tour singles tournament. He also became the highest-ranked Portuguese player ever, reaching No. 51. He officially entered the top 50 in October 2013. João finished 2013 as world No. 49.

Staying Strong (2014)

João started 2014 by reaching the semifinals in doubles at the Sydney International. He even beat the world No. 1 doubles team. At the Rio Open, he reached the quarterfinals.

Sousa during 2014 spring clay court season

João played his first ATP grass tournament at the Halle Open. He beat a German player, ending a long losing streak. He then reached the semifinals of a grass tournament for the first time. At the Swedish Open, João reached his second ATP final. He also became the first Portuguese player to be seeded at a Grand Slam tournament at the 2014 US Open.

In September, João reached his second ATP singles final of the season. He lost in the final. He also entered the ATP doubles top 100 for the first time. This made him the second Portuguese player to be in the top 100 for both singles and doubles. João finished 2014 as world No. 54.

More Success (2015)

João started 2015 by reaching the third round of the 2015 Australian Open. He was the second Portuguese player to do so. He then reached the semifinals of the Open Sud de France.

Sousa after the 2015 Australian Open third round match with Andy Murray

In April, João reached his first final of the season at the Geneva Open. He then beat Vasek Pospisil at the French Open. At the US Open doubles, João reached the quarterfinals. He was the second Portuguese player to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in doubles.

In September, João helped Portugal get promoted in the Davis Cup again. He reached his third final of the season at the St. Petersburg Open. In October, João won his second career ATP title at the Valencia Open. He beat four higher-ranked players to win. He reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 34. João finished the season at world No. 33.

Reaching the Top 30 (2016)

In 2016, João became the first Portuguese player to be seeded at the 2016 Australian Open. He reached the third round there for the second year in a row.

In April, João reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinals at the Mutua Madrid Open. He beat some strong players before losing to Rafael Nadal. His clay season ended with a second-round loss at the French Open.

In June, João reached the third round at Wimbledon. This was his best result there. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, João won his first match. He then lost to Juan Martín del Potro, who won the silver medal. At the 2016 US Open, he reached the third round. João finished the season at 43rd in the ATP rankings.

Two ATP Finals (2017)

Sousa at the 2017 French Open

João started 2017 by reaching the final of the Auckland Open. He lost in three sets, but this helped him get back into the top 40. He reached the semifinals at the Brasil Open.

In May, João reached the second round at the French Open. He won his first round match. Later in the year, he reached the quarterfinals at the Swiss Open and the final at the Generali Open Kitzbühel.

Home Title and Grand Slam Success (2018–2019)

In 2018, João reached the third round of the Indian Wells Masters. He also reached the fourth round of the Miami Masters. At Indian Wells, he beat world No. 5 Alexander Zverev. At Miami, he beat world No. 9 David Goffin.

João made history by becoming the first Portuguese player to win his home title at the Estoril Open. He beat several strong players to win. He also reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2018 US Open. He lost to the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic.

In 2019, João reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. This was his best result at that tournament. He lost to Rafael Nadal.

Challenges and Comeback (2020–2022)

In 2020 and 2021, João had a tough time. His ranking dropped a lot. However, at the 2020 Davis Cup, he won his 200th career match.

In 2022, João made a great comeback. He won his fourth career singles title at the Pune tournament. This was his first title since 2018. This win helped him get back into the top 100 players. He also reached his second final of the season at the 2022 Geneva Open. He played a very long match in the final.

At the 2022 French Open, he won a long five-set match. At the US Open, he reached the quarterfinals in doubles for the third time.

Retirement (2023–2024)

In 2023, João played in a few tournaments. In February 2024, João Sousa announced that he would retire from professional tennis. His last tournament was the 2024 Estoril Open.

How João Plays Tennis

Sousa hitting a forehand during 2013 US Open.

João Sousa plays with his right hand. He uses a two-handed backhand. His game is very strong because of his serve and forehand. He has said that his forehand is his favorite shot. He also prefers playing on clay courts.

João is known for showing his feelings on the court. He often talks to his coach or the umpire. Other famous players have described him as a tough opponent. Andy Murray said João never gives up. Novak Djokovic called him a "tough" and mentally strong player.

Over the years, João's game became more attacking. He also got better at playing on different surfaces, not just clay. He won titles on hard courts and reached finals on grass courts. He eventually won his home tournament on clay in Estoril.

Sponsors and Support

Since 2013, João Sousa has been managed by Polaris Sports. This company also manages other big Portuguese sports stars. João uses a Wilson tennis racquet. He is sponsored by Lotto Sport Italia for his clothes and shoes. In 2015, he also partnered with Gold Nutrition, a company that makes sports supplements. In 2020, he switched his clothing sponsor to Joma.

Other Portuguese companies have also sponsored João. These include the clothing brand Mike Davis and banks like BES and Millennium BCP.

Earlier in his career, João found it hard to get local sponsors. He also mentioned that the Portuguese Tennis Federation did not have much money to support players. His parents and bank loans helped him pay for his tennis expenses when he was younger.

Career Highlights

Grand Slam Tournament Results

Singles

This table shows how João Sousa performed in singles at Grand Slam tournaments.

Doubles

This table shows how João Sousa performed in doubles at Grand Slam tournaments.

ATP Masters 1000 Finals

Doubles: 1 (1 Runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2018	Italian Open	Clay	Pablo Carreño Busta	Juan Sebastián Cabal Robert Farah	6–3, 4–6, [4–10]

Awards and Recognition

• 2013 – CDP Portuguese Tennis Personality of the Year
• 2014 – CNID Portuguese Athlete of the Year
• 2015 – CDP Portuguese Tennis Personality of the Year