Mariano Zabaleta facts for kids
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| Country (sports) |  Argentina |
|---|---|
| Residence | Tandil, Argentina |
| Born | 28 February 1978 Tandil, Argentina |
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) |
| Turned pro | 1996 |
| Retired | 2010 |
| Plays | Right-handed (double-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$3,204,127 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 202–213 |
| Career titles | 3 |
| Highest ranking | No. 21 (3 April 2000) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (2000) |
| French Open | 4R (2002, 2003) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007) |
| US Open | QF (2001) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 3R (2000) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 12–35 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 174 (7 July 2003) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 1R (2003, 2005, 2006) |
| French Open | 1R (2003, 2007) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2003) |
| US Open | 1R (2004, 2005) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 1R (2000, 2004) |
Mariano Zabaleta (born 28 February 1978) is a former professional tennis player from Argentina. He was known for his strong forehand shot. His favorite playing surface was clay, which is a type of court made from crushed brick or shale.
Mariano Zabaleta's career highlights include reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open in 2001. He also made it to the final of the Hamburg Masters in 1999. He reached his highest singles ranking of World No. 21.
Contents
Mariano Zabaleta's Tennis Journey
Starting as a Junior Player
Mariano Zabaleta was a very talented junior tennis player in 1995. He finished that year as the No. 1 junior player in the world. His record for junior singles matches was 84 wins and only 7 losses. He also reached No. 10 in junior doubles.
In 1995, Zabaleta won three big junior tournaments. He won the Italian Open juniors without losing a single set. He then won the French Open juniors, also without dropping a set. In the French Open final, he beat his fellow Argentine, Mariano Puerta. Zabaleta finished his junior career by winning the Orange Bowl.
Becoming a Professional Player
Zabaleta started playing professionally in 1996. It was a bit tough at first to switch from junior to senior tournaments. In 1996, he won his first Challenger event in Birmingham, USA.
In 1998, Zabaleta had a big moment at the French Open. He was a qualifier, meaning he had to win extra matches just to get into the main tournament. He surprised everyone by beating Petr Korda, who was the world No. 2 player at the time. Later that year, Zabaleta won his first main ATP title in Bogotá, Colombia.
In 1999, Zabaleta reached three finals but didn't win any titles. His most notable final was at the Hamburg Masters in Germany. He played against Marcelo Ríos in a very long match. Zabaleta even had a chance to win, but Ríos eventually won the match.
Grand Slam and Olympic Moments
In 2000, Zabaleta reached the third round of the Australian Open. He also played in the Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He made it to the third round there, beating Marcelo Ríos and Jeff Tarango.
In 2001, Zabaleta had his best performance at a Grand Slam tournament. He reached the quarter-finals of the US Open. This was surprising because the US Open is played on a fast hardcourt, and Zabaleta was known for playing better on clay courts. He beat a top 10 player, Sébastien Grosjean, during this run.
In 2002, he reached the fourth round of the French Open. He defeated another top 10 player, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, before losing to Àlex Corretja.
Winning Titles and Facing Challenges
The year 2003 was a strong one for Zabaleta. He had a positive record of wins and losses on both hardcourt and clay surfaces. He reached the final in Acapulco, Mexico. Later that year, he won his second ATP title in Båstad, Sweden. He beat Nicolás Lapentti in the final.
In 2004, Zabaleta successfully defended his title in Båstad. He won against his childhood friend, Gastón Gaudio, who was a French Open champion. He also reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open, beating two top 15 players, Tim Henman and Nicolás Massú.
In 2005, Zabaleta had a tough year due to injuries. He pushed the world No. 1 player, Roger Federer, to three sets in Miami. However, he suffered a foot injury at the Monte Carlo Masters which kept him out of play for two months. He also missed the French Open that year. Later, he had knee surgery.
Zabaleta continued to have knee problems in 2006. In 2007, he started the year well by winning a Challenger event in La Serena, Chile. He also reached the final of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, USA, before losing to Ivo Karlović. He won another Challenger event in Bermuda, which helped him get back into the top 100 rankings.
In 2008, Zabaleta's results were not as good, and his ranking dropped significantly. He played on the Challenger circuit in 2009. Mariano Zabaleta officially retired from professional tennis in 2010.
Life After Tennis
After retiring from tennis, Mariano Zabaleta started a TV show called Tenis Pro in 2004. In this show, he took a video camera with him to tournaments. He showed what life was like on the tennis tour in a fun way. He also interviewed other players and did various funny skits.
Mariano Zabaleta is not related to the famous footballer Pablo Zabaleta, who played for West Ham United and Manchester City. However, Mariano once interviewed Pablo for a football website.
Career Finals
Singles Titles (3)
- 1998: Bogotá, Colombia (Clay)
- 2003: Båstad, Sweden (Clay)
- 2004: Båstad, Sweden (Clay)
Singles Runner-ups (5)
- 1999: Hamburg, Germany (Clay)
- 1999: St Pölten, Austria (Clay)
- 1999: Amsterdam, Netherlands (Clay)
- 2003: Acapulco, Mexico (Clay)
- 2007: Houston, United States (Clay)
See also
In Spanish: Mariano Zabaleta para niños
