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 February 28, 1978) is a retired professional tennis player from Argentina. He was known for his unique and powerful serve. His best shot was his forehand, and he loved playing on clay courts. Some of his biggest achievements include reaching the quarter-finals of the 2001 US Open and the final of the 1999 Hamburg Masters tournament. He reached his highest ranking of World No. 21.
Contents
Mariano Zabaleta's Tennis Journey
Junior Success
Mariano Zabaleta was an amazing junior tennis player in 1995. He ended that year as the number one junior player in the world. His junior singles record was 84 wins and only 7 losses. He also reached a high of 10th in junior doubles. His only loss in 1995 was at the US Open quarter-finals.
In 1995, Zabaleta won three big junior tournaments:
- The Italian Open juniors: He won without losing a single set. He beat Martin Lee in the final.
- The French Open juniors: Again, he won without dropping a set. He defeated his fellow Argentine, Mariano Puerta, in the final.
- The Orange Bowl: He won against Tommy Haas. This was the only tournament where he lost a set.
Turning Professional
Zabaleta found it a bit tough at first to switch from junior to professional tennis. In 1996, he won his first Challenger event in Birmingham, Alabama. He also had his best main tour performance by reaching the quarter-finals in Bournemouth.
In 1997, he made it to the final of the Guayaquil Challenger. In 1998, Zabaleta reached the third round of the French Open as a qualifier. He even beat Petr Korda, who was the world number 2 player at the time. Later that year, Zabaleta reached his first semi-final in Amsterdam. In November, he won his first professional ATP title in Bogotá.
Big Matches and Milestones
In 1999, Zabaleta reached three finals but didn't win a title. His best performance was reaching the final of the Hamburg Masters against Marcelo Ríos. It was a very close match that went to five sets. Zabaleta had a chance to win but eventually lost.
At the 2000 Australian Open, Zabaleta reached the third round. This was his best result at that event. He also played in a Davis Cup match against Chile in Santiago. The match was stopped because of crowd trouble, and Zabaleta's father was hurt. Later in 2000, Zabaleta reached the third round of the Olympics in Sydney.
Even though he didn't win titles in 2001 and 2002, Zabaleta had his best ever Grand Slam performance. This happened at the US Open, which was surprising because it's played on a fast hardcourt, and he usually did better on clay. He beat a top 10 player, Sébastien Grosjean, and reached the quarter-finals. He also reached the fourth round of the 2002 French Open, beating another top 10 player, Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
Career Highs and Injuries
The year 2003 was Zabaleta's best overall. He had a winning record on both hardcourt and clay. He reached the semi-finals in Auckland and Scottsdale. He also made his first final since 1999 in Acapulco.
Zabaleta matched his fourth-round showing at the French Open in 2003. He then won his second title in Båstad, Sweden. After his win, the organizers played the ABBA song "Money, Money, Money" which Zabaleta had recorded with Younes El Aynaoui. Everyone, including the crowd, found it very funny.
In 2004, Zabaleta successfully defended his title in Båstad. He beat his childhood friend and French Open champion, Gastón Gaudio, in a tough match. He also reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open, beating two top 15 players.
Zabaleta started 2005 well with quarter-final appearances. He even pushed the world number 1, Roger Federer, to three sets in Miami. However, he suffered a foot injury at the Monte Carlo Masters which kept him out for two months. This meant he missed the French Open. He later had knee surgery after a series of poor results.
Later Career and Retirement
Zabaleta continued to have knee problems in 2006. He started 2007 by winning the La Serena Challenger. He also reached the final of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston. Zabaleta won the Bermuda Challenger, which helped him get back into the top 100 rankings.
In 2008, Zabaleta had very poor results, and his ranking dropped significantly. In March 2009, he lost a Challenger final in Santiago, Chile.
After playing on the Challenger circuit in 2009, Mariano Zabaleta officially retired from tennis in 2010. He later became involved in a TV show on ESPN.
Beyond the Court
In 2004, Mariano Zabaleta started his own TV show called Tenis Pro. On the show, he would take a video camera with him to tournaments. He showed what life was like on the tennis tour in a fun way. He and Juan Ignacio Chela would interview other players and do funny skits.
Mariano Zabaleta is not related to the famous footballer Pablo Zabaleta. However, Mariano did interview Pablo for a football website once!
Junior Grand Slam Finals
Singles: 1 (1 Title)
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1995 | French Open | Clay |  Mariano Puerta |
6–2, 6–3 |
ATP Career Finals
Singles: 8 (3 Titles, 5 Runner-ups)
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| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Nov 1998 | Bogotá, Colombia | International Series | Clay |  Ramón Delgado |
6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1–1 | May 1999 | Hamburg, Germany | Masters Series | Clay |  Marcelo Ríos |
7–6(7–5), 5–7, 7–5, 6–7(5–7), 2–6 |
| Loss | 1–2 | May 1999 | St Pölten, Austria | International Series | Clay | Marcelo Ríos |
4–4 ret. |
| Loss | 1–3 | Aug 1999 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | World Series | Clay |  Younes El Aynaoui |
0–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1–4 | Feb 2003 | Acapulco, Mexico | Championship Series | Clay | Agustín Calleri |
5–7, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Win | 2–4 | Jul 2003 | Båstad, Sweden | International Series | Clay |  Nicolás Lapentti |
6–3, 6–4 |
| Win | 3–4 | Jul 2004 | Båstad, Sweden | International Series | Clay | Gastón Gaudio |
6–1, 4–6, 7–6(7–4) |
| Loss | 3–5 | Apr 2007 | Houston, United States | International Series | Clay |  Ivo Karlović |
4–6, 1–6 |
ATP Challenger and ITF Futures Finals
Singles: 7 (3–4)
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| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Apr 1996 | Birmingham, United States | Challenger | Clay |  Bill Behrens |
6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1–1 | Oct 1997 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | Challenger | Clay |  Tomas Nydahl |
0–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Nov 2006 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | Challenger | Clay | Sergio Roitman |
3–6, 6–4, 1–6 |
| Win | 2–2 | Jan 2007 | La Serena, Chile | Challenger | Clay | Juan-Pablo Brzezicki |
6–2, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2–3 | Feb 2007 | Florianopolis, Brazil | Challenger | Clay |  Óscar Hernández |
5–7, 6–7(6–8) |
| Win | 3–3 | Apr 2007 | Paget, Bermuda | Challenger | Clay |  Frank Dancevic |
7–5, 5–7, 6–3 |
| Loss | 3–4 | Mar 2009 | Santiago, Chile | Challenger | Clay | Máximo González |
4–6, 3–6 |
See also
In Spanish: Mariano Zabaleta para niños
