Nicolás Almagro facts for kids
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Almagro in January 2017
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| Country (sports) |  Spain |
|---|---|
| Residence | Murcia, Spain |
| Born | 21 August 1985 Murcia |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Turned pro | 2003 |
| Retired | April 2019 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$10,752,234 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 397–278 (58.81% in Grand Slam and ATP World Tour main draw matches, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 13 |
| Highest ranking | No. 9 (2 May 2011) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2013) |
| French Open | QF (2008, 2010, 2012) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013) |
| US Open | 4R (2012) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | Alt (2011, 2012) |
| Olympic Games | QF (2012) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 77–120 (39.09% in Grand Slam and ATP World Tour main-draw matches, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 1 |
| Highest ranking | No. 48 (21 March 2011) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2008) |
| French Open | 3R (2010) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (2006, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2016) |
| US Open | 3R (2016) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (2008) |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Spain |
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| Men's Tennis | ||
| Mediterranean Games | ||
| Gold | 2005 Almería | Singles |
| Gold | 2005 Almería | Doubles |
Nicolás Almagro Sánchez (born 21 August 1985) is a Spanish former professional tennis player. He was known for his strong game on clay courts. Nicolás reached the quarterfinals of the French Open three times: in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Each time, he lost to the legendary Rafael Nadal. He also made it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2013. During his career, Almagro won thirteen singles titles. He reached his highest singles ranking of world No. 9 in May 2011. After retiring from playing, Almagro started coaching American player Danielle Collins.
Contents
About Nicolás Almagro
Nicolás Almagro married Rafi Lardín on 6 December 2015. They had their first child, a boy, in 2017.
Nicolás's Tennis Journey
Starting Out in Juniors
Nicolás Almagro was a talented junior player. He reached a high ranking of world No. 18 in junior singles in December 2003.
Early Career Highlights (2005-2007)
In 2005, Almagro won a gold medal at the Mediterranean Games. He beat his fellow Spanish player Guillermo García López in the final. In April 2006, Nicolás won his first ever ATP tournament title in Valencia, Spain. He had to play through qualification rounds to get into the event. Despite this, he won eight matches in a row, including tough three-set wins against former world No. 1 players Juan Carlos Ferrero and Marat Safin.
After this win, Almagro played well, reaching the semifinals in Barcelona and the quarterfinals in Rome. In 2007, he won his second title, again in Valencia. He also showed promise on hard courts, reaching the quarterfinals in Cincinnati and the third round of the US Open.
Rising Through the Ranks (2008-2010)
The year 2008 was very successful for Almagro. He won two more titles, first in Costa do Sauipe and then in Acapulco. These wins helped him reach a career-best ranking of No. 21 in the world. He was especially strong on clay courts, winning 21 of 26 matches on this surface that season.
Nicolás had his best Grand Slam result at the 2008 French Open. He reached the quarterfinals without losing a set, beating players like Andy Murray. He lost to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. In 2009, he successfully defended his title in Acapulco. He also reached the third round of the Australian Open for the first time.
In 2010, Almagro had a strong Australian Open run, reaching the fourth round. He played the whole tournament with a broken left wrist, which made serving difficult. He also reached his first Masters event semifinal in Madrid, where he again lost to Rafael Nadal. At the 2010 French Open, he reached the quarterfinals for the second time, losing to Nadal once more. Later that year, he won two more titles in Sweden and Switzerland, ending a long title drought.
Top 10 Player (2011-2013)
Nicolás started 2011 strongly, winning two titles back-to-back in Brazil and Argentina. He then reached his third clay-court final in a row in Mexico. At the 2011 Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell, he entered the world's top 10 for the first time in his career. He won his tenth career title in Nice, France.
In 2012, Almagro won his eleventh career title in São Paulo, Brazil. He also defended his title in Nice, earning his twelfth career title. At the 2012 French Open, he reached the quarterfinals for the third time without losing a set before facing Rafael Nadal again. He also had a surprising run to the quarterfinals at the 2012 London Olympics.
In 2013, Almagro reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time. He played against David Ferrer and was leading by two sets, but Ferrer made a great comeback to win the match. At the French Open, he again lost after leading by two sets, this time to Tommy Robredo.
Later Career and Retirement (2014-2019)
Almagro faced injuries in 2014, including a shoulder injury and a foot injury. These injuries forced him to miss Wimbledon and the US Open. However, he achieved a big win at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he beat Rafael Nadal. This was his first victory over Nadal in 11 tries.
He continued to play in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, he won his thirteenth and final career title at the Estoril Open in Portugal. In April 2019, Nicolás Almagro announced his retirement from professional tennis at the Murcia Open, which was his last tournament.
Playing Style
Nicolás Almagro was known as an offensive baseliner. This means he liked to play from the back of the court and hit powerful shots. His groundstrokes, especially his backhand, were very strong. He also had a quick and powerful first serve. Almagro was best on clay courts, and most of his titles were won on this surface. He also had some success on hard courts, reaching quarterfinals in major events.
Equipment
Nicolás Almagro used the Volkl V-Sense 10 Tour tennis racket. He used Luxilon Big Banger Original strings. From January 2016, he wore Joma clothing and shoes.
Davis Cup Participation
Nicolás Almagro played in seven Davis Cup competitions for Spain. He won 8 out of 10 singles matches he played, all on clay. In 2008, he helped the Spanish team win the Davis Cup title. In the 2012 Davis Cup final, he lost two matches, and Spain was unable to win the title again.
ATP Career Finals
Singles: 23 (13 titles, 10 runner-ups)
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| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Apr 2006 | Valencia Open, Spain | International | Clay |  Gilles Simon |
6–2, 6–3 |
| Win | 2–0 | Apr 2007 | Valencia Open, Spain (2) | International | Clay |  Potito Starace |
4–6, 6–2, 6–1 |
| Loss | 2–1 | Jul 2007 | Swedish Open, Sweden | International | Clay | David Ferrer |
1–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 3–1 | Feb 2008 | Brasil Open, Brazil | International | Clay | Carlos Moyá |
7–6(7–4), 3–6, 7–5 |
| Win | 4–1 | Mar 2008 | Mexican Open, Mexico | Intl. Gold | Clay |  David Nalbandian |
6–1, 7–6(7–1) |
| Loss | 4–2 | Apr 2008 | Valencia Open, Spain | International | Clay | David Ferrer |
6–4, 2–6, 6–7(2–7) |
| Win | 5–2 | Feb 2009 | Mexican Open, Mexico (2) | 500 Series | Clay | Gaël Monfils |
6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 6–2 | Jul 2010 | Swedish Open, Sweden | 250 Series | Clay |  Robin Söderling |
7–5, 3–6, 6–2 |
| Win | 7–2 | Aug 2010 | Swiss Open, Switzerland | 250 Series | Clay | Richard Gasquet |
7–5, 6–1 |
| Win | 8–2 | Feb 2011 | Brasil Open, Brazil (2) | 250 Series | Clay |  Alexandr Dolgopolov |
6–3, 7–6(7–3) |
| Win | 9–2 | Feb 2011 | Argentina Open, Argentina | 250 Series | Clay | Juan Ignacio Chela |
6–3, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Loss | 9–3 | Feb 2011 | Mexican Open, Mexico | 500 Series | Clay | David Ferrer |
6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–2), 2–6 |
| Win | 10–3 | May 2011 | Open de Nice Côte d'Azur, France | 250 Series | Clay |  Victor Hănescu |
6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 10–4 | Jul 2011 | German Open, Germany | 500 Series | Clay | Gilles Simon |
4–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
| Win | 11–4 | Feb 2012 | Brasil Open, Brazil (3) | 250 Series | Clay | Filippo Volandri |
6–3, 4–6, 6–4 |
| Loss | 11–5 | Feb 2012 | Argentina Open, Argentina | 250 Series | Clay | David Ferrer |
6–4, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 12–5 | May 2012 | Open de Nice Côte d'Azur, France (2) | 250 Series | Clay |  Brian Baker |
6–3, 6–2 |
| Loss | 12–6 | Jul 2012 | Swedish Open, Sweden | 250 Series | Clay | David Ferrer |
2–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 12–7 | Apr 2013 | U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, US | 250 Series | Clay | John Isner |
3–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 12–8 | Apr 2013 | Barcelona Open, Spain | 500 Series | Clay | Rafael Nadal |
4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 12–9 | Apr 2014 | U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, US | 250 Series | Clay | Fernando Verdasco |
3–6, 6–7(4–7) |
| Loss | 12–10 | Feb 2016 | Argentina Open, Argentina | 250 Series | Clay |  Dominic Thiem |
6–7(2–7), 6–3, 6–7(4–7) |
| Win | 13–10 | May 2016 | Estoril Open, Portugal | 250 Series | Clay | Pablo Carreño Busta |
6–7(6–8), 7–6(7–5), 6–3 |
Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
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| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Feb 2009 | Argentina Open, Argentina | 250 Series | Clay | Santiago Ventura Bertomeu |
Marcel Granollers Alberto Martín |
3–6, 7–5, [8–10] |
| Win | 1–1 | Aug 2015 | Austrian Open Kitzbühel, Austria | 250 Series | Clay | Carlos Berlocq |
 Robin Haase Henri Kontinen |
5–7, 6–3, [11–9] |
Performance Timelines
Singles Performance
| Tournament | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | SR | W–L | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 4R | 4R | 4R | QF | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | A | 0 / 12 | 16–12 | 59% |
| French Open | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | QF | 3R | QF | 1R | QF | 4R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 14 | 24–14 | 63% |
| Wimbledon | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 3R | 3R | 3R | A | 1R | 2R | A | A | A | 0 / 11 | 10–11 | 48% |
| US Open | A | A | 2R | 1R | 3R | 3R | 3R | 3R | 1R | 4R | 1R | A | Q2 | 3R | 1R | A | A | 0 / 11 | 14–11 | 56% |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 3–4 | 7–4 | 8–4 | 9–4 | 5–4 | 12–4 | 9–4 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 6–4 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 48 | 64–48 | 57% |
| Olympic Games | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Summer Olympics | NH | A | Not Held | 1R | Not Held | QF | Not Held | A | Not Held | 0 / 2 | 3–2 | 60% | ||||||||
| ATP World Tour Masters 1000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Wells Masters | A | A | A | A | 2R | 2R | A | 4R | 3R | QF | 3R | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | 0 / 7 | 8–7 | 53% |
| Miami Masters | A | A | 1R | A | 3R | 3R | 2R | QF | 3R | 4R | 4R | 3R | 2R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 10 | 12–10 | 55% |
| Monte Carlo Masters | A | A | A | A | 1R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 3R | 2R | 3R | A | 1R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 10 | 10–9 | 53% |
| Rome Masters | A | A | 3R | QF | 2R | QF | 1R | 2R | 3R | 3R | 1R | A | 2R | A | 2R | A | A | 0 / 11 | 15–11 | 58% |
| Madrid Masters1 | A | 1R | 1R | A | QF | A | 1R | SF | 1R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 12 | 12–12 | 50% |
| Canada Masters | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | 2R | QF | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 5 | 3–5 | 38% |
| Cincinnati Masters | A | A | A | 2R | QF | A | 2R | 1R | 3R | A | 1R | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | 0 / 7 | 7–7 | 50% |
| Shanghai Masters2 | A | A | A | A | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R | QF | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | 0 / 7 | 7–8 | 47% |
| Paris Masters | A | A | A | 2R | 1R | A | 2R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 3R | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | 0 / 8 | 4–8 | 33% |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 5–4 | 9–9 | 5–5 | 3–7 | 13–9 | 11–9 | 11–7 | 9–9 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 1–6 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 78 | 78–77 | 50% |
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Career | |||
| Tournaments | 1 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 28 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 10 | 20 | 23 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 287 | ||
| Titles–Finals | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–5 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 13 / 23 | ||
| Overall win–loss | 1–1 | 2–7 | 13–22 | 27–20 | 34–27 | 35–17 | 30–24 | 44–26 | 47–23 | 58–24 | 42–23 | 14–9 | 18–20 | 22–22 | 10–12 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 13 / 287 | 397–278 | 59% |
| Win % | 50% | 22% | 37% | 57% | 56% | 67% | 56% | 63% | 67% | 71% | 65% | 61% | 47% | 50% | 45% | 0% | 0% | 58.81% | ||
| Year-end ranking | 156 | 103 | 114 | 32 | 28 | 18 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 71 | 73 | 44 | 151 | - | - | $10,752,234 | ||
1Held as Hamburg Masters till 2008.
2Held as Madrid Masters till 2008.
Doubles Performance
| Tournament | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | SR | W–L | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 5 | 1–5 | ||||||
| French Open | 1R | 2R | A | 1R | 1R | 3R | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | 0 / 7 | 2–6 | ||||||
| Wimbledon | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | 0 / 5 | 0–5 | ||||||
| US Open | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 4–6 | ||||||
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 23 | 7–22 | ||||||
Wins Over Top 10 Players
Nicolás Almagro had 19 wins against players ranked in the top 10 during his career.
| Season | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Total |
| Wins | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| # | Player | Rank | Event | Surface | Rd | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | ||||||
| 1. |  Marat Safin |
4 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 2R | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2006 | ||||||
| 2. | Guillermo Coria |
9 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | 3R | 6–2, 6–0 |
| 3. | Nikolay Davydenko |
6 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 3R | 7–6(8–6), ret. |
| 2007 | ||||||
| 4. | Tommy Robredo |
7 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | 2R | 6–7(1–7), 6–2, 6–4 |
| 2008 | ||||||
| 5. | David Nalbandian |
8 | Acapulco, Mexico | Clay | F | 6–1, 7–6(7–1) |
| 6. | David Nalbandian |
7 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 2R | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 2009 | ||||||
| 7. | Gaël Monfils |
10 | Acapulco, Mexico | Clay | F | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2010 | ||||||
| 8. | Robin Söderling |
7 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | 2R | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 9. | Fernando Verdasco |
9 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | 4R | 6–1, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 10. | Robin Söderling |
5 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | F | 7–5, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 2011 | ||||||
| 11. |  Tomáš Berdych |
6 | Nice, France | Clay | SF | 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2012 | ||||||
| 12. | Tomáš Berdych |
7 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | 4R | 6–4, 6–0 |
| 13. |  Janko Tipsarević |
8 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | 4R | 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |
| 14. | John Isner |
10 | Davis Cup, Gijón, Spain | Clay | RR | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5 |
| 2013 | ||||||
| 15. | Janko Tipsarević |
9 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | 4R | 6–2, 5–1 ret. |
| 16. | Tomáš Berdych |
6 | Shanghai, China | Hard | 3R | 6–7(6–8), 6–3, 7–6(7–4) |
| 2014 | ||||||
| 17. | Rafael Nadal |
1 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | QF | 2–6, 7–6(7–5), 6–4 |
| 2016 | ||||||
| 18. | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga |
9 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | QF | 6–2, 7–5 |
| 19. | David Ferrer |
6 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | SF | 6–4, 7–5 |
See also
In Spanish: Nicolás Almagro para niños
