Nicolás Massú facts for kids
Massú at the Australian Open in 2007
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| Country (sports) |  Chile |
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| Residence | Viña del Mar | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 October 1979 Viña del Mar |
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| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1997 | ||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 27 September 2013 (one match in 2019) |
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| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||||
| Prize money | $4,344,833 | ||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 257–238 (51.92%) (ATP Tour and Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 9 (13 September 2004) | ||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 2R (2005) | ||||||||||||||||
| French Open | 3R (2004, 2006) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 3R (2001) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | 4R (2005) | ||||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | |||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | W (2004) | ||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 82–103 (ATP Tour and Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 31 (25 July 2005) | ||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 2R (2008) | ||||||||||||||||
| French Open | SF (2005) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 2R (2005) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | QF (2004) | ||||||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | |||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | W (2004) | ||||||||||||||||
| Team competitions | |||||||||||||||||
| Davis Cup | QF (2006, 2010) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nicolás Alejandro Massú Fried (born October 10, 1979) is a Chilean tennis coach and former professional player. He is famous for his amazing achievement at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he won gold medals in both singles and doubles.
Massú is the only male tennis player to win both gold medals at the same Olympics since tennis returned to the Games in 1988. These were also the first-ever Olympic gold medals for his home country, Chile. During his career, he reached a high ranking of world No. 9 in singles. After retiring as a player, he became a successful coach for top players like Dominic Thiem and Hubert Hurkacz.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Tennis
Nicolás Massú was born in Viña del Mar, Chile. His mother, Sonia Fried, is Jewish, and his father, Manuel Massú, has Lebanese and Palestinian roots. His grandparents on his mother's side survived World War II in Europe.
Massú's grandfather introduced him to tennis when he was just five years old. He began serious training at age 12. He worked hard to perfect his powerful forehand and two-handed backhand. He later trained at famous tennis academies in Florida and Spain.
Tennis Career
Junior Success
Massú turned professional in 1997. In his final year as a junior player, he had great success. He won the doubles titles at two of the biggest junior tournaments: Wimbledon and the US Open. This made him the No. 1 ranked junior doubles player in the world.
Professional Journey
Massú began playing on the professional ATP Tour and quickly climbed the ranks. In 2002, he won his first ATP singles title in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A year later, he had a fantastic season, winning two more titles and reaching the final of the big Madrid Masters tournament. By the end of 2003, he was ranked No. 12 in the world.
His career reached its highest point in 2004. After winning a tournament in Kitzbühel, Austria, he went to the Olympics and made history. His success there helped him reach his highest-ever singles ranking of world No. 9.
Over the next few years, Massú continued to compete. He won his sixth and final ATP title in 2006. He was known for his fighting spirit and never giving up, especially when playing for his country.
Historic Olympic Glory
Massú's most famous moments came at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He represented Chile and competed in both the singles and doubles events.
First, in the doubles final, he and his partner Fernando González faced the German team. In a thrilling match, they saved four match points before winning the gold medal. It was the first Olympic gold medal ever for Chile.
The very next day, Massú played in the singles final against American player Mardy Fish. After a tough five-set battle, Massú won again, capturing his second gold medal of the Games. He is the only man in the modern Olympic era to win both singles and doubles gold in tennis at the same Olympics.
He said after his win, "I was so happy because this is my best memory in my sport career... Now I can die happy."
Davis Cup
Massú was a key player for Chile's Davis Cup team, which is like the World Cup of men's tennis. He played for his country for many years, winning many important matches.
In 2014, after he stopped playing, he became the captain of the Chilean team. Under his leadership, the team returned to the top level of the competition in 2019.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Massú became a well-respected coach. From 2019 to 2023, he coached Dominic Thiem of Austria. During that time, Thiem won the 2020 US Open, one of the four biggest tournaments in tennis.
Since November 2024, Massú has been the coach of Polish player Hubert Hurkacz.
Major Finals
Olympic Gold Medal Matches
Singles
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Medal | 2004 | Athens Olympics | Hard |  Mardy Fish |
6–3, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Doubles
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Medal | 2004 | Athens Olympics | Hard |  Fernando González |
 Nicolas Kiefer Rainer Schüttler |
6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 7–6(9–7), 6–4 |
See also
In Spanish: Nicolás Massú para niños
- List of select Jewish tennis players
