Nicolas Kiefer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nicolas Kiefer

Kiefer at the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open
Country (sports)	Germany
Residence	Sievershausen, Germany
Born	(1977-07-05) 5 July 1977 (age 47) Holzminden, West Germany
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro	1995
Retired	30 December 2010
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 7,480,465
Singles
Career record	366–274 (57.19%)
Career titles	6
Highest ranking	No. 4 (10 January 2000)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (2006)
French Open	4R (2005)
Wimbledon	QF (1997)
US Open	QF (2000)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (1999)
Olympic Games	3R (2004, 2008)
Doubles
Career record	92–123 (42.79%)
Career titles	3
Highest ranking	No. 56 (17 February 2003)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2004)
French Open	1R (2001, 2003, 2004)
Wimbledon	2R (2003)
US Open	1R (2002)
Medal record Olympic Games – Tennis Silver 2004 Athens Doubles

Nicolas Kiefer (born 5 July 1977) is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He was a very talented player who reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2006. Nicolas also won a silver medal in men's doubles at the 2004 Athens Olympics. His partner for this achievement was Rainer Schüttler. Kiefer's highest singles ranking was world No. 4, which he achieved in January 2000.

Nicolas Kiefer's Tennis Journey

Early Career and Rise to Top 4

Nicolas Kiefer was a very promising junior player. In 1995, when he was 18, he won the Junior Australian Open and the US Open. He also reached the finals and semifinals at Wimbledon and the French Open. This made him the No. 2 junior player in the world.

He turned professional in 1995. On January 10, 2000, he reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the second time. After this, he achieved his highest ranking ever, becoming world No. 4.

Kiefer was known for some interesting habits on the court. He would sometimes tap his racquet on the court corners after winning a point. When serving, he often asked to use the same ball he had just won a point with.

Challenges and Comebacks (2006-2007)

In 2006, during the Australian Open quarterfinals, Kiefer had a memorable moment. While playing against Sébastien Grosjean, he accidentally threw his racquet during a point. Grosjean missed his shot and protested, but the umpire decided it was not on purpose. Kiefer won that match and reached the semifinals. There, he lost to the famous player Roger Federer.

Later in 2006, Kiefer injured his wrist at the French Open. He had to take a break from tennis. He announced his return on July 5, 2007, after his ranking had dropped to 404. He was eager to start playing again.

He returned at the 2007 Gerry Weber Open but lost in the first round. At Wimbledon, he played well, reaching the third round before losing to Novak Djokovic. He showed great form at the 2007 Madrid Masters, beating a top player, Fernando González, in the quarterfinals. He then lost to world No. 1 Roger Federer in the semifinals.

A Big Final and Injuries (2008-2009)

The year 2008 started slowly for Kiefer. He lost early in several tournaments. However, he had a great run at the 2008 Hamburg Masters, beating two top-10 players.

His biggest moment in 2008 was reaching his first-ever Masters final at the 2008 Canada Masters. This was a huge achievement after playing in 73 previous Masters tournaments. On his way to the final, he defeated several strong players, including Nikolay Davydenko and James Blake. He faced Rafael Nadal in the final and lost, but his performance helped him get back into the top 20 players in the world.

In 2009, Kiefer played for Germany in the 2009 Hopman Cup with Sabine Lisicki. He twisted his ankle during a match, which unfortunately stopped him from playing in the 2009 Australian Open.

He came back for the 2009 Davis Cup and helped Germany win against Austria. He also played in other tournaments like 2009 BNP Paribas Open and 2009 Sony Ericsson Open. He often faced tough opponents like Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.

Kiefer had some struggles with injuries, including back problems and a muscular strain. These injuries sometimes forced him to retire from matches. Despite these challenges, he continued to compete. At the 2009 French Open, he lost a close five-set match to David Ferrer. Kiefer was proud of his effort, especially since clay was his least favorite playing surface.

He played at Wimbledon as the 33rd seed but was still recovering from an injury. He lost in the first round. Later, at the US Open, he reached the second round before losing to world No. 3 Rafael Nadal.

Key Achievements

Nicolas Kiefer had a successful career, winning several titles and reaching important finals.

Olympic Medal

He won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics in men's doubles.

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Silver	2004	Athens Olympics	Hard	Rainer Schüttler	Fernando González Nicolás Massú	2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–7(7–9), 4–6

Masters Series Final

He reached one Masters Series final in singles.

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2008	Toronto, Canada	Hard	Rafael Nadal	3–6, 2–6

Career Titles

Nicolas Kiefer won 6 singles titles and 3 doubles titles during his career. He also reached 13 singles finals and 1 doubles final.

• Singles Titles (6):

* 1997: Toulouse, France (Hard) * 1999: Tokyo, Japan (Hard) * 1999: Halle, Germany (Grass) * 1999: Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Hard) * 2000: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Hard) * 2000: Hong Kong, China (Hard)

• Doubles Titles (3):

* 1998: Ostrava, Czech Republic (Carpet) * 2002: Los Angeles, United States (Hard) * 2003: Tokyo, Japan (Hard)

Playing Against Top Players

Nicolas Kiefer played many matches against the best tennis players in the world. He had some notable wins against players who were ranked in the top 10.

He had a good record against players like Patrick Rafter, Carlos Moyá, and Marat Safin. He also managed to beat Yevgeny Kafelnikov several times. However, he found it challenging to beat legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Roddick, against whom he had no wins.

Images for kids

• 

  Kiefer at the 2009 French Open

See also

In Spanish: Nicolas Kiefer para niños