Victor Hănescu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Victor Hănescu

Country (sports)	Romania
Residence	Bucharest, Romania
Born	(1981-07-21) 21 July 1981 (age 43) Bucharest, Romania
Height	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Turned pro	2000
Retired	2016
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	$4,330,340
Singles
Career record	201–244
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 26 (6 July 2009)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	2R (2005, 2009, 2010, 2014)
French Open	QF (2005)
Wimbledon	3R (2003, 2009, 2010)
US Open	2R (2008, 2010)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2008)
Doubles
Career record	43–72
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 92 (30 January 2012)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2012, 2013)
French Open	2R (2012)
Wimbledon	2R (2005, 2008, 2009)
US Open	2R (2005, 2010)

Victor Hănescu (born on July 21, 1981) is a former professional tennis player from Romania. He was known for his strong serve and powerful groundstrokes. His highest singles ranking was world number 26. He played tennis professionally from 2000 to 2016.

Victor Hănescu's Tennis Journey

Victor Hănescu reached his best singles ranking of No. 26 on July 6, 2009. He faced some tough times with injuries during his career. A rib injury and later a back injury kept him from playing for much of 2006. His ranking dropped very low, but he worked hard to make a comeback.

Starting Professional Tennis

Hănescu began earning points for his professional ranking in August 1999. He played in smaller tournaments called Futures events. By the end of 1999, he was ranked No. 1231 in the world.

In 2000, he continued to play in Futures and Satellite tournaments. These are events where new players can earn ranking points. He finished the year ranked No. 477.

First Wins and Big Steps

In May 2001, Hănescu won his first professional tournaments. He took home the singles titles at two Futures events in Slovakia. Soon after, he reached the quarterfinals at a Challenger tournament in Budapest. Challenger events are a step up from Futures. By July, he won another Futures event in Romania. He then reached a final and two semifinals at Challengers in August. This helped him get into the top 200 players for the first time.

In 2002, Hănescu made his first quarterfinal at an ATP-level tournament in Croatia. ATP tournaments are the highest level of professional tennis. He also won his first Challenger title in Portugal. He ended 2002 ranked No. 172.

Breaking into the Top 100

The year 2003 was a big one for Hănescu. He qualified for the French Open and reached the third round. This helped him enter the top 100 players for the first time. He also made it to the third round at Wimbledon. He even beat a top-50 player, Rafael Nadal, at a Masters event in Paris. He finished 2003 ranked No. 70.

Facing Top Players

In 2004, Hănescu played mostly at the ATP level. He reached his first ATP semifinal in Scottsdale, USA. He also had his first win against a top-10 player, beating Rainer Schüttler in Estoril, Portugal. He won another Challenger title in Rome, Italy. He ended the year ranked No. 92.

Best Year and Grand Slam Success

The year 2005 was Hănescu's best so far. At the French Open, he had an amazing run. He beat several tough players, including David Nalbandian, to reach the quarterfinals. This was his best performance at a Grand Slam tournament. He lost to the world No. 1, Roger Federer, in the quarterfinals. He also reached two ATP semifinals and beat another top-10 player, Mariano Puerta. He finished 2005 with his highest ranking yet, No. 35.

Overcoming Injuries

In 2006, Hănescu struggled with injuries, especially a rib injury and a back injury. These injuries kept him off the court for most of the year. His ranking dropped significantly, but he was determined to come back.

The year 2007 was all about his comeback. He started playing Challenger events again to regain his form. He won two Challengers in Romania and Austria. Then, he reached his first ATP final in Bucharest, Romania. He climbed hundreds of spots in the rankings that year, showing great determination. He finished 2007 ranked No. 77.

More Finals and Grand Slam Runs

In 2008, Hănescu reached the fourth round of the French Open. He also made it to the final of a tournament in Stuttgart, Germany. He finished the year ranked No. 50.

In 2009, Hănescu continued to play well. He reached the fourth round of the French Open again, beating the seventh seed Gilles Simon. At Wimbledon, he was seeded 31st and reached the third round. He also made it to another final at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart.

In 2010, Hănescu reached the second round of the Australian Open, where he played against Roger Federer. He also reached the third round of the Italian Open, losing to Rafael Nadal. He was a runner-up in a tournament in Casablanca, Morocco.

Later Career Highlights

In 2011, Hănescu reached his fifth ATP final in Nice, France. He also had a big win against the world No. 7, Gaël Monfils, at the MercedesCup.

In 2012, he continued to play in various tournaments. He reached the semifinals of a Challenger event in Marrakech. He also qualified for big tournaments like Monte Carlo and Madrid.

Victor Hănescu retired from professional tennis in 2016. He had a long and successful career, showing great spirit and determination.

Victor Hănescu's Tournament Finals

Singles Finals: 1 Title, 4 Runner-ups

Victor Hănescu played in 5 ATP singles finals during his career. He won 1 title and was the runner-up 4 times.

Outcome	W–L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	0–1	16 September 2007	BCR Open Romania, Bucharest, Romania	Clay	Gilles Simon	6–4, 3–6, 2–6
Winner	1–1	13 July 2008	Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad, Gstaad, Switzerland	Clay	Igor Andreev	6–3, 6–4
Runner-up	1–2	12 July 2009	MercedesCup, Stuttgart, Germany	Clay	Jérémy Chardy	6–1, 3–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1–3	11 April 2010	Grand Prix Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco	Clay	Stanislas Wawrinka	2–6, 3–6
Runner-up	1–4	21 May 2011	Open de Nice Côte d'Azur, Nice, France	Clay	Nicolás Almagro	7–6(7–5), 3–6, 3–6

Doubles Finals: 2 Titles, 2 Runner-ups

Victor Hănescu also reached 4 ATP doubles finals. He won 2 titles and was the runner-up 2 times.

Outcome	W–L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	0–1	18 September 2005	BCR Open Romania, Bucharest, Romania	Clay	Andrei Pavel	José Acasuso Sebastián Prieto	3–6, 6–4, 3–6
Winner	1–1	14 July 2008	Austrian Open, Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	James Cerretani	Lucas Arnold Ker Olivier Rochus	6–3, 7–5
Runner-up	1–2	13 July 2009	MercedesCup, Stuttgart, Germany	Clay	Horia Tecău	František Čermák Michal Mertiňák	5–7, 4–6
Winner	2–2	26 February 2011	Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Acapulco, Mexico	Clay	Horia Tecău	Marcelo Melo Bruno Soares	6–1, 6–3

Images for kids

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  Victor Hănescu at Wimbledon in 2011.

See also

In Spanish: Victor Hănescu para niños