Àlex Corretja


Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he was twice a Grand Slam runner-up at the French Open and won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 in 1999. He also played a key role in helping Spain win its first-ever Davis Cup title in 2000.
Post-retirement, Corretja became a temporary coach of Andy Murray in April 2008 for the duration of the clay-court season, resuming the role on a permanent basis between 2009-2011. In 2012-2013, Corretja coached the Spanish Davis Cup team.

Early career

Corretja was born in Barcelona, and first came to the tennis world's attention as a promising junior player who won the Orange Bowl under-16 title in 1990. He turned professional in 1991 and won his first top-level singles title in 1994 at Buenos Aires. His first doubles title came in 1995 at Palermo.

1996

In 1996, Corretja faced Pete Sampras in an epic five-set quarterfinal match at the US Open. Pete Sampras threw up in the fifth set tiebreak, where Corretja held a match point later on, but he eventually lost to Sampras on a double fault in 4 hours and 9 minutes.

1997

In 1997, Corretja captured three titles, including his first Tennis Masters Series title in Rome, where he defeated Marcelo Ríos.

1998

1998 saw Corretja reach his first Grand Slam final at the French Open. In the third round, he defeated Argentina's Hernán Gumy in the longest match in the tournament's history. Corretja won the 5-hour 31-minute marathon. In the final, Corretja lost to fellow-Spaniard Carlos Moyà in straight sets.
Corretja finished 1998 by winning the most significant title of his career, the ATP Tour World Championships. In the group stage, he beat world no. 5 Andre Agassi, and in the semifinals, Corretja saved three match points on the way to beating world no. 1 Sampras. In the final, Corretja faced world no. 4 Moyà in a five-set marathon and came back from two sets down to win in 4 hours and 1 minute. Corretja's win made him the first man to ever win the Tour Championships without having ever won a Grand Slam tournament
In total, Corretja won a career-high five singles titles during the 1998 season, on three different surfaces. He finished the year ranked world No. 3.

1999

Corretja reached three tournament finals, the quarterfinals of the French Open and reached his career high ranking of 2 in February.

2000

In 2000, Corretja won the Indian Wells Masters title, beating Thomas Enqvist in straight sets in the final. He also beat world no. 1 Agassi in the final of the Washington Open for the loss of just five games.
In the Davis Cup, Corretja helped Spain to their first ever title win. He went 3–0 in singles rubbers during the earlier rounds, and then teamed up with Joan Manuel Balcells to win the doubles match in the final as Spain beat Australia 3–1. Corretja also won a men's doubles bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney, partnering Albert Costa.

2001

In 2001, Corretja reached the men's singles final at the French Open for the second time, losing in the final to defending champion Gustavo Kuerten in four sets. In July of that year, Corretja won a five-set marathon match in the final of the Dutch Open against Younes El Aynaoui. The 53-game match was the year's longest tour final.

2002

Corretja's biggest win of 2002 came in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup, where he rallied from two sets down to beat Sampras on grass. At the French Open, Corretja saved four match points in the third round against Arnaud Clément, before going on to win. Corretja then progressed to the semifinals, where he lost in four sets to Albert Costa. One week later, Corretja was the best man at Costa's wedding.

2003-05

In 2003, Corretja was again part of a Spanish team which reached the Davis Cup final. He won two doubles and one singles rubber in the earlier rounds. However, in the final, Corretja and Feliciano López lost the doubles rubber, as Spain were beaten 3–1 by Australia.
Corretja announced his retirement on 24 September 2005. He won a total of 17 top-level singles titles and three doubles titles during his career.

After retirement

Corretja coached Britain's Andy Murray from 2008 to 2011.
As of 2015, he works for Eurosport as a field interviewer at the Grand Slam tournaments.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 2 (2 runner-ups)

Career finals

Singles (17–13)

ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss1.2 November 1992Guarujá, BrazilHard Carsten Arriens6–7, 3–6
Loss2.3 October 1994Palermo, ItalyClay Alberto Berasategui6–2, 6–7, 4–6
Win1.14 November 1994Buenos Aires, ArgentinaClay Javier Frana6–3, 5–7, 7–6
Loss3.13 May 1996Hamburg, GermanyClay Roberto Carretero6–2, 4–6, 4–6, 4–6
Loss4.29 July 1996Kitzbühel, AustriaClay Alberto Berasategui2–6, 4–6, 4–6
Loss5.7 October 1996Marbella, SpainClay Marc-Kevin Goellner6–7, 6–7
Win2.14 April 1997Estoril, PortugalClay Francisco Clavet6–3, 7–5
Loss6.28 April 1997Monte Carlo, MonacoClay Marcelo Ríos4–6, 4–6, 3–6
Loss7.5 May 1997Munich, GermanyClay Mark Philippoussis6–7, 6–1, 4–6
Win3.19 May 1997Rome, ItalyClay Marcelo Ríos7–5, 7–5, 6–3
Win4.21 July 1997Stuttgart Outdoor, GermanyClay Karol Kučera6–2, 7–5
Win5.16 February 1998Dubai, UAEHard Félix Mantilla7–6, 6–0
Loss8.11 May 1998Hamburg, GermanyClay Albert Costa2–6, 0–6, 0–1 ret.
Loss9.8 June 1998French Open, ParisClay Carlos Moyà3–6, 5–7, 3–6
Win6.13 July 1998Gstaad, SwitzerlandClay Boris Becker7–6, 7–5, 6–3
Win7.24 August 1998Indianapolis, U.S.Hard Andre Agassi2–6, 6–2, 6–3
Win8.26 October 1998Lyon, FranceCarpet Tommy Haas2–6, 7–6, 6–1
Win9.30 November 1998Tennis Masters Cup, HannoverCarpet Carlos Moyà3–6, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 7–5
Loss10.18 January 1999Sydney, AustraliaHard Todd Martin3–6, 6–7
Loss11.30 August 1999Long Island, U.S.Hard Magnus Norman6–7, 6–4, 3–6
Loss12.20 September 1999Mallorca, SpainClay Juan Carlos Ferrero6–2, 5–7, 3–6
Win10.20 March 2000Indian Wells, U.S.Hard Thomas Enqvist6–4, 6–4, 6–3
Win11.17 July 2000Gstaad, SwitzerlandClay Mariano Puerta6–1, 6–3
Win12.30 July 2000Kitzbühel, AustriaClay Emilio Benfele Álvarez6–3, 6–1, 3–0 ret.
Win13.21 August 2000Washington, U.S.Hard Andre Agassi6–2, 6–3
Win14.23 October 2000Toulouse, FranceHard Carlos Moyà6–3, 6–2
Loss13.11 June 2001French Open, ParisClay Gustavo Kuerten7–6, 5–7, 2–6, 0–6
Win15.23 July 2001Amsterdam, NetherlandsClay Younes El Aynaoui6–3, 5–7, 7–6, 3–6, 6–4
Win16.15 July 2002Gstaad, SwitzerlandClay Gastón Gaudio6–3, 7–6, 7–6
Win17.29 July 2002Kitzbühel, AustriaClay Juan Carlos Ferrero6–4, 6–1, 6–3

Singles performance timeline

Top 10 wins