João Souza
João Olavo Soares de Souza is a Brazilian former professional tennis player. Before receiving a lifetime ban for matchfixing, Souza competed mainly on the ATP Challenger Tour, both in singles and doubles. He reached his highest ATP singles ranking, No. 69, on April 6, 2015, and his highest ATP doubles ranking, No. 70, on January 7, 2013. Souza was coached by former Brazilian player Ricardo Acioly. Souza is also known as "Feijão".
Career
In 2011, he qualified to the US Open, but was defeated in the first round by wildcard Robby Ginepri 3–6, 4–6, 7–6, 1–6.In the 2014 season, Souza beat world number 45 Robin Haase in round of 32 of the ATP 250 São Paulo. Later he reached semifinals at the Marburg, Scheveningen and Poznan Challengers. At the Medellin Challenger, he beat Facundo Bagnis in semifinals and lost to Austin Krajicek in the final. He reached semifinals at the Quito Challenger.
In 2015, he played in the longest singles match in Davis Cup history, losing to Leonardo Mayer in 6 hours and 42 minutes, 6–7, 6–7, 7–5, 7–5, 13–15.
In 2016, he won the 2016 International Tennis Tournament of Cortina on the ATP Challenger Tour, beating Laslo Đere in the final in straight sets.
In January 2020, the Tennis Integrity Unit announced that Souza had been issued a lifetime ban after conviction on match-fixing charges.
ATP career finals
Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)
Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Loss | 0–1 | 2015 Ecuador Open Quito – Doubles| | Ecuador Open, Ecuador | 250 Series | Clay | Víctor Estrella Burgos | Gero Kretschmer Alexander Satschko | 5–7, 6–7 |
Futures and Challenger finals: 35 (21–14)
Singles: 22 (14–8)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Juán-Pablo Villar | 6–7, 6–7 | |
Winner | 1. | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Winner | 2. | Santos, Brazil | Clay | Juán-Pablo Villar | 6–1, 6–2 | |
Winner | 3. | Fortaleza, Brazil | Clay | Juán-Pablo Villar | 6–4, 2–0 RET | |
Winner | 4. | Bucaramanga, Colombia | Clay | Juan Sebastián Cabal | 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 | |
Winner | 5. | Bauru, Brazil | Clay | Gastón Giussani | 7–6, 7–6 | |
Runner-up | 2. | Medellín, Colombia | Clay | Juan Ignacio Chela | 4–6, 6–4, 4–6 | |
Winner | 6. | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay | Alejandro Falla | 4–6, 6–4, 6–1 | |
Winner | 7. | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay | Reda El Amrani | 6–4, 7–6 | |
Runner-up | 3. | Quito, Ecuador | Clay | Giovanni Lapentti | 6–2, 3–6, 4–6 | |
Winner | 8. | Santos, Brazil | Clay | Diego Junqueira | 6–4, 6–2 | |
Runner-up | 4. | Zagreb, Croatia | Clay | Diego Junqueira | 3–6, 4–6 | |
Winner | 9. | Cali, Colombia | Clay | Thiago Alves | 6–2, 6–4 | |
Winner | 10. | Quito, Ecuador | Clay | Guillaume Rufin | 6–2, 7–6 | |
Winner | 11. | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Alejandro González | 7–6, 6–3 | |
Winner | 12. | São Paulo, Brazil | Hard | Alejandro González | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Runner-up | 5. | Medellín, Colombia | Clay | Austin Krajicek | 5–7, 3–6 | |
Runner-up | 6. | Pereira, Colombia | Clay | Víctor Estrella Burgos | 6–7, 6–3, 6–7 | |
Runner-up | 7. | San Juan, Argentina | Clay | Diego Schwartzman | 6–7, 3–6 | |
Runner-up | 8. | León, Mexico | Hard | Michael Berrer | 3–6, 2–6 | |
Winner | 13. | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Clay | Laslo Đere | 6–4, 7–6 | |
Winner | 14. | Fano, Italy | Clay | Nicolás Kicker | 6–4, 6–7, 6–2 |
Doubles: 22 (11–11)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | Sorocaba, Brazil | Clay | Marcelo Melo | Alexandre Bonatto Franco Ferreiro | 6–4, 5–7, 6–3 | |
Runner-up | 2. | Londrina, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | Leonardo Kirche Caio Zampieri | 3–6, 6–2, 7–6 | |
Runner-up | 3. | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | György Balázs Kornél Bardóczky | 6–4, 6–2 | |
Winner | 1. | Criciúma, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | Carlos Avellán Tiago Lopes | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Winner | 2. | Uruguaiana, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | Tiago Lopes Caio Zampieri | 7–6, 6–2 | |
Runner-up | 4. | Florianópolis, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | Pablo Cuevas Horacio Zeballos | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Runner-up | 5. | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | Henrique Pinto-Silva Gabriel Pitta | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Runner-up | 6. | Caldas Novas, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | Renato Silveira Caio Zampieri | 6–4, 6–7, 6–1 | |
Winner | 3. | Chapecó, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | Thomaz Bellucci Caio Burjaili | 2–6, 6–2, 6–2 | |
Winner | 4. | Itu, Brazil | Clay | André Miele | Raony Carvalho Rodrigo Grilli | 2–6, 6–4, | |
Winner | 5. | Fortaleza, Brazil | Clay | André Pinheiro | Henrique Pinto-Silva Gabriel Pitta | walkover | |
Winner | 6. | Manizales, Colombia | Clay | André Miele | Matteo Marrai Walter Trusendi | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Runner-up | 7. | Aracaju, Brazil | Clay | Thiago Alves | Juan-Martín Aranguren Franco Ferreiro | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Runner-up | 8. | Mexico City, Mexico | Hard | Víctor Estrella Burgos | Sanchai Ratiwatana Sonchat Ratiwatana | 6–3, 6–3 | |
Winner | 7. | Pereira, Colombia | Clay | Víctor Estrella Burgos | Juan Sebastián Cabal Alejandro Falla | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Runner-up | 9. | Cali, Colombia | Clay | Ricardo Hocevar | Sebastián Prieto Horacio Zeballos | 4–6, 6–3, | |
Runner-up | 10. | Cali, Colombia | Clay | Marcelo Demoliner | Juan Sebastián Cabal Robert Farah | 3–6, 6–7 | |
Winner | 8. | Campinas, Brazil | Clay | Marcelo Demoliner | Marcel Felder Máximo González | 6–1, 7–5 | |
Runner-up | 11. | Quito, Ecuador | Clay | Marcelo Demoliner | Juan Sebastián Cabal Carlos Salamanca | 6–7, 6–7 | |
Winner | 9. | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Clay | Marcelo Demoliner | Frederico Gil Pedro Sousa | 6–2, 6–4 | |
Winner | 10. | Porto Alegre, Brazil | Clay | Marcelo Demoliner | Simon Greul Alessandro Motti | 6–3, 3–6, | |
Winner | 11. | Santiago, Chile | Clay | Marcelo Demoliner | Federico Delbonis Diego Junqueira | 7–5, 6–1 |