Gustavo Kuerten
 |
|
| Country (sports) |
 Brazil
|
|---|---|
| Residence | Florianópolis, Brazil |
| Born |
10 September 1976 Florianópolis, Brazil |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Turned pro | 1995 |
| Retired | 25 May 2008 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $14,807,000 |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2012 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 358–195 (64.74%) |
| Career titles | 20 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (4 December 2000) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (2004) |
| French Open | W (1997, 2000, 2001) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1999) |
| US Open | QF (1999, 2001) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (2000) |
| Olympic Games | QF (2000) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 108–95 |
| Career titles | 8 |
| Highest ranking | No. 38 (13 October 1997) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1999) |
| French Open | QF (1998) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1999, 2000) |
| US Open | 1R (1997, 2003, 2004, 2007) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | SF (2000) |
Gustavo Kuerten (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɡusˈtavu ˈkiɾtẽ]; born 10 September 1976), nickname as Guga, is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open singles title three times (1997, 2000, and 2001), and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000. Kuerten suffered many problems with injuries which led him to miss a number of tournaments between 2002 and 2005. After a few failed attempts of comebacks, he retired from top-level tennis in May 2008. During his career he won 20 singles and 8 doubles titles.
Kuerten was born in Florianópolis in southern Brazil. He began playing tennis when he was six, an early start to a life and career marked by family tragedy. His father, Aldo, a former amateur tennis player, died of a heart attack in 1985 while umpiring a junior tennis match in Curitiba, when Kuerten was eight years old. His older brother, Raphael, is currently his business manager. His youngest brother, Guilherme, suffered prolonged oxygen deprivation and consequently irreparable brain damage during birth, and as a result suffered from mental retardation and severe physical disability until his death in 2007. Kuerten was deeply affected by his brother's daily struggles, later donating the entire prize money from one tournament he has won every year of his professional career so far to a hometown NGO that provides assistance for people suffering from similar disabilities. He gave every trophy he won to his younger brother as a souvenir, including the three miniature replicas of the French Open men's singles trophy. His favourite football team is Brazilian Avaí Futebol Clube.
As a young player, Kuerten first learned from Carlos Alves. Alves would continue to coach Kuerten for the next 8 years. When he was 14 years old, Kuerten met Larri Passos who would be his coach for the following 15 years. Passos convinced Kuerten and his family that the youth was talented enough to make a living out of playing tennis. The two started traveling all over the world to participate in junior tournaments. Kuerten turned professional in 1995.
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