Top 10 Spanish tennis players
Tennis, like football, is one of the most followed sports in Spain. This is because there is a long tradition of elite tennis players who have gained worldwide recognition, thus becoming part of tennis history.
Tennis fans know who the best Spanish tennis players are, but even if you are not a fan of this sport, it is likely that you have heard of the champions, since some of them usually win all the tournaments and medals in the most famous competitions today..
This is mainly because they have complete control of the tennis rackets, almost as if they are an extension of their own bodies. In this sense, it may be interesting to learn more about some of the most famous current and veteran Spanish tennis players in history.
1. Rafael Nadal
He was born on June 3, 1986 in Manacor, a town in the municipality of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands. Nadal began his professional career in 2001 and since then he has won 84 titles, including 19 Grand Slam, 12 in France, 4 US Open, 2 Wimbledon and 1 Australian tournament. Nadal also won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, making him one of the most popular and award-winning tennis players in all of tennis history. Also, he stands out from the others because he shows great ferocity, strength, and creativity during his games.
2. Manolo Santana
He was one of the highly successful pioneers in Spanish tennis, making him one of the best-known players in the sport. Santana dominated the ranking of Spanish tennis players in the 1960s, becoming the first Spaniard to win the Wimbledon tournament in the amateur category. Likewise, he was able to win the Roland Garros twice in 1961 and 1964, as well as the US Open in 1965.
3. Carlos Moya
Among the Catalan tennis players, Carlos Moya stands out, who caught the attention of the Spanish public at the end of the 20th century, when he triumphed in the final of the Australian Open in 1997. In addition, he became number 1 in the ATP , after winning Roland Garros in 1998. However, he retired in 2010.
4. David Ferrer
He is a Valencian tennis player, who stands out mainly for being one of the few tennis players who has remained among the top 10 in the world for the longest time. He has obtained this position for 7 years in a row, so he is an exceptional athlete.
5. Andres Gimeno
He was born in 1937 in Barcelona and died in the same city on October 9, 2019. During his career as a tennis player, from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Gimeno added a large number of victories to his resume, including one of the Grand Slam tournament, in 1972. In addition, he has been part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame since 2009.
6. Juan Carlos Ferrero
This is another Valencian tennis player who is among the best in the history of Spain . In 2003, Ferrero won the Roland Garros and the same year he reached the number 1 position in the ATP, where he remained the best player in the world for 8 weeks in a row. However, he retired at home, in the Valencia tournament in 2012.
7. Manuel Orantes
He is a former Spanish tennis player who was born on February 6, 1949. He is considered one of the most outstanding players, since he has a large number of victories, among which the first place in the 1975 US Open and Wimbledon Junior Men stand out. in 1967.
8. Sergio Bruguera
Sergi Bruguera participated in professional Spanish tennis from 1988 to 2002. His last victories were the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters tournament in 1994 and the Barletta tournament in 2002. However, he has the second place in the 1996 Olympic Games and has 3 Roland Garros, for which he managed to obtain great recognition during his sports career.
9. Tommy Robredo
He is a professional tennis player born in Spain in 1982. Among the achievements he has obtained in his professional career, the Mayor Prize in the Hamburg Tournament in 2006 stands out. In addition, he reached the quarterfinals 5 times in the Grand Slam, for which is currently among the top 30 worldwide.
10. Jose Higueras
José Higueras was born on March 1, 1953 and had a professional life in tennis from 1973 to 1986. He is mainly known for his fair play and reached the semifinals of Roland Garros for the first time in 1982. Among his most outstanding interventions are the round of 16 at Roland Garros in 1984, when José knelt before the referee to beg him to give his opponent John McEnroe the point.
Tennis: a sport that makes Spaniards proud
Since the 1970s, tennis as a sport has amassed a huge following around the world. Some of the top rated tennis players often compete in big name games like the Grand Slam which is like fulfilling a lifelong dream for most players.
However, over the years Spanish tennis players have always stood out, giving us extraordinary shots and brilliant performances. For this reason, it can be difficult to compare these players from different time periods, as each has undergone different technological changes and new fitness standards to compete. Despite this, Spain has always been a leader in world tennis with a large number of players in the Top 100.
