Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja Verdegay is a Spanish former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 2 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals in 1999. Corretja won 17 ATP Tour singles titles, including the ATP Tour World Championships – Singles|1998 ATP World Tour Championships], and ATP [Masters 1000 tournaments|Masters] titles at the 1997 [Italian Open – Men's singles|1997 Italian Open] and 2000 [Indian Wells Masters – Men's singles|2000 Indian Wells Masters]. He was twice a major runner-up at the French Open, in French Open – Men's singles|1998] and 2001. Corretja played a key role in helping Spain [Davis Cup team|Spain] win its first Davis Cup title in 2000.
Post-retirement, Corretja became Andy Murray's temporary coach for the duration of the 2008 clay-court season, resuming the role on a permanent basis between 2009 and 2011. In 2012 and 2013, he coached the Spanish Davis Cup team.
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 vomited 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 Masters Series">ATP Masters 1000 tournaments">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 [World Tour Finals|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 2000 [Legg Mason Tennis Classic – Singles|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 2001 [Energis Open – Singles|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.