Alex Corretja is a retired professional tennis player who was born on April 11, 1974, in Barcelona, Spain. After playing tennis throughout most part of his childhood, he first broke onto the world scene once he won the Orange Bowl title at age 16.
Just one year later, he turned pro, joining the world’s best on the ATP Tour. After a few seasons of adjusting to life with the men, he was ready to get his hands on a trophy for the first time. He did so in South America, claiming the title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires in 1994.
Subsequent success was not immediate for the Spaniard, with him having to wait another three years before claiming his next piece of silverware. From 1997 onwards, however, wins came in abundance, as he managed to win three ATP singles titles in 1997 before claiming five in 1998.
These were clearly his prime years, with him reaching his best results in the Grand Slams and reaching the final of Roland Garros (1998). Soon after, he won the season-ending ATP Finals before reaching his career-high world ranking of number 2.
The Barcelonan continued into the early 2000s, being able to replicate some of the success he had had in previous years. Most notably, he contributed to his country’s Davis Cup victory in 2000 before getting his hands on the last singles titles of his career in 2001 and 2002, taking his total tally to 17.
Retiring in 2005, the Spaniard was keen to remain connected to the sport he loved so much. In this light, he was delighted to become part of former world number one Andy Murray’s coaching staff in 2008. However, they parted ways in 2011.
Since 2015, Corretja has contributed to tennis in a different light, being an analyst on Eurosport’s teams for the Grand Slams. Through that, he continues to play an integral role in fans’ enjoyment of the sport, and he is still a familiar face in the world of tennis.
