52 Facts About Gustavo Kuerten

Gustavo "Guga" Kuerten is a Brazilian former world No 1 tennis player.

Gustavo Kuerten won the French Open singles title three times, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000.

Gustavo Kuerten was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012.

In 2016, Gustavo Kuerten was asked to be a torch bearer for the Rio Olympics.

Gustavo Kuerten often played in an age group above his.

Gustavo Kuerten won three Grand Slam titles, all of them at the French Open, played on the red clay courts of Roland Garros.

Gustavo Kuerten won these titles in 1997,2000 and 2001.

Gustavo Kuerten won at least one title a year between 1997 and 2004.

Gustavo Kuerten was a regular participant for Brazil in the Davis Cup.

Fresh from winning a Challenger title, Gustavo Kuerten unexpectedly won the 1997 French Open, the first Brazilian to win a Grand Slam singles title since Maria Bueno at the 1966 US Open.

Gustavo Kuerten remains the only player to win a Challenger and a Grand Slam in consecutive weeks.

Only Mark Edmondson and Goran Ivanisevic were ranked lower than Gustavo Kuerten when winning a Grand Slam singles title.

Gustavo Kuerten received his French Open trophy from former champions Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas.

When called to the stage to receive the winner's trophy, Gustavo Kuerten reverently bowed a few times to his childhood idol Borg, who was waiting at the top of the stairs to shake his hand.

Gustavo Kuerten established himself as the leading clay court player of his generation in 1999, and he became one of three South Americans to complete the year in the top 10 in all the history of the ATP rankings.

Gustavo Kuerten was defeated by Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals, but had lost just one set until that stage.

Gustavo Kuerten became the first Brazilian to qualify for the ATP Tennis Masters Cup, today known as the Nitto ATP Finals, winning a match but failing to get past round robin.

Gustavo Kuerten became the first South American to finish the year as World No 1 in the history of the ATP rankings.

Gustavo Kuerten broke an eight-year hold of players from the US on the year-end No 1 position.

Gustavo Kuerten led the ATP in prize money for the second straight year, with US$4,091,004.

At the Australian Open Gustavo Kuerten reached the third round for the first, and only, time in his career by defeating Ivan Ljubicic in the second round in four sets but subsequently lost to Paradorn Schrichapan.

Gustavo Kuerten was responsible for the only defeat of Roger Federer in a Grand Slam event in 2004.

Gustavo Kuerten did not play again for the rest of the year.

Gustavo Kuerten made an announcement that he expected 2008 to be his final year of play.

Gustavo Kuerten chose to devise his schedule around tournaments that had sentimental value to him, such as the French Open, the Brasil Open, and the Miami Masters.

On 25 May 2008, Gustavo Kuerten played his last professional singles match in front of 15,000 spectators at Roland Garros.

Gustavo Kuerten was honored after the game by the tournament organizers and by all the fans present for what he has achieved throughout his career.

Gustavo Kuerten embraced the baseline style of play, with heavy topspin on his ground strokes and a solid serve that enabled him to wear down his opponents from the back of the court.

Gustavo Kuerten emphasized offensive baseline play as opposed to the traditional defensive baseline play favoured by classic clay court specialists, and unlike them, his first serve was his biggest weapon.

Gustavo Kuerten played right-handed with a single-handed backhand using a western grip.

Gustavo Kuerten was one of the earliest adopters to play with polyester strings which allowed him to swing for pace and at the same time create the topspin needed to control the ball.

Gustavo Kuerten was first called to play for Brazil in the Davis Cup in 1996, when he became the second-best ranked player in the country.

Since then, Gustavo Kuerten has always answered the invitations to play, claiming that it was a unique opportunity to represent his country.

At one point, Gustavo Kuerten interrupted a match to argue with a fan who had shouted out for him to apply himself to the match at hand.

Gustavo Kuerten thought it was an arbitrary decision, since it was made without consulting the players.

Gustavo Kuerten had to delay his return beyond the end of the players' strike, since his hip injuries kept him off courts between September 2004 and May 2005.

Gustavo Kuerten returned in the Tie with the Netherlands Antilles, valid for the Second Round of the American Zonal Group II, which was played in Santa Catarina, Brazil between July 15 and July 17,2005.

Gustavo Kuerten wore Diadora clothes, changing them on a short period for Olympikus and Head.

Gustavo Kuerten has his own clothes and glasses brand, named "Guga Gustavo Kuerten".

Gustavo Kuerten began playing tennis when he was six, an early start to a life and career marked by family tragedy.

Gustavo 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.

Gustavo Kuerten 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.

When he was 14 years old, Gustavo Kuerten met Larri Passos who would be his coach for the following 15 years.

Gustavo Kuerten still enjoys teaching and playing tennis with the local enthusiasts.

Gustavo Kuerten was accepted to a drama course at CEART, the Center of Arts of Santa Catarina State University in Florianopolis.

Gustavo Kuerten began his studies there on 16 February 2009.

Gustavo Kuerten is a distant cousin to model and TV presenter, Renata Kuerten.

In 1998,2002 and 2004 Gustavo Kuerten received the Prix Orange Roland Garros Award for sportsmanship from the association of tennis journalists.

Gustavo Kuerten received the ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2003.

Gustavo Kuerten was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012.

In 2010, Gustavo Kuerten was presented with the ITF's highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award, for his contributions to tennis.

Gustavo Kuerten won the International Club's prestigious Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award in 2011.