Guga Says Goodbye to Roland Garros
Three-Time French Open Champion, Gustavo Kuerten, Leaves the Sport
Jun 2, 2008
Thanks for the Memories
Memorable moments in sports occur regularly and tennis boasts more than a few. The latest, Gustavo Kuerten's emotionally packed final match on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros, will be remembered for years to come.
The lanky Brazilian entered the 1997 French Open, only his third Grand Slam appearance, with less than fifty ATP-level matches under his belt and ranked sixty-six in the world.
The young unknown ousted the 1995 champion Thomas Muster and dismantled defending champ Yevgeny Kafelnikov before defeating two-time winner Sergi Bruguera in the finals. Kuerten's skill and determination won the trophy, but for the millions who witnessed his journey it was pure magic.
Guga continued his love affair with Roland Garros by winning the title again in 2000. In November that year, he defeated Kafelnikov, Sampras and Agassi to take the Masters Cup and become the first South American to end the season ranked number one. He followed up in 2001 by adding a third French Open trophy to his collection.
Adversity
Abrupt changes began in 2002 for the beloved Brazilian. A chronic hip injury required surgery twice between 2002 and 2004. He never fully recovered and his ATP-level match play was limited.
November of 2007 landed a devastating blow; his younger brother Guilherme, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, passed away at age twenty-eight. Gui was the keeper of tropies; Guga gave all his to the younger man who reminded the Brazilian idol to keep life simple.
A Fond Farewell
In January 2008, Kuerten announced he would leave the professional tour after the French Open. "I've reached my limit because of my physical condition," Kuerten said. He hadn't wanted his fourteen-year career to end so soon but was satisfied with his accomplishments. "I was very happy playing tennis," he said. "I surpassed my expectations in all aspects, always with the same pleasure on the court."
Sunday, May 25, 2008, Guga played his final match on the red clay of Roland Garros against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu. His 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 loss hardly resembled the matches of his earlier days but even his opponent admitted "he played a few beautiful points."
"I think I'm very satisfied, especially with the memories that are going to stick with me from this match," Kuerten said. "I thought I played much better than I expected, and there wasn't a single shot I didn't make. I played forehand, backhands, serve, drop shots, volley. I did everything I think I was able to do in the past, just not with the same frequency. But at least I had the feeling to do it once more."
True Champion
Fans of tennis will long remember the lanky Brazilian whose enigmatic smile and untamable curls charmed the world. His big serve, ground-strokes and ability to cover the court impressed not only those who stood across the net from him.
It's only over for the fans. He has a clothing line and the Gustavo Kuerten Institute to keep him busy. While he won't be in the limelight anywhere other than his home country, we can hope he'll play the occasional exhibition. There's nothing like a Guga smile to change the complexion of a tennis court.
Sources:
- Deuce
- Tennis Week
- ESPN
- The New York TImes
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