View source for Gustavo Kuerten

{{short description|Brazilian tennis player (born 1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2011}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
|name             = Gustavo Kuerten
|nickname         = Guga and human labrador
|image            = Guga Kuerten.jpg
|caption          = Kuerten in 2019
|country          = {{BRA}}
|residence        = [[Florianópolis]], Brazil
|birth_date       = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1976|09|10}}
|birth_place      = [[Florianópolis]], Brazil
|height           = {{height|m=1.91}}<ref name="atpbio">{{cite web|title=Gustavo Kuerten|url=http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/gustavo-kuerten/k293/bio|website=atpworldtour.com|publisher=[[Association of Tennis Professionals]] (ATP)|access-date=24 January 2016}}</ref>
|turnedpro        = 1995
|retired          = 2008
|plays            = Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
|careerprizemoney = US$14,807,000
|tennishofyear    = 2012
|tennishofid      = gustavo-kuerten
|singlesrecord    = {{tennis record|won=358|lost=195}}
|singlestitles    = 20
|highestsinglesranking = [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players|No. '''1''']] (4 December 2000)
|AustralianOpenresult  = 3R ([[2004 Australian Open – Men's singles|2004]])
|FrenchOpenresult = '''W''' ([[1997 French Open – Men's singles|1997]], [[2000 French Open – Men's singles|2000]], [[2001 French Open – Men's singles|2001]])
|Wimbledonresult  = QF ([[1999 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1999]])
|USOpenresult     = QF ([[1999 US Open – Men's singles|1999]], [[2001 US Open – Men's singles|2001]])
|Othertournaments = Yes
|MastersCupresult = '''W''' ([[2000 Tennis Masters Cup – Singles|2000]])
|GrandSlamCupresult= 1R ([[Grand Slam Cup#1997|1997]], [[Grand Slam Cup#1999|1999]])
|Olympicsresult   = QF ([[Tennis at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's singles|2000]])
|doublesrecord    = {{tennis record|won=108|lost=95}} 
|doublestitles    = 8
|highestdoublesranking       = No. 38 (13 October 1997)
|AustralianOpenDoublesresult = QF (1999)
|FrenchOpenDoublesresult     = QF (1998)
|WimbledonDoublesresult      = 1R (1999, 2000)
|USOpenDoublesresult         = 1R (1997, 2003, 2004, 2007)
|Team             = yes
|DavisCupresult   = SF ([[2000 Davis Cup|2000]])
}}
'''Gustavo''' "'''Guga'''" '''Kuerten''' ({{IPA|pt|ɡusˈtavu ˈkiʁtẽ}}; born 10 September 1976) is a Brazilian former professional [[tennis]] player. He was ranked as the [[list of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players|world No. 1]] in men's singles by the [[Association of Tennis Professionals]] for 43 weeks, including as the year-end No. 1 in [[2000 ATP Tour|2000]]. Kuerten won 20 [[ATP Tour]]-level singles titles, including three [[Grand Slam (tennis)#Tournaments|major]]s at the [[French Open]] in [[1997 French Open – Men's singles|1997]], [[2000 French Open – Men's singles|2000]], and [[2001 French Open – Men's singles|2001]], as well as the [[2000 Tennis Masters Cup – Singles|2000 Tennis Masters Cup]]. He also won eight doubles titles. Kuerten is regarded, alongside [[Maria Bueno]], as one of the best Brazilian tennis players of all time.{{cn|date=February 2025}} He was inducted into the [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]] in 2012. In 2016, Kuerten was a torch bearer for the [[2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony|Rio Olympics]].{{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==Professional career==
As a junior player in South America, Kuerten won many of the most important tournaments in the region.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} He often played in an age group above his.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

After two years as a professional, Kuerten rose to the position of No. 2 player in Brazil, behind [[Fernando Meligeni]], and he had his then highest point by helping the [[Brazil Davis Cup team]] defeat [[Austria Davis Cup team|Austria]] in 1996 and reach the competition's first division, the World Group.

Following his unexpected victory in the 1997 French Open – which was not only his maiden ATP Tour victory<ref name="collins"/> but also the first time he had reached a professional ranking final – Kuerten had a difficult year and a half, adjusting to his sudden fame and the pressure of being expected to win. 1998 was the worst year in his career that was not related to injuries. The pressure for him to become an "ambassador" for tennis in Brazil was made evident after his early defeat to a then unknown [[Marat Safin]] in the 1998 French Open: the entire body of Brazilian journalists that had been dispatched to Paris to cover the event immediately returned home, leaving the rest of the tournament unaccounted for in Brazil.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

Like many South American players, his favorite court surface is clay. He won three [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] titles, all of them at the French Open, played on the red clay courts of [[Stade Roland Garros|Roland Garros]]. He won these titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. In every one of the three French Open victories he defeated Russia's [[Yevgeny Kafelnikov]] in the quarterfinals and two top 10 players on his way to the title. Kuerten became the world No. 1 player in 2000.

Kuerten won at least one title a year between 1997 and 2004. The streak came to an end in 2005, when injuries and below-average performances kept him from winning tournaments. He was also a regular participant for Brazil in the [[Davis Cup]].

===1997: Entering the top 10===

Fresh from winning a Challenger title, Kuerten unexpectedly won the 1997 French Open, the first Brazilian to win a Grand Slam singles title since [[Maria Bueno]] at the [[1966 U.S. National Championships (tennis)|1966 U.S. Open]]. The tournament was only his third grand slam, setting a record for any player in the open era, tied with [[Mats Wilander]]. He remains the only player to win a Challenger and a Grand Slam in consecutive weeks. Victories over former champions of the previous four French Opens – [[Thomas Muster]] (1995) in the third round in five sets, [[Yevgeny Kafelnikov]] (1996) in the quarterfinals in five sets and [[Sergi Bruguera]] (1993, 1994) in the final – make him the third-lowest ranked Grand Slam Champion (ranked 66th), and his victory led to him entering the [[Association of Tennis Professionals]] top 20. Only [[Mark Edmondson]] (ranked 212th) and [[Goran Ivanišević]] (ranked 125th) were ranked lower than Kuerten when winning a Grand Slam singles title.<ref>{{cite web|title=RETURN WINNERS: THE 1997 ATP FRENCH OPEN FINAL|url=http://baseline.tennis.com/article/74527/return-winners-1997-atp-french-open-final-kuerten-bruguera|website=www.baseline.tennis.com|publisher=Baseline Tennis|date=10 June 2018}}</ref>

He received his French Open trophy from former champions [[Björn Borg]] and [[Guillermo Vilas]]. When called to the stage to receive the winner's trophy, Kuerten reverently bowed a few times to his childhood idol Borg, who was waiting at the top of the stairs to shake his hand. Later, during the ceremony, Vilas whispered something in Kuerten's ear that caused him to laugh during the speech of the chairman of the event. Kuerten later refused to reveal what it was that Vilas had said, claiming it would be inelegant to do so, but journalists that were equipped with powerful lenses were able to read Vilas's lips, and it was revealed that he had said in Spanish something like: "Get ready kid, it's going to rain women on your lap!".<ref>{{cite web|author1=Peter FitzSimons|title=A memorable Kuerten call|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/a-memorable-kuerten-call/2008/12/27/1229998733057.html|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=27 December 2008}}</ref>

===1999: Top 5 debut===
He 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.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} In April he won the [[Monte-Carlo Masters]] beating the Chilean [[Marcelo Ríos]]. In May he won the [[Rome Masters]], beating [[Patrick Rafter]] in the final. In June he reached the quarterfinals at the French Open, losing to unseeded eventual runner-up [[Andriy Medvedev]]. At [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]], he became the first Brazilian to reach the quarterfinals since [[Thomaz Koch]] in 1968. He was defeated by [[Andre Agassi]] in the quarterfinals, but had lost just one set until that stage. In July, he defeated [[Sébastien Grosjean]] 9–7 in the fifth set of the [[1999 Davis Cup]] quarterfinal between Brazil and [[France Davis Cup team|France]]. That match lasted 4 hours and 43 minutes. He also became the first Brazilian to qualify for the ATP [[Tennis Masters Cup]], today known as the [[ATP Finals|Nitto ATP Finals]], winning a match but failing to get past round robin.

===2000: World No. 1===
After another solid clay court swing, Kuerten won his second French Open title by defeating [[Magnus Norman]] (who had beaten him a few weeks earlier in the final of the [[Rome Masters]]) on his 11th match point. Kuerten became the first South American to finish the year as World No. 1 in the history of the ATP rankings (since 1973).<ref name="collins">{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Bud|author-link=Bud Collins|title=The Bud Collins History of Tennis|year=2016|publisher=New Chapter Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1-937559-38-0|page=637|edition=3rd}}</ref><ref name="espnhof" /> It was a close contest with young up-and-comer [[Marat Safin]] at the year's last event, the [[2000 Tennis Masters Cup – Singles|Tennis Masters Cup]] (in its first year under that name) in [[Lisbon]], Portugal, with one loss meaning that Safin would have been No. 1. Despite Safin having 4 chances to finish the year as world No. 1, Kuerten defied all odds and finished the year at No. 1 by beating [[Pete Sampras]] and [[Andre Agassi]] in back-to-back matches on an indoor hard court.<ref name="collins" /> He broke an eight-year hold of players from the U.S. on the year-end No. 1 position.<ref name="ithof">{{cite web|title=Gustavo Kuerten|url=https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/gustavo-kuerten/|website=www.tennisfame.com|publisher=[[International Tennis Hall of Fame]]}}</ref> He also became the first South American to finish in Top 5 in consecutive years since [[Guillermo Vilas]] of [[Argentina]] in 1977–78.<ref name="ithof" />

===2001: Continued dominance, start of injuries===
In 2001, he won his third French Open crown, joining former greats [[Björn Borg]] (6), [[Ivan Lendl]] (3) and [[Mats Wilander]] (3) with three or more French Open titles in the [[Tennis Open Era|Open Era]]; former champion [[Jim Courier]] presented him with the trophy. His road to the title saw him save a match point against fourth round opponent [[Michael Russell (tennis)|Michael Russell]].<ref name="rg2015">{{cite web|author1=Matt Trollope|title=Guga returns to Roland-Garros|url=http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/articles/2015-05-30/guga_returns_to_rolandgarros.html|publisher=[[Fédération Française de Tennis]] (FFT)|date=30 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Michael McDonough|title=Kuerten wins third French Open title|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/kuerten-wins-third-french-open-title-9179402.html|work=[[The Independent]]|date=10 June 2001}}</ref> He also won the biggest hardcourt title of his career in August at the [[Cincinnati Masters]], where he defeated [[Patrick Rafter]] in the final. At the [[2001 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] he was seeded first but lost in the quarterfinals in straight sets to seventh-seeded [[Yevgeni Kafelnikov]].<ref name="bbc_2001">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/in_depth/2001/us_open_tennis/1529686.stm|title=Top seed Kuerten toppled|date=6 September 2001|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref>

Injuries started to plague Kuerten as he lost 8 of the next 9 matches to conclude the year. Despite being the favorite to finish as world No. 1 for the second consecutive year, his poor season ending showing saw Lleyton Hewitt overtake him. He led the ATP in prize money for the second straight year, with US$4,091,004.

===2004===
At the [[2004 Australian Open|Australian Open]] Kuerten reached the third round for the first, and only, time in his career by defeating [[Ivan Ljubičić]] in the second round in four sets but subsequently lost to [[Paradorn Schrichapan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Kuerten breaks new ground|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/australian_open_2004/3415465.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 January 2004}}</ref> In an injury-ridden year, Kuerten won one ATP Tour title, which he did at home, by winning the [[Brasil Open]] for the second time. In that year, the tournament had been moved from September to February, and the surface had been changed from hard to clay, as a result of a compromise with the Buenos Aires Open, in Argentina, and the Viña del Mar Open, in Chile, to tighten up a clear South American tournament circuit. With his victory, Kuerten became the only player to win the title on both surfaces, having previously won it in 2002.

Kuerten was responsible for the only defeat of [[Roger Federer]] in a Grand Slam event in 2004. In Kuerten's only previous encounter against Federer on clay, in the Hamburg Masters 2002, Federer defeated Kuerten 6–0, 1–6, 6–2. When they met again in the third round at the French Open in 2004, it was Federer who was in dominant form, the world no. 1, and expected to win against the injury-ridden Kuerten. Instead, it was Kuerten who overpowered and dominated Federer, beating him in straight sets.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Jon Henderson|title=Kuerten magic floors Federer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/may/30/tennis.frenchopen20041|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=30 May 2004}}</ref> This would remain the last time that Federer was defeated in any Grand Slam prior to the quarterfinals stage until his round 2 loss against [[Serhiy Stakhovsky]] at Wimbledon in [[2013 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|2013]].

On 1 September Kuerten announced that he would be withdrawing from the ATP Tour for an indefinite period of time, in order to undergo detailed exams of his operated hip, which had reportedly started to bother him again.<ref name="ithof"/> He did not play again for the rest of the year.

===2006===
In the first months of 2006, injuries and weak performances kept Kuerten from reclaiming his status as a top world player. Ranked out of the top 200, Kuerten was no longer the top player in Brazil (currently behind [[Ricardo Mello]] and [[Flávio Saretta]]) and was expected to need wildcards to play any of the main tournaments of the season. His main attempt to come back, at the 2006 Brasil Open, was cut short in the first round. Following this debacle, Kuerten managed to obtain wildcards to play in the two North American Masters Series events, Miami and Indian Wells, but injuries forced Kuerten to withdraw from both. The French Tennis Federation had announced that Kuerten, as a three-time champion, would have every chance of being granted a wildcard to play at the [[2006 French Open]], provided that he managed to remain active throughout the 2006 season leading up to the French Open. Because Kuerten had been inactive in the Men's Tour since mid-February, he was not granted the wildcard to play, thus missing the French Open for the first time in his professional career.

===2007===
Kuerten's form did not improve in 2007. Because his ranking was not high enough to qualify for ATP Tour tournaments, Kuerten relied on [[wild card (sports)|wild cards]] to enter those events. Kuerten finished with a 2–7 win–loss record for the year. In November, Gustavo Kuerten's younger brother, Guilherme, who had [[cerebral palsy]], died.<ref name="atpbio"/>

=== 2008 ===
Kuerten made an announcement that he expected 2008 to be his final year of play.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gustavo Kuerten announces retirement plans|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/gustavo-kuerten-announces-retirement-plans-343239.html|work=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=7 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Three-time French Open champ Kuerten says he'll retire this year|url=http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=3197476|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=15 January 2008}}</ref> 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]]. After two first-round defeats in singles ([[Costa do Sauípe]], l. to Berlocq and Miami, l. to Grosjean), Kuerten won his first ATP Masters Series level match in a long time, partnering [[Nicolás Lapentti]], in Miami, against [[Feliciano López]] and [[Fernando Verdasco]].

====Retirement====
On 25 May 2008, Gustavo Kuerten played his last professional singles match in front of 15,000 spectators at [[Stade Roland Garros|Roland Garros]]. He arrived on court wearing his 'lucky' uniform, the same blue & yellow one that he wore in 1997 when he won his first French Open tournament. Despite saving a match point against his opponent [[Paul-Henri Mathieu]], he finally lost in three sets (6–3, 6–4, 6–2)—his result in the final of French Open in 1997. He was honored after the game by the tournament organizers and by all the fans present for what he has achieved throughout his career.<ref>{{cite web|title=Few shared the love of tennis, competition quite like Guga|url=http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/french08/columns/story?id=3411935&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=29 May 2008}}</ref>

==Playing style==
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. Kuerten, however, 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. He played right-handed with a [[single-handed backhand]] using a [[grip (tennis)|western grip]]. The arcing backhand played with [[topspin]] was his trademark shot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/26044.html|title=Gustavo Kuerten: A true artisan of Paris|author1=Ben Blackmore|date=3 June 2010|publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,3604,504172,00.html|title=Backhand gives Guga a shot at making clay history|author1=Stephen Bierley|date=9 June 2001|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref name="bbc_2001" /> He 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/10/1997-gustavo-kuertens-game-changing-win-polyester-strings/56537/|title=1997: Gustavo Kuerten's game-changing win with polyester strings|author1=Steve Tignor|date=8 October 2015|publisher=[[Tennis.com]]}}</ref>

== Davis Cup ==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=October 2008}}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:center; font-size:97%; width:350px"
|+Kuerten's Davis Cup record<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.daviscup.com/en/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=10008521|title=Player profile – Gustavo KUERTEN (BRA)|publisher=Davis Cup|access-date=May 17, 2011}}</ref>
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="4" |Surface
! rowspan="2" |Indoor
! rowspan="2" |Outdoor
! rowspan="2" |Total
|-
!Clay
!Carpet
!Grass
!Hard
|-
!Won
|28
|6
|–
|–
|8
|26
|'''34'''
|-
!Lost
|8
|5
|2
|–
|5
|10
|'''15'''
|}
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 (to [[Fernando Meligeni]]). Since then, Kuerten has always answered the invitations to play, claiming that it was a unique opportunity to represent his country.

In the 1999 and 2000 seasons, Kuerten took criticism from his fans, who accused him of not giving 100% in the Davis Cup matches. They claimed he was more concerned with sparing his energy for the ATP tournaments. At one point, Kuerten interrupted a match to argue with a fan who had shouted out for him to apply himself to the match at hand.

In 2004, following the country's unexpected defeat to [[Canada Davis Cup team|Canada]] in the Repechage match, and the country's demotion to the American Group I after having been defeated by [[Sweden Davis Cup team|Sweden]] in that year's First Round, discontent with the politics of the [[Brazilian Tennis Confederation]] spilled over. Kuerten refused to play for Brazil in the American Group I. The unexpected firing of then captain of the Brazilian team, Ricardo Accioly, was the trigger. Kuerten thought it was an arbitrary decision, since it was made without consulting the players. In his view that was just the last in a sequence of questionable decisions made by organization's board.

All other professional Brazilian players followed Kuerten's lead, as well as the newly appointed captain, former player [[Jaime Oncins]]. As a result, Brazil had to play the first round in the Zonal Group with a team made up of junior players (which was only possible after much negotiation, during which time the country was at risk of forfeiting the Round, which would have resulted in automatic demoting to the American Group II), which resulted in a defeat and the possibility of demotion to the American Group II.

The protest continued, and as a result, Brazil had to play the Repechage match again with a junior team, and was demoted to the American Group II for the 2005 season. As of 2005, following the fall of the BTC board in the aftermath of the protest, Kuerten and the other players have decided to return to the team, now captained by former player [[Fernando Meligeni]]. Kuerten, however, 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. He 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 (state)|Santa Catarina]], Brazil (on clay) between July 15 and July 17, 2005.

==Equipment and sponsors==
During his career, Kuerten used [[Head (company)|Head]] racquets with Luxilon polyester strings.<ref name="si_gut">{{cite magazine|author1=Tim Newcomb|title=The history of natural gut strings and why they're still used in tennis today|url=https://www.si.com/tennis/2015/11/25/history-of-strings-natural-gut-spin-tennis|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=25 November 2015}}</ref> He wore [[Diadora]] clothes, changing them on a short period for [[Olympikus]] and Head. In 2012, after his retirement, he signed a sponsor deal with French brands [[Lacoste]] (for clothes) and [[Peugeot]] (for TV commercials). Kuerten also has his own clothes and glasses brand, named "Guga Kuerten".

==Personal life==
Kuerten was born in [[Florianópolis]] in southern Brazil. He began playing tennis when he was six, an early start to a life and career marked by family tragedy. His father, Aldo, a former amateur tennis player, died of a heart attack in 1985 while umpiring a junior tennis match in [[Curitiba]], when Kuerten was eight years old.<ref name="tennis2012" /> His older brother, Raphael, is currently his business manager. His youngest brother, Guilherme, suffered prolonged oxygen deprivation and consequently irreparable brain damage during birth, and as a result suffered from cerebral palsey until his death in 2007.<ref name="atpbio" /> 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. He 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.

As a young player, Kuerten first learned from Carlos Alves. Alves would continue to coach Kuerten for the next 8 years. When he was 14 years old, Kuerten met Larri Passos who would be his coach for the following 15 years. Passos convinced Kuerten and his family that the youth was talented enough to make a living out of playing tennis. The two started traveling all over the world to participate in junior tournaments. Kuerten turned professional in 1995.

In 2000, he founded the Gustavo Kuerten Institute, a non-profit philanthropic association based in Florianópolis in support of children and disabled people.<ref name="tennis2012">{{cite web|author1=Ed McGrogan|title=Newport's newest: an interview with Gustavo Kuerten|url=http://www.tennis.com/players/2012/03/newports-newest-an-interview-with-gustavo-kuerten/34914/|publisher=[[Tennis.com]]|date=8 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Instituto Guga Kuerten|url=http://www.igk.org.br|publisher=Instituto Guga Kuerten}}</ref>

Since retirement he has settled down in his place of birth, the Brazilian island of [[Florianópolis]], where he is an active member in the lakeside district of [[Lagoa da Conceição]]. He still enjoys teaching and playing tennis with the local enthusiasts. In his hometown, he is known as the "Cachorro Grande" ("Big Dog"). He is an avid [[surfing|surfer]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Who is Gustavo Kuerten? Profile of Brazilian set to light the Rio 2016 Olympic cauldron in Pele's absence|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2016/08/06/who-is-gustavo-kuerten-profile-of-brazilian-in-line-to-light-the/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2016/08/06/who-is-gustavo-kuerten-profile-of-brazilian-in-line-to-light-the/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=6 August 2016|last1=Sport|first1=Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Kuerten was accepted to a drama course at CEART, the Center of Arts of [[Santa Catarina State University]] (UDESC) in Florianópolis. He began his studies there on 16 February 2009.<ref>{{cite news| work= USA Today | agency= Associated Press | title= Kuerten going from the courts to college | date= 26 January 2009 | location= São Paulo, Brazil}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= http://oglobo.globo.com/educacao/vestibular/mat/2009/01/27/aprovado-no-vestibular-2009-de-teatro-da-udesc-guga-leva-trote-de-amigos-754160505.asp | title= Aprovado no vestibular 2009 de teatro da Udesc Guga leva trote de amigos | work=O Globo | language= pt | date= 27 January 2009}}</ref>

In November 2010, on his brother Guilherme's birthday, he married Mariana Soncini and the couple have a daughter and a son.<ref>{{cite web|title=Em silêncio e na sala de troféus, Gustavo Kuerten troca alianças|url=http://globoesporte.globo.com/tenis/noticia/2010/11/em-silencio-e-na-sala-de-trofeus-gustavo-kuerten-troca-aliancas.html|publisher=[[Globo.com]]|language=pt|date=8 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Juliana Wosgraus|title=Nasceu segundo filho de Guga Kuerten e Mariana Soncini|url=http://wp.clicrbs.com.br/julianawosgraus/2013/06/09/nasceu-segundo-filho-de-guga-kuerten-e-mariana-soncini/?topo=67,2,18,,38,67|publisher=ClicRBS|language=pt|date=9 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Guga in the house|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/tennis/guga-in-the-house|work=[[Montreal Gazette]]|date=2 June 2011}}</ref>

In October 2016 he was in court for tax evasion, related to income earned from copyright and image rights between 1995 and 2002, and in November was ordered to pay 7 million [[Brazilian real|R$]] (appr. US$2 million).<ref>{{cite web|author1=Gatto Luigi|title=Gustavo Kuerten in trouble with tax authorities!|url=http://www.tennisworldusa.org/news/news/Tennis_Stories/37635/gustavo-kuerten-in-trouble-with-tax-authorities/|publisher=Tennis World USA|date=27 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Gatto Luigi|title=Gustavo Kuerten was sentenced to pay 2 million dollars of taxes|url=http://www.tennisworldusa.org/news/news/Tennis_Stories/38580/gustavo-kuerten-was-sentenced-to-pay-2-million-dollars-of-taxes/|publisher=Tennis World USA|date=26 November 2016}}</ref>

His favourite football team is Brazilian [[Avaí Futebol Clube]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sportv.globo.com/site/programas/selecao-sportv/noticia/2015/12/goncalves-diz-que-avai-pode-oficializar-apoio-de-guga-e-um-apaixonado.html |title=Gonçalves: Avaí pode explorar melhor imagem de Guga como "apaixonado" |language=pt  |trans-title=Gonçalves: Avaí can better explore Guga's image as "in love" |date=28 December 2015 |website=sportv.globo.com}}</ref> He is a distant cousin to model and TV presenter, [[Renata Kuerten]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.terra.com.br/vida-e-estilo/moda/renata-kuerten-relembra-carreira-e-fala-sobre-corpo-nao-mudaria-nada,7238e6dbaf9c2410VgnVCM4000009bcceb0aRCRD.html|title=Renata Kuerten relembra carreira e fala sobre corpo: 'não mudaria nada'|last=Tamanaha|first=Nádia|date=December 2013|website=Terra|language=pt-BR|access-date=2019-03-31}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
In 1998, 2002 and 2004 Kuerten received the Prix Orange Roland Garros Award for sportsmanship from the association of tennis journalists.<ref name="ithof2012">{{cite web|title=Curator's Corner: In the Museum with Guga Kuerten|url=https://www.tennisfame.com/blog/2016/11/curators-corner-in-the-museum-with-guga-kuerten/|website=www.tennisfame.com|publisher=[[International Tennis Hall of Fame]]|date=8 November 2012}}</ref> In his homeland Brazil he was awarded the [[Prêmio Brasil Olímpico]] in 1999 and was named Athlete of the Year in 1999 and 2000.<ref name="ithof"/> He received the [[ATP World Tour Awards|ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award]] in 2003.<ref name="ithof2012"/> Kuerten was inducted into the [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]] in 2012.<ref>{{citation| url= http://www.tennisfame.com/brazilian-tennis-star-guga-kuerten-to-be-inducted-in-2012 | title= Brazilian Tennis Star Guga Kuerten To Be Inducted in 2012 | work= Tennis Fame | publisher= International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum | access-date= 15 October 2012 }}</ref><ref name="espnhof">{{cite web|author1=Richard Pagliaro|title=Charismatic Kuerten truly one of a kind|url=http://www.espn.com/blog/tennis/post/_/id/36/tennis-charismatic-gustavo-kuerten-truly-one-kind|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=14 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="tennis2012"/> In June 2016 he became their global ambassador, representing the organisation, especially in South America.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kuerten named Global Ambassador for Hall of Fame|url=http://www.itftennis.com/news/230779.aspx|publisher=[[International Tennis Federation]] (ITF)|date=3 June 2016}}</ref> In 2005, ''Tennis Magazine'' put him in 37th place in its list of [[Tennis Magazine#"The 40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era" (2005)|"The 40 Greatest Players of the ''Tennis'' Era"]].

In 2010, Kuerten was presented with the [[International Tennis Federation|ITF]]'s  highest accolade, the [[Philippe Chatrier Award]], for his contributions to tennis. That same year he won the Mercosur [[Konex Award]] from Argentina as the best tennis player of South America in that decade.

Kuerten won [http://www.ictennis.net/ the International Club]'s prestigious [[Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award]] in 2011.

On 16 February 2016, the central court of [[Rio Open]] was named after him, officially Guga Kuerten court.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rio Open will pay tribute to Guga Kuerten and name the Central Court after former number one|url=http://www.rioopen.com/en/2016/02/rio-open-will-pay-tribute-to-guga-kuerten-and-name-the-central-court-after-former-number-one/|website=www.rioopen.com|publisher=[[Rio Open]]|date=16 February 2016}}</ref>

On 5 August 2016, he [[2016 Summer Olympics torch relay|relayed the Olympic Torch]] into [[Maracanã Stadium]] during the [[2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony|Opening Ceremonies]] for [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]], relaying off to [[Hortencia Marcari]].<ref name=Rio2016>{{cite episode |airdate= 5 August 2016 |network= NBC |series= 2016 Summer Olympics |title= Opening Ceremony }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{{main article|Gustavo Kuerten career statistics}}
{{performance key|short=yes|active=no}}

===Grand Slam performance timeline===
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center;font-size:97%
!Tournament!![[1995 ATP Tour|1995]]!![[1996 ATP Tour|1996]]!![[1997 ATP Tour|1997]]!![[1998 ATP Tour|1998]]!![[1999 ATP Tour|1999]]!![[2000 ATP Tour|2000]]!![[2001 ATP Tour|2001]]!![[2002 ATP Tour|2002]]!![[2003 ATP Tour|2003]]!![[2004 ATP Tour|2004]]!![[2005 ATP Tour|2005]]!![[2006 ATP Tour|2006]]!![[2007 ATP Tour|2007]]!![[2008 ATP Tour|2008]]!!SR!!W–L
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" align=left|[[Australian Open]]
|A
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1997 Australian Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1998 Australian Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1999 Australian Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2000 Australian Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2001 Australian Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2002 Australian Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2003 Australian Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2004 Australian Open – Men's singles|3R]]
|A
|A
|A
|A
| style="background:#efefef;"|0 / 8
| style="background:#efefef;"|7–8
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" align=left|[[French Open]]
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1996 French Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:lime;"|'''[[1997 French Open – Men's singles|W]]'''
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1998 French Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1999 French Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:lime;"|'''[[2000 French Open – Men's singles|W]]'''
| style="background:lime;"|'''[[2001 French Open – Men's singles|W]]'''
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2002 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2003 French Open – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[2004 French Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2005 French Open – Men's singles|1R]]
|A
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2008 French Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#efefef;"|3 / 11
| style="background:#efefef;"|36–8
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" align=left|[[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]]
|A
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1997 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1998 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1999 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2000 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|3R]]
|A
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2003 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles|2R]]
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
| style="background:#efefef;"|0 / 5
| style="background:#efefef;"|7–5
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" align=left|[[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]
|A
|A
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1997 US Open – Men's singles|3R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[1998 US Open – Men's singles|2R]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[1999 US Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2000 US Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#ffebcd;"|[[2001 US Open – Men's singles|QF]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2002 US Open – Men's singles|4R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2003 US Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2004 US Open – Men's singles|1R]]
| style="background:#afeeee;"|[[2005 US Open – Men's singles|2R]]
|A
|A
|A
| style="background:#efefef;"|0 / 9
| style="background:#efefef;"|15–9
|-
!style=text-align:left|Win–loss
!0–0
!0–1
!10–3
!3–4
!13–4
!9–3
!12–2
!6–3
!5–4
!6–3
!1–2
!0–0
!0–0
!0–1
!3 / 33
!65–30
|}

====Finals: 3 (3 titles)====
{| class='sortable wikitable' 
!style="width:40px"|Result
!style="width:35px"|Year
!style="width:160px"|Championship
!style="width:50px"|Surface
!style="width:200px"|Opponent
!style="width:160px" class="unsortable"|Score
|-style="background:#ebc2af;"
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[1997 French Open|1997]]
|French Open
|Clay
|{{Flagicon|ESP}} [[Sergi Bruguera]]
|6–3, 6–4, 6–2
|-style="background:#ebc2af;"
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2000 French Open|2000]]
|French Open
|Clay
|{{Flagicon|SWE}} [[Magnus Norman]]
|6–2, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6<sup>(8–6)</sup>
|-style="background:#ebc2af;"
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2001 French Open|2001]]
|French Open
|Clay
|{{Flagicon|ESP}} [[Àlex Corretja]]
|6–7<sup>(3–7)</sup>, 7–5, 6–2, 6–0
|}

===Year-end championships performance timeline===
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center;font-size:97%
!Tournament!![[1995 ATP Tour|1995]]!![[1996 ATP Tour|1996]]!![[1997 ATP Tour|1997]]!![[1998 ATP Tour|1998]]!![[1999 ATP Tour|1999]]!![[2000 ATP Tour|2000]]!![[2001 ATP Tour|2001]]!![[2002 ATP Tour|2002]]!![[2003 ATP Tour|2003]]!![[2004 ATP Tour|2004]]!![[2005 ATP Tour|2005]]!![[2006 ATP Tour|2006]]!![[2007 ATP Tour|2007]]!![[2008 ATP Tour|2008]]!!SR!!W–L
|-
| bgcolor="#EFEFEF" align="left" |[[Tennis Masters Cup]]
| colspan="4" |Did not qualify
| bgcolor="#afeeee" |[[1999 ATP Tour World Championships – Singles|RR]]
| bgcolor="lime" |'''[[2000 Tennis Masters Cup – Singles|W]]'''
| bgcolor="#afeeee" |[[2001 Tennis Masters Cup – Singles|RR]]
| colspan="7" |Did not qualify
!1 / 3
!5–6
|}

====Finals: 1 (1 title)====
{| class='sortable wikitable' 
!style="width:40px"|Result
!style="width:35px"|Year
!style="width:200px"|Championship
!style="width:50px"|Surface
!style="width:170px"|Opponent
!style="width:180px" class="unsortable"|Score
|- bgcolor=ffffcc
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win
|[[2000 Tennis Masters Cup – Singles|2000]]
|Tennis Masters Cup, Portugal
|Hard (i)
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Andre Agassi]]
|6–4, 6–4, 6–4
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book|title=Gustavo Kuerten e Roland Garros: uma História de Amor|publisher=Instituto Takano|year=2002|isbn=85-902671-1-3}}
*{{Cite book|title=O tênis no Brasil: de Maria Esther Bueno a Gustavo Kuerten|publisher=Codex|year=2004|isbn=85-7594-031-7}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Gustavo Kuerten}}
* {{ATP}}
* {{ITF}}
* {{Davis Cup player}}
* {{Tennis Hall of Fame|gustavo-kuerten}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|gustavo-kuerten}}
* [http://www.guga.com.br Official site] {{in lang|pt}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box |
  | before = ''Inaugural''
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{{Tennis World Number Ones (men)}}
{{French Open men's singles champions}}
{{French Open boys' doubles champions}}
{{Year-End Championships winners}}
{{ATP Masters Series tournament winners}}
{{Prêmio Brasil Olímpico}}
{{International Tennis Hall of Fame members}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuerten, Gustavo}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Brazilian male tennis players]]
[[Category:French Open champions]]
[[Category:French Open junior champions]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Olympic tennis players for Brazil]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Florianópolis]]
[[Category:Tennis players from Santa Catarina (state)]]
[[Category:Brazilian people of German descent]]
[[Category:Tennis players at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Tennis players at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's singles]]
[[Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in boys' doubles]]
[[Category:South American Games medalists in tennis]]
[[Category:South American Games bronze medalists for Brazil]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1994 South American Games]]
[[Category:ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players]]
[[Category:ITF World Champions]]
[[Category:Male tennis players playing beach tennis]]
[[Category:20th-century Brazilian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Gustavo Kuerten]]