Status: Former ATP world #1, 1998 French Open champion and Davis Cup winner for Spain retired from professional tennis this week. He won 20 career ATP singles titles.
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 190 pounds.
DOB: August 27, 1976 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Childhood Heroes: “I admire people but I didn’t have any, like, heroes.”
Nicknames: “Charlie. Moyini.”
Hobbies/Interests: “I like to go out when I have the chance. Cinema. Listen to music. Soccer. Video games.”
Early Tennis Memory: “Started tennis when I was six. First tournament I won ever I was eight. When you’re young you think you want to be a tennis player. But it’s very difficult. I was winning early. It gives you confidence to keep doing it and that’s very important.”
First Car: “1995 blue Volkswagen Golf GTI. Bought it with paycheck from my first tournament in Kitzbuhel.”
Current Car: “Porsche.”
Favorite Meal: “Anything from my mother (Pilar).”
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “I prefer some toast with a little butter.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla.”
Pre-Match Feeling: “I’m not doing anything to be very concentrated. Just try to fix my racquets with new grips. Nothing special. Try to be confident. But not pay too much attention to concentration or just want to be alone.”
Favorite Movies: “Terror movies, horror.”
Musical Tastes: “U2, Bon Jovi, Queen, Aerosmith, Cafe Quijano.”
Childhood Dream: “Be number one.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “”Winning Davis Cup (3-2 vs. USA in 2004 — Moya scored straight-sets wins over Mardy Fish on opening day and Andy Roddick on the final day to clinch the Cup before a record crowd in Seville, Spain).”
Most Painful Moment: “When I was injured. My back. I had a back problem (in 1999).”
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “I don’t remember one. Right now I don’t remember.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “I like Nadal and Fernando Vicente.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “Those two guys probably.”
Toughest Competitors: “Well probably playing Sampras and Agassi.”
Favorite Tournaments: “I like the small tournaments, like Buenos Aires, Umag, Bastad.”
Early ATP Memory: “First ATP title ever in Buenos Aires (defeated Felix Mantilla in 1995). In the quarterfinal match I hit a shot and it hit a bird. It’s something I never forget.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Honest people. People who do things for other people where it comes from the heart, not for what the people will say.”
Best You Ever Felt On Court: “When I beat [Marcelo] Rios in French Open in ’98 quarterfinals. I beat him in four sets (6-1, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4). That’s one of my best memories. He was the favorite — not number one but biggest favorite to play. And I never won a Slam before (in two previous French Open appearances Moya lost in the second round both times). So I think after I win that match I realized that I was gonna have a good chance to win the French. (Everything was on for you that day?) Yeah, it was a very tight match. And it was very exciting. I never beat him before.”
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Spaniard Moya was a class champion
1 comment
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Author comment by Scoop Malinowski · November 18, 2010 at 12:34 am
Carlos Moya was one of my favorites. Always a class act, never acted up on the court or disrespected opponents, just played as hard as he could every time…in the model of all the classy Spaniards Moya was a class champion and excellent ambassador for the sport. I remember going to watch him at the US Open a few times later in his career and he always had a lot of fans and supporters who appreciated and respected his way of playing. One time there was a young professional black woman sitting in front of me in grandstand and will not forget how into the match she was, really seemed to care for Moya. She really reflected well on Moya as all of his supporters did.