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By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Former ATP world no. 3 won nine career ATP singles titles and reached the finals of 2004 Roland Garros. Retired in 2009 at age 27.
Ht: 5-9 Wt: 143
Born On: January 13, 1982 In: Rufino, Argentina
Childhood Heroes: Agassi.
Nicknames: El Mago – Magic. Chino – Chinese.
Pre-Match Feeling: Before the match, I think about the match, what I will do on the court.
Concentrate on those things. What I need is to be able to step on the court, knowing that if I do my best, I can go far in the tournament. Sometimes I lack confidence in my game. Lack trusting my game.
Hobbies/Interests: Play soccer, listen to music.
Favorite Movies: Rocky – I, II, III, VI, and IV!
Musical Tastes: Guns & Roses.
Funny Tennis Memory: I lost my wallet with all my prize money [laughs]. I lost it at the U.S. Open two years ago. No, I never found it. I lost it in the bus…$3,000.”
Early Tennis Memory: When I won Roland Garros in juniors (vs. David Nalbandian in 1999).
Favorite Meal: Meat – asado. A special meat dish in Argentina.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla I like a lot.
Greatest Sports Moment: To me? When I won my first ATP tournament in Vina del Mar, Chile (over Gaudio in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in 2001). Because it was my first dream in tennis – to win my first ATP.
Most Painful Moment: When I was involved in the doping.
From Wikipedia: Coria tested positive for nandrolone in April 2001 after a match in Barcelona against Michel Kratochvil. Coria was initially banned from tennis for two years, starting in August 2001, and was fined $98,565. Coria claimed that the only supplement that he was taking was a multivitamin made by a New Jersey supplements company. His family employed a private lab to test the multivitamin, which was found to be contaminated with steroids. In December 2001, the ATP refused to acquit Coria, but reduced his ban from two years to seven months, which meant that he would be free to continue with his tennis career in March 2002. Coria sued the New Jersey supplements company for more than $10 million in lost prize money and endorsements and settled after the third day of the trial for an undisclosed amount.As a result of the seven months during which Coria was banned from playing tennis, his world ranking dropped from No. 32 to No. 97. 2002 was, therefore, a rebuilding year for Coria, and he finished 2002 ranked at world No. 45
Closest Tennis Friends: I’m okay with all the Argentine players.
Funniest Players: Carlos Moya from Spain. Moya always is happy. And he won a lot of tournaments and money and he’s always in a good mood. And also Gustavo Kuerten – he’s a great person.
Toughest Competitor: Agassi. He plays very steady. He’s very strong. He plays all the points very well.
People Qualities Most Admired: They will be happy and not speak wrong about the other people.
Argentina · ATP · Guillermo Coria
Scoop Malinowski · October 15, 2018 at 12:34 pm
A forgotten great. Still just 36, the same age as Bennetteau who is playing this week in Belgium. I remember when Coria was the king of clay that one year in 2004, totally dominant, then Rafa came along and took over. Coria was the last king of clay before Rafa.