I did this Biofile with Justin in 2005 at US Open.
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Former ATP no. 63. Winner or two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Finalist at Newport in 2006.
Ht: 6-5 Wt: 190
Born On: January 26, 1977 In: Livingston, N.J.
Childhood Heroes: “I used to love watching McEnroe, Sampras, Agassi.”
Hobbies/Interests: “Basketball, golf, movies.”
Nicknames: “The Kid, Gimel, Big Show, Gimby – from Nick Bollettieri.”
Early Tennis Memory: “Defaulted out of the first tennis tournament I played, I was eight-years-old. At Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ for behavior problems – threw one down in the third set [smiles].”
Pre-Match Feeling: “Usually feel like I’m gonna throw up.”
Favorite Movies: “Rocky, Without Limits, Phenomenon, Shawshank Redemption, Godfather II.”
Musical Tastes: “I like a little bit of everything, I like U2, REM, Dave Matthews Band.”
Favorite TV Shows: “Friends, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sopranos.”
Funny Tennis Memory: “One year, when I lost at the US Open, my friends were so depressed they walked back to New York City [smiles]. I thought that was funny.”
First Job: “Never had a job.”
First Car: “Toyota Supra, silver, twin turbo.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “For me – winning the first set (6-2) against Sampras, Centre Court at Wimbledon (third round in 2000).”
Most Painful Moment: “Breaking my ankle in Tokyo (in 2000), practicing with Karol Kucera. Just a baseline rally, rolled my ankle.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “Todd Martin, Jim Courier, Jon Stark.”
Funniest Players: “Probably me, I’d say. Best sense of humor – me [smiles]. And Petr Korda and Andrei Medvedev were funny.”
Toughest Competitors: “Lleyton Hewitt. He gets the most out of his game. He’s outgunned physically, but he’s still one of the best.”
Favorite Vacation Spot: “Never go on a vacation. Home. Just being home.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty. Responsibility. Respect. Hard work. Determination. And I respect people who are good at overcoming adversity.”
Updated Biofile with Justin Gimelstob in 2012 in Newport…
Greatest Sports Moment: “Tough to say. Maybe beating Rafter in L.A. when he was 2 in the world. He had a great summer that year, he won the U.S. Open. He didn’t lose that many matches that summer. I remember beating Agassi in L.A. early on in my career. Just because it was right after I left UCLA. But also some of the moments – some of the five-setters I had at the Open. Beating Andy Murray here (Newport), late in my career, 1 and 6. Tough to say just one match.”
Most Painful Moment: “Emotionally or physically? (Both.) Emotionally, I had a few. Lost some tough matches with match point. I lost to Lleyton Hewitt one year in Bangkok with match point. Probably losing in L.A., losing semifinal to Chang, I was up 6-3 3-1 in the semifinal and a chance to win my hometown tournament UCLA. That was tough.”
Strangest Match: “Early in my career I was playing in the first round of a tournament, I was down 6-4 5-2. The guy was serving, had 40-love and I ended up coming back and winning the match and winning the tournament. Against Jordi Burillo in Andorra, Spain. That was an interesting one. (How did you manage to turn that around?) I hit a forehand topspin lob down match point, broke serve, then he got a little nervous and then just turned it around. I lost plenty of matches like that as well [smiles], unfortunately.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “Like, best sense of humor? …Patrick Rafter was quite funny. I played doubles with him a couple times. He was quite funny. He’s the kind of guy, right up to the start of the match, would be playing jokes, very laid back, but then right when he’d play, would be so intense. Mardy Fish has a great sense of humor. Roddick is quite witty.”
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “One year at the French Open, early on, my partner hit a short lob and I got hit with a point blank overhead right on the most vulnerable spot for a man – and it was horrifying.”
Match You Felt At Your Best: “Probably against Rafter. I was just in the zone that night, 4 and 3. And just the cliche, the ball feels like a beach ball and your timing is right, your body feels great. The ball is coming off your racquet and going where you want it to go. It’s just everything slows down a little bit. It happens a couple of times. It didn’t happen to me enough [smiles].”
Last Book Read: “Outliers.”
Current Car: “An Escalade (black).”
Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: “Love basketball.”
Why Do You Love Playing Tennis: “I think tennis is the greatest sport in the world. Because, first of all, it’s based on merit on the court. It’s a combination of physical, mental, technical and tactical skills. It’s one on one. It’s international. And it’s just a great feeling hitting that ball cleanly and purely.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Work ethic. Honesty. Generosity. Sensitivity. Those are good ones to start with. Philanthropic.”
Career Accomplishments: Winner of the 1998 Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles with Venus Williams; Winner of 13 doubles titles; Member of United States Davis Cup team in 1998 and 2001.
You can read more biofile interviews like this at www.mrbiofile.com
ATP · Grand Slam · Justin Gimelstob · New Jersey · Pete Sampras · Wimbledon
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