By Scoop Malinowski

This week in Delray Beach covering the Delray Beach Open where McKenzie McDonald, Radu Albot, Juan Martin Del Potro and Steve Johnson are making saves, I obtained some Marcelo Rios memories from a long time tennis insider which illustrates how the Chilean wonder earned the Sports Illustrated magazine cover headline, “the most hated man in tennis.”

Chile · Marcelo Rios

By Scoop Malinowski

Now that Marcelo Rios’s comeback appears to be at a dead end after the tournament director at the Columbus, Ohio Challenger denied his request for a wildcard, what are the options for the former ATP world no. 1 who is presently in tip-top shape but without a suitable platform to strut his stuff?

Marcelo Rios

By Scoop Malinowski

Bradenton, FL — There he is. In the flesh. The one and only. Marcelo Rios. It’s been years since we’ve seen him. He walked right by me on a Wednesday afternoon at IMG Academy during the Eddie Herr Championships in Bradenton, FL. He’s here to train for an exhibition in December in Chile. Rios still exudes that supreme swagger, that only the best in the world can. He struts along the footpath with two racquets, black tennis shoes and a GNC water bottle in his black Yonex bag.

Marcelo Rios

By Scoop Malinowski

The debate about who the greatest player of all time is still shrouded in confusion because of the exploits of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, with some voices still demanding Rod Laver, Lew Hoad, Pancho Gonzalez be a part of the conversation.

#chinoxtvn · Marcelo Rios

By Scoop Malinowski

Another former ATP world no. 1 has got the urge to try a comeback. Like Bjorn Borg, Thomas Muster and Mats Wilander before, Marcelo Rios wants to try his hand on the professional tennis circuit again, fourteen years after retiring from tennis in 2004.

Marcelo Rios

By Scoop Malinowski

Chip McCarthy, one of the original figures of the IMG and NBTA, shared some nice scoops. He said earlier this year Kei Nishikori was leaving the grounds by himself after a practice and saw a little girl sitting and crying. He approached her and asked what was wrong? She said she was playing poorly and didn’t know if she wanted to continue to play tennis. Next thing, Kei took her to a court and started practicing and coaching her. True story.

Eddie Herr · IMG · Marcelo Rios

Daniel Fernandez contacted me again to ask some questions about my thoughts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame omitting Marcelo Rios from the latest 2019 induction class ballot which included Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Mary Pierce, Jonas Bjorkman, Thomas Muster, Goran Ivanisevic, Sergi Bruguera, Conchita Martinez, and Li Na. I guess I have become his American go-to guy to discuss Marcelo Rios and his status in the world of tennis. I said it before and I will say it again, Marcelo Rios deserves to be nominated and inducted into the Hall of Fame. Even the greatest player in tennis history agrees…

Chile · La Segunda · Marcelo Rios

My interview with La Segunda’s Daniel Fernandez about the 20th anniversary of Marcelo Rios becoming world no. 1. Rios became ATP world no. 1 in 1998 after beating Agassi in three straight sets, also collecting double $2.5m bonuses from his top sponsors Nike and Yonex…

Daniel Fernandez: When I talk to you about Marcelo Rios, what comes to mind?

Scoop Malinowski: Three things come to mind. One – still my favorite player to watch play because of his creativity, elegance, unpredictable personality and shotmaking, and court presence.

Marcelo Rios · Miami Open

By Scoop Malinowski

Marcelo Rios performed one of the most astounding runs in ATP history in 1998 at Indian Wells. Entering the tournament ranked 7 in the world, Rios exploded to play perhaps the finest tennis of his career in the California desert.

Marcelo Rios

By Scoop Malinowski

Former world number one Marcelo Rios continues to hold the media in disdain. Rios, who has had a confrontational and often bitter relations with the media since his junior career, was fined $2,500 on Saturday for telling journalists they “suck” at a Davis Cup tie vs. Ecuador.

The heavily tattoed and very muscular 42-year-old Chilean, now based in Sarasota, FL, was sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after he refused to be interviewed during the Davis Cup clash contested by Chile and Ecuador in Santiago, Chile.

Chile · Davis Cup · Marcelo Rios