Sergi Bruguera
| Silver medal |
Tennis Men's singles |
Sergio "Sergi" Bruguera Torner (born on January 16, 1971, in Barcelona, Spain) is a retired professional tennis player from Spain. He is best remembered for winning two consecutive men's singles titles at the French Open in 1993 and 1994.
Bruguera was Spain's national junior champion in 1987. He turned professional in 1988. In his first full year on the tour, 1989, he won the won Cairo Challenger title as a qualifier (defeating Jordi Arrese in the final) and reached the semi-finals in Rome. He finshed 1989 ranked World No. 26, and was named the ATP's Newcomer of Year.
Bruguera earned a reputation as a top clay court player in the early-1990s, winning titles in Estoril, Monte Carlo and Athens in 1991, and in Madrid, Gstaad and Palermo in 1992.
In 1993, following wins over Pete Sampras and Andrei Medvedev, Bruguera reached his first Grand Slam final at the French Open, where he faced two-time defending-champion and the world's no.1 player Jim Courier. Courier was overwhelmingly favoured to win his third title, but ultimately Bruguera won a gruelling five-set final, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. The victory was one of five titles that Bruguera captured that year.
In 1994, Bruguera defended his title at the French Open, defeating, once again, Courier and Medvedev, and fellow-Spaniard Alberto Berasategui in the final, 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.
Bruguera won the men's singles Silver Medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He was defeated in straight sets in the final by Andre Agassi 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.
Bruguera reached the French Open final for the third time in 1997 and was considered the clear favourite to win his third title against the unseeded Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten. But Kuerten surprisingly defeated Bruguera in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. (Kuerten was almost completely unknown at the time, but would go on to become the World No. 1-ranked player in 2000.)
Outside tennis, Bruguera is a long-time fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and would often attend their games while playing at tournaments in United States. On March 28 1997, after beating the World No. 1 Pete Sampras in the semi-finals of a tournament in Miami, Bruguera sank three shots (layup, free throw, top of key) during a timeout of a game between the Lakers and the Miami Heat to earn $500 which was given to ATP Charities in his name.
Bruguera earned the ATP's Comeback Player of Year award in 1997 after returning from ankle injury the previous year and improving his ranking from No. 81 to No. 8.
Bruguera won a total of 14 top-level singles titles and 3 doubles titles during his career. His career-high singles ranking was no.3. He is currently the director of Bruguera Tennis Academy Top Team.