Tennis in Spain

Long regarded as an elite sport in Spain, tennis, along with most other racquet sports, has taken a little longer to attract Spaniards to jump on the bandwagon. For years tennis lacked in appeal due to a shortage of public tennis courts, in conjunction with high prices for private clubs. Lately, however, Spain has become one of the world’s strongest tennis countries and now produces some of the world’s best players. Growing steadily in popularity, tennis is fast becoming the new “it” sport in Spain. Thanks to Rafael Nadal´s continuous rise to stardom and the increase in tennis courts and clubs across the country, tennis is becoming the new sport of choice for singles, families and those looking to get a little exercise all year round. Due to Spain’s incredibly accommodating climate, tennis lovers can play outside most of the year on the thousands of courts around the country.

Rafael Nadal

Spain has produced a number of tennis champions, excelling in tournaments held on clay courts such as the Roland Garros tournament.

Besides that, Spain has also won the Davis Cup five times (2000, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011) and the Fed Cup five other times (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998)

Rafael Nadal is considered the greatest Spanish tennis player of all time. He has won the French Open a record eleven times, winning four consecutive French Open titles from 2005-2008 along with five consecutive French Open titles from 2010-2014 and another title in 2017 and 2018. After defeating then world number #1 Roger Federer in 2008, Nadal claimed the Wimbledon trophy and became only the second Spaniard to do so. He also won the 2009 Australian Open, the first male Spaniard to do so. In 2009, he became the first player ever to simultaneously hold Grand Slam titles on clay, grass, and hardcourt. In addition, Nadal is the men's singles Gold Medalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and men's doubles gold medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. In 2010, 2013 and 2017, he won the U.S. Open. He currently has seventeen Grand Slam titles to his name: eleven French Open titles, two Wimbledon titles, three US Open titles, and one Australian Open title, making him second only to Roger Federer, who has won 20 major titles.

Spain has produced several other world number one players; Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in 1995 (a three-time French Open champion in 1989, 1994 and 1998, and 1994 US Open Champion), Carlos Moyá (1998 French Open champion) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003 French Open Champion).

Other Grand Slam champions are Manuel Santana (1961, 1964 French Opens, 1966 Wimbledon and 1965 US Open), Sergi Bruguera (1993-1994 French Opens), Andrés Gimeno (1972 French Open), Manuel Orantes (1975 US Open), Conchita Martínez (1994 Wimbledon), Albert Costa (2002 French Open) and Garbiñe Muguruza (2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon).

Tournaments held in Spain on the men's tour every year include Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. The women have events in Madrid, Barcelona, and Marbella.

List of Spanish tennis players (Open Era only)

Only includes players ranked in the top 50. Bold names indicate currently active players

Men Highest ranking Name Birth Place of Birth Turned pro Titles No. 1 Rafael Nadal 1986 Manacor, Mallorca 2001 79 No. 1 Carlos Moyá 1976 Palma 1995 20 No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero 1980 Ontinyent, Valencia 1995 15 No. 2 Manuel Orantes 1949 Granada 1968 33 No. 2 Àlex Corretja 1974 Barcelona 1991 17 No. 3 David Ferrer 1982 Xàbia, Alicante 2000 21 No. 3 Sergi Bruguera 1971 Barcelona 1988 14 No. 5 Tommy Robredo 1982 Hostalric, Girona 1998 12 No. 6 José Higueras 1953 Diezma 1973 16 No. 6 Albert Costa 1975 Lleida 1993 12 No. 7 Emilio Sánchez 1965 Madrid 1984 15 No. 7 Alberto Berasategui 1973 Bilbao 1991 14 No. 7 Fernando Verdasco 1983 Madrid 2001 7 No. 7 Juan Aguilera 1962 Barcelona 1981 5 No. 9 Nicolás Almagro 1985 Murcia 2003 12 No. 10 Carlos Costa 1968 Barcelona 1988 6 No. 10 Félix Mantilla 1974 Barcelona 1993 10 No. 10 Pablo Carreño Busta 1991 Gijón 2009 3 No. 12 Feliciano López 1981 Toledo 1997 4 No. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut 1988 Castellón de la Plana 2006 6 No. 17 Albert Ramos-Viñolas 1988 Barcelona 2004 1 No. 18 Francisco Clavet 1968 Madrid 1988 8 No. 19 Marcel Granollers 1986 Barcelona 2003 4 No. 19 Albert Portas 1973 Barcelona 1994 1 No. 22 Albert Montañés 1980 Tarragona 1999 6 No. 23 Jordi Arrese 1964 Barcelona 1982 6 No. 23 Javier Sánchez 1968 Pamplona 1986 4 No. 23 Guillermo García-López 1983 La Roda, Albacete 2002 3 No. 29 Fernando Vicente 1977 Benircarló, Castelló 1996 3 No. 30 Julián Alonso 1977 Canet de Mar, Barcelona 1996 2 No. 31 Sergio Casal 1962 Barcelona 1981 1 No. 32 Pablo Andújar 1986 Valencia 2005 2 No. 32 Juan Gisbert 1942 Barcelona 1968 1 No. 34 Alberto Martín 1978 Barcelona 1995 3 No. 40 Tomás Carbonell 1968 Barcelona 1987 2 No. 40 Galo Blanco 1976 Oviedo 1995 1 No. 41 David Sánchez 1978 Zamora 1997 2 No. 43 Jordi Burillo 1972 Barcelona 1991 1 No. 44 Álex Calatrava 1973 Cologne, Germany 1993 1 No. 47 Juan Albert Viloca 1973 Barcelona 1992 0 No. 48 Daniel Gimeno-Traver 1985 Valencia 2004 0 No. 48 Óscar Hernández 1978 Barcelona 1998 0 No. 50 Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo 1978 Alicante 1998 0

Women Highest ranking Name Birth Place of Birth Turned pro Titles No. 1 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 1971 Barcelona 1985 29 No. 2 Conchita Martínez 1972 Monzón, Huesca 1988 33 No. 1 Garbiñe Muguruza 1993 Guatire, Venezuela 2012 5 No. 6 Carla Suárez Navarro 1988 Las Palmas 2003 2 No. 16 Anabel Medina Garrigues 1982 Valencia 1998 11 No. 19 María José Martínez Sánchez 1982 Yecla, Murcia 1998 5 No. 19 Magüi Serna 1979 Las Palmas 1996 3 No. 22 Ángeles Montolio 1975 Barcelona 1990 3 No. 27 Gala León García 1973 Madrid 1990 1 No. 27 Cristina Torrens Valero 1974 Pamplona 1992 2 No. 28 Virginia Ruano Pascual 1973 Madrid 1992 3 No. 33 María Sánchez Lorenzo 1977 Salamanca 1994 1 No. 35 Nuria Llagostera Vives 1980 Mallorca 1996 2 No. 40 Lourdes Domínguez Lino 1981 Pontevedra 1996 2 No. 46 Arantxa Parra Santonja 1982 Barcelona 2000 0 No. 47 María Teresa Torró Flor 1992 Villena 2007 1 No. 47 Marta Marrero 1983 Las Palmas 1998 0

Grand Slam performances of Spanish tennis players

Only includes players who have reached at least a Grand Slam quarterfinal

Spanish Tennis achievements timeline

External links