Gonzalez’s farewell

The almost 32-year-old Chilean announced his retirement a month ago after Vina del Mar. “I made the decision a couple of weeks ago to end my career at Miami. It’s 100 per cent personal. I realized I don’t have the energy to be where I want to be. I always said I would play until 30 and in the last months I didn’t stop thinking about it and the final decision was made three weeks ago” explained “Gonzo” in Vina del Mar – a city in which he collected 4 out of his 11 ATP titles. Gonzalez was hampered by back, knee and hip injuries in the last two seasons and decreased his ranking significantly. I think he was one of the most entertaining players of the first decade of the XXI century characterized by one of the biggest forehands out there and a game based on a huge risk, in my opinion his risky game-style may be comparable only to Mark Philippoussis taking into account a period they were both playing on the highest professional level (it happened in years 2002-2006). Gonzalez’s backhand seemed a bit unnatural, definitely it was a weaker stroke in his repertoire but during cooperation with Larry Stefanki, Gonzalez improved this shot, adopting a more efficient slice above all. He has beaten each player of the current “big four” as well as the best players of the 90’s (Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi – both of them on their beloved American hard-courts). I couldn’t say Gonzalez was an underachiever, but with a bit more luck he would have won at least one big title, unfortunately for him, in the most important finals he faced the best of the bests being beaten in straight sets every time (Federer twice – in Madrid & Melbourne, Nadal twice as well – in Rome and Beijing). He has something to be proud of, namely he’s the only player to gain three Olympic medals (silver & bronze in singles, and a gold one in doubles – Athens – after a stunning win in the final along with Nicolas Massu as the Chileans fought off a quadruple match point in the 4th-set-tie-break against the German team). A clay-court specialist, eight titles on this surface plus two triumphs at the World Team Cup, but his biggest successes come from hard-courts (finals at the Aussie Open and Olympic Games). An all-rounder generally speaking, in 2006 he made a sensational run advancing to three consecutive tournaments played indoors, a year before he reached the Wimbledon quarter-final, not dropping a set, he lost in the last eight to his biggest nemesis though, Federer (record: 1-12).

Fernando Gonzalez in numbers (singles):

11 titles, 11 finals (1 CH):

Titles:
00 – Orlando (3)
02 – Vina del Mar (19), Palermo (36)
04 – Vina del Mar (68)
05 – Auckland (88), Amersfoort (101), Basel (109)
07 – Beijing (147)
08 – Vina del Mar (154), Munich (158)
09 – Vina del Mar (172)

Finals:
02 – Basel; 03 – Washington, Metz; 04 – Amersfoort; 05 – Vina del Mar; 06 – Vienna, Madrid, Basel;
07 – AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Rome; 08 – Beijing Olympics

Best Grand Slam results:
Australian Open (2007 – final)
Roland Garros (2009 – semifinal; 2003, 2008 – quarter-final)
Wimbledon (2005 – quarter-final)
US Open (2002, 2009 – quarter-final)

He’s got two Olympic medals: silver in Beijing (2008) and bronze in Athens (2004)
He was a member of the winning team at the World Team Cup twice: 2003-2004 (won his all eight singles matches)

Highest ranking: 5 (29.01.2007)

Ranking in years 1996-2011:
1262 – 1057 – 580 – 415 – 115 – 139 – 18 – 35 – 23 – 11 – 10 – 7 – 15 – 11 – 68 – 298.

Win/loss record:
main level: 370/202 (.646)
all levels: 430/254 (.628)

Detailed stats (main level only):

204 tournaments (years 1999-2012)

5-setters: 15-14 (.517)
Tie-breaks: 152-105 (.591)
– deciding 3rd set tie-breaks: 15-9 (.625)
m.p. matches: 13-8 (.619)
Longest winning streak: 12 [2008]
Longest losing streak: 5 [2002 & 2007]

Longest win: 4 hours, 20 min. James Blake 6-7, 0-6, 7-6, 6-4, 10-8  – Davis Cup 2006
Longest defeat: 5 hours, 1 min. Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-7, 7-5, 6-7, 3-6 – Davis Cup 2007
Longest tie-break won: Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 7-6(11), 6-1 – Vienna 2008
Longest tie-break lost: Roger Federer 6-7(9), 5-7, 2-6 – Roland Garros 2005