Nicolás Massú Fried

Born: October 10, 1979 in Viña del Mar (Valparaíso)
Height: 1.81 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Massú took his first steps on the tennis court under the tutelage of his maternal Jewish-Hungarian grandfather. Massú, whose paternal lineage traces back to Lebanese and Palestinian origins, enjoyed a prolific junior career (crazy genetic heritage?). In 1998, when Marcelo Ríos ascended to the world’s top ranking, sports journalists were already heralding Massú and Fernando González as his potential successors.
While Ríos’ younger compatriots may not have eclipsed his ranking achievements, Massú carved out a unique niche in Chilean tennis history. He stands alone among the trio as the recipient of one of tennis’ most coveted prizes – an Olympic gold medal. His triumph in Athens in 2004 ignited debates about the greatest player in Chilean history: Ríos captured the most ATP titles, González collected the most medals (the only player in history with gold, silver & bronze, and has the best resume given major events), but neither has won a title as significant as Massú. These three distinctive players triumphed at the World Team Cup ’03, Ríos wasn’t a member of the team when Chile defended the title.
Massú’s Olympic feat was nothing short of extraordinary. Not only did he clinch gold in singles, but he also partnered with González to secure the top spot in doubles. Both finals were nail-biting five-set encounters, resolved within a breathtaking 24-hour span. This unprecedented double-gold performance transcended tennis, etching Massú’s name into the annals of sports history for decades to come.
In the culminating matches of the tournament, Massú vanquished American players who were also experiencing career-defining moments. However, the magnitude of Massú’s accomplishment is further amplified by his earlier victories over former world No. 1 players Gustavo Kuerten and Carlos Moyà. What makes this achievement even more astounding is that Massú arrived in Athens on the heels of eight consecutive hardcourt losses. The fact that these Olympic triumphs represent his sole hardcourt title in singles and his only doubles title overall underscores the miraculous nature of that unforgettable week.
Massú was renowned for his tenacity and indefatigable fighting spirit. He frequently emerged victorious from seemingly insurmountable deficits, particularly in the ‘best-of-three’ format. He did it even in the finals: Buenos Aires 2002 and Palermo 2003. His approach to the game suggested a preference for marathon matches – the longer the contest, the more it suited his style. Curiously, this mental fortitude didn’t fully translate to major tournaments, where he maintained a negative record, even on the clay courts of Roland Garros. It’s really staggering that a player of his calibre, played a fourth round at Slams just once – US Open ’05 when he lost a 4-hour-32-minute marathon to Guillermo Coria leading 2-1 in sets, yet he didn’t have chances for victory in the last two sets. Massú accused Coria of faking an injury during the match.
During the 2000s, no other player was involved in as many protracted matches as Massú. He was notorious for stretching the time between serves to the maximum allowed (25 seconds in ATP events and 20 seconds in majors at that time). After the first few pro years of being primarily associated with clay courts, he surprised many by reaching the final of the indoor Madrid tournament. This result undoubtedly bolstered his confidence on harder surfaces, culminating in his glorious performance in Athens. As Massú approached his 29th birthday, he began to encounter the physical limitations that often challenged professional athletes before turning 30. The final five years of his career saw him primarily competing at the Challenger level, where despite his efforts, he was unable to reclaim a position within the Top 100 rankings which would allow him to participate in the biggest events. As a coach, he helped Dominic Thiem achieve a career-best result, the ’20 US Open title.
Trivia: Massú holds the distinction of playing the longest four-set “tie-break” matches, both occurred in Davis Cup against less accomplished players: in 2007, he succumbed to Dudi Sela of Israel 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 4-6 in an epic 5-hour, 7-minute battle; two years later, he prevailed over Austrian Stefan Koubek in a marathon lasting 5 hours, 14 minutes, creating a unique situation that these two players have played the longest match of their careers, finished in 4, not 5 sets… Massú is the first player in history to officially ask for a Hawk–Eye challenge, it happened at the beginning of his match against Raemon Sluiter in Miami 2006.

Career record: 257–238 [ 225 events ]
Career titles: 6
Highest ranking: No. 9
Best GS result:
US Open (fourth round 2005)
Olympic Gold medalist in singles and doubles (Athens 2004)
World Team Cup champion 2003 and 2004