Photo: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
Marcelo Ríos was the first tennis player born in Latin America to officially reach the top of the ATP ranking, something he achieved on 30 April 1998, more than 23 years. Nicknamed “Chino” due to the Asian factions, he had a great career on the circuit with his fantastic tennis game and great talent.
Ríos was born on 26 December at 1975 in Santiago de Chile and as a child he showed great ability for this sport. Left-handed with a two-handed backhand, he debuted in the second category of the circuit in the season of 1993 and the following year he became a professional, competing in important tournaments such as Roland Garros, where he was defeated in the second round by number one.
“Chino” continued to raise his level of play and the proof was in the results. In 1996, after reaching the semi-finals of the Hamburg tournament, a Masters 1000 at that time, entered the Top for the first time 10. The following year he got his first big win at the Masters 1000 from Montecarlo, the fifth trophy for his showcase.
However, “Chino’s” number 1 didn’t last long. Sampras dethroned him just four weeks later, though Rios briefly regained his number one status in August before ‘Pistol’ Pete took over again.
A year later, stardom returned to Marcelo, as he was the first player in history to conquer the three Masters tournaments 1000 on clay: Monte Carlo, Hamburg and Rome, and got 18 titles in a career that spanned from 1994 to 2004.
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