Albert Costa Casals

Albert Costa Casals is a former tennis professional player known for unexpectedly winning the French Open singles title in 2002. Born June 25, 1975, in Lleida, Spain, Costa started playing tennis as early as five years old, when his father brought him and his brother to Urgell Tennis Club for leisurely play on weekends. Seeing his son’s amazing potential in the game, the weekend leisure later extended into weekday practice. The Urgell Club director Josep Tutusaus, the same person who discovered tennis legend Conchita Martinez, urged the family to send the young Costa to Barcelona for further training. Initially resisting at first, Costa’s mother Rosa finally relented, a decision that proved to be a good one, as her son blazed a brilliant career in tennis.

As expected, Costa developed into an outstanding junior player, reaching the French Open junior final in 1993, and winning the Orange Bowl. The very same year he decided to turn pro. He proved to be brilliant on clay, and the following year he earned the top spot in two (2) challenger events. He was awarded 1994 Newcomer of the Year by the ATP.

From 1995 through 1999, Costa won championship titles one after the other, including the World Team Cup in 1997. However, after 1999, Costa experienced a drought of sports triumphs, not winning any tour titles. He won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in the doubles category, though, as well as the Davis Cup as part of the Spanish team. In the 2002 French Open therefore, Costa was not deemed a great threat; in fact, he was not the crowd favorite to win the Singles title. Surprising everyone, he blazed through the game, defeating fellow Spaniards Corretja and Ferrero, in the end winning his first and only Grand Slam title.

Costa retired from competitive tennis in 2006, citing injuries and waning desire for tennis as his reasons. Two years later, Costa re-emerged in the tennis scene as Spain’s team captain for the Davis Cup.