Sergio Casal Professional Spanish tennis player and tennis coach Date of Birth: 08.09.1962 Country: Spain

1. Biography of Sergio Casal
2. Early Career
3. Rise to Success
4. Partnership with Emilio Sanchez
5. Individual Achievements
6. Tennis Academy

Biography of Sergio Casal

Sergio Casal is a professional Spanish tennis player and tennis coach. He is a two-time Grand Slam tournament winner and a silver medalist in the 1988 Olympics in the men's doubles category. He also won the mixed doubles category at the 1986 US Open. Casal was a member of the Spanish team that won the 1992 World Cup.

Early Career

Sergio Casal started his professional tennis career in 1981. In the same year, he made his debut for the Spanish national team in the Davis Cup, winning all three matches in the doubles category. In 1982, Casal won his first challenger in doubles in his hometown of Barcelona, and in August of the same year, he won his first challenger in singles in Tarragona. He also became the Spanish champion in singles in the same year.

Rise to Success

In 1983, Casal reached the final of the ATP Grand Prix tournament for the first time in his career. He had an impressive season, reaching the third round in the doubles category at the French Open and finishing the year as one of the top 100 players in both singles and doubles. Casal formed a successful partnership with Emilio Sanchez in 1984, winning two matches in the Davis Cup and leading the European Zone to victory.

Partnership with Emilio Sanchez

Casal's most successful years came when he partnered with Emilio Sanchez from 1985 to 1995. Together, they won a total of 42 Grand Prix and ATP Tour tournaments, including the US Open in 1988 and the French Open in 1990. They also achieved success in prestigious tournaments such as the German Open, Barcelona's Trofeo Conde de Godo, the Italian Open, and the Monte Carlo Open. In 1988, they had their best year, winning eight tournaments. They reached the final of Wimbledon in 1987 and the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988. They also qualified for the year-end final tournament several times.

Individual Achievements

One of Casal's significant individual achievements was winning the Grand Prix tournament in Florence in 1985. Ranked 217th at the time, he defeated four opponents from the top 100, including the 12th-ranked Aaron Krickstein. This victory propelled him back into the top 100 and he continued to have success throughout the season, reaching the semifinals in Kitzbuhel and the quarterfinals in Barcelona. He achieved a career-high ranking of 30th in November. Casal also had notable wins over John McEnroe and Boris Becker in his singles career.

Tennis Academy

In 1998, Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez founded a tennis academy. The academy has branches in Barcelona and Naples, with additional work being done in Alabama.