Biography of Carlos Moya

Carles Moya Llompart (born August 27, 1976, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain) (also known as Carlos Moya and Carlos Moya) is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player. During his career, he has won the French Open, finished runner-up at the Australian Open, and helped Spain win the Davis Cup.

Moya began playing tennis at the age of six. He turned professional in 1995 and won his first tour title later that year in Buenos Aires.

In 1997, Moya reached his first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, where he lost in straight sets to Pete Sampras 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.

In 1998, Moya won the French Open. He defeated fellow-Spaniard Alex Corretja in the final in straight sets 6-3, 7-5, 6-3. He also won his first Tennis Masters Series that year at Monte Carlo. He concluded the year by finishing runner-up at the ATP World Championships (now known as the Tennis Masters Cup), where he lost in a five-set final to Corretja 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-5.

In March 1999, after finishing runner-up at Indian Wells, Moya reached the World No. 1 singles ranking. He held the top spot for two weeks. Later that year, he entered the French Open as defending champion, and lost in the fourth round to Andre Agassi (who would go on to be that year’s champion). At the US Open, Moya retired in the second round with a back injury and only played in two tournaments for the rest of the year.

In 2000, despite being hampered with a stress fracture in his lower back from the 1999 US Open through to the early part of 2000, Moya still managed to finish in world’s Top 50 for the fifth straight year. He reached the fourth round of the US Open, where he held a match point in the fourth set but eventually lost to Todd Martin in an epic five-set marathon 6-7, 6-7, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2. Moya’s best result rest of 2000 was finishing runner-up at Toulouse.

In 2001, Moya won his first title for three years at Umag. He also finished runner-up at Barcelona, where he lost in a four-hour, nine-minute marathon final to countryman Juan Carlos Ferrero 4-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

2002 saw Moya win four titles from six finals. He captured his second career Tennis Masters Series title at Cincinnati, where he defeated the then-World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in the final 7-5, 7-6.

Moya captured three clay court titles in 2003. He also helped Spain reach the final of the Davis Cup, compiling a 6-0 singles record. In the semi-finals, he won the deciding rubber against Gaston Gaudio as Spain beat Argentina 3-2. He beat Mark Philippoussis on grass in the final. But that proved to be Spain’s only point as they lost the final 3-1 to Australia.

In 2004, Moya helped Spain go one better and win the Davis Cup. In the final, he won two critical singles rubbers against Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish, as Spain beat the United States 3-2. 2004 also was Moya capture his third career Masters Series title at Rome. He was the only player on the tour to win at least 20 matches on both clay courts and hardcourts that year.

Moya won his 18th career title in January 2005 at Chennai. He donated his prize money for the win to the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake victims.