Biography of Marc Rosset

Marc Rosset (b. July 11, 1970, in Geneva, Switzerland) is professional tennis player from Switzerland who is best remembered for winning the men’s singles Gold Medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. Rosset first came to prominence as an outstanding junior tennis player who was ranked No. 4 in the world junior rankings in 1988.

Rosset turned professional in 1988 and won his first tour singles title in 1989 Geneva. His first doubles title was also won in Geneva in 1991 (partnering Sergi Bruguera).

1992 was the pinnacle of Rosset’s career. Representing Switzerland in the Olympic Games in Barcelona, he defeated several big-name players on route to qualifying for the men’s singles final, including Jim Courier, Goran Ivanisevic, Wayne Ferreira and Emilio Sanchez. In the final, he faced Spain’s Jordi Arrese and won an exciting five-set match 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 8-6 to claim the Gold Medal. Rosset also won the 1992 French Open men’s doubles title (partnering Jakob Hlasek). And Rosset was a member of the Swiss team which reached the final of the 1992 Davis Cup. Switzerland lost in the final to the United States despite Rosset winning a five-set singles rubber against Jim Courier (who was ranked the World No. 1 at the time).

Rosset’s most memorable Davis Cup match came in defeat in a singles rubber against Arnaud Clement of France in 2001, which he lost 15-13 in the fifth set after 5 hours and 46 minutes.

Rosset was a member of Switzerland’s teams which won the World Team Cup and finished runners-up in the Hopman Cup in 1996.

At six feet seven inches (2.01 metres) Rosset was one of the game’s tallest players throughout his career. He held a reputatation for being one of the most powerful servers in tennis. He was one of the game’s fastest servers and most prolific servers of aces for most of his career.

Rosset had a lucky escape in 1998, when he changed his flight plans after a first-round defeat at the US Open. The flight he had originally planned to take, Swissair Flight 111, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean killing all on board.

Rosset’s career-high ATP singles ranking was World No. 9, and his career-high doubles ranking was World No. 8. He won a total of 15 top-level singles titles and 8 doubles titles.