Mariano Puerta
Encyclopedia
Mariano Ruben Puerta is a former Argentine
professional male tennis player best known for making the final of the French Open in 2005, where he lost to Rafael Nadal
in four sets.
, Italy. In 2000, Puerta achieved his highest year end ranking of World No. 21, making it to five finals, and winning one of them (Bogotá
). That same year, however, he underwent wrist surgery, which kept him off the circuit for several months.
Besides not recovering his previous playing level, he was suspending from tennis for 9 months from October 2003 onwards for a doping
offense (see section on doping controversies). Owing to the suspension he missed most of the 2004 season, and by August 2004 his world ranking had dropped to 440. He was reduced to playing Challenger-level tournaments for a while until he had earned enough points to return to the ATP Tour.
In 2005, Puerta made an eye-opening comeback on the Tour by winning the title in Casablanca and then making it to the final of the world's most prestigious clay court tournament, the French Open, where he eventually succumbed to Rafael Nadal
in a close match (7–6(6), 3–6, 1–6, 5–7). By August 2005 he had climbed to a career-best 9th place in the ATP entry rankings, an advancement of 431 places in one year.
In December 2005, he was, again, suspended for a doping offense, this time for 8 years, effectively ending his professional career. This suspension was later reduced on appeal.
Puerta is left-handed and uses a single-handed backhand. He is a clay court specialist with a game that revolves around groundstrokes with heavy topspin. On fast surfaces his game is compromised by his comparatively weak serve and slow court speed. His three ATP titles so far were all won on clay.
at Viña del Mar
. In his defence, he argued that the substance had been administered to him by his doctor to combat asthma
and that it had no performance-enhancing effect. The sanction was subsequently reduced to nine months suspension, effective from October 2003, and a US$5600 fine.
In December 2005, Puerta was once again banned, this time after it was revealed that he had tested positive for the use of the cardiac stimulant, etilefrine
, following his 2005 French Open final loss to Rafael Nadal
. The suspension was for 8 years, the longest in tennis history at that time. As a result, Puerta was forced to forfeit all his rankings points and prize money (€443,282/£300,671/$456,000) from the 2005 French Open onwards, and had all his 2005 results from after the French Open, annulled. Puerta's runner-up finish at the 2005 French Open was allowed to remain on the record books.
The International Tennis Federation
tribunal noted, however, that "The amount of etilefrine detected in the positive drugs test was too small to have any effect on his performance". Puerta appealed against the ban, claiming on his web site that he only ingested trace amounts of it accidentally left over by his wife in a glass. On July 12, 2006 his suspension was reduced to 2 years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport
, making him eligible to restart his career on June 5, 2007.
at the Sassuolo Challenger, a tournament to which he was invited as a wild card since he had no ranking http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/06/07/um/m-01433795.htm. In the second round, Puerta lost 6–3 6–0 to Spaniard Marc López
. Since returning to the ATP, Puerta has only played on the ITF circuit, reaching the quarterfinals of the Trani and Puebla challengers, the semifinals of the Belo Horizonte and Medellín challengers, and the final of the Cordenons challenger.
, which ended on September 10, 2007.
Walkovers are neither official wins nor official losses.
DQ = Results Disqualified.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
professional male tennis player best known for making the final of the French Open in 2005, where he lost to Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
in four sets.
Career
Puerta made his debut on the ATP Tour in 1996. He won his first ATP title in 1998 in PalermoPalermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Italy. In 2000, Puerta achieved his highest year end ranking of World No. 21, making it to five finals, and winning one of them (Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
). That same year, however, he underwent wrist surgery, which kept him off the circuit for several months.
Besides not recovering his previous playing level, he was suspending from tennis for 9 months from October 2003 onwards for a doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
offense (see section on doping controversies). Owing to the suspension he missed most of the 2004 season, and by August 2004 his world ranking had dropped to 440. He was reduced to playing Challenger-level tournaments for a while until he had earned enough points to return to the ATP Tour.
In 2005, Puerta made an eye-opening comeback on the Tour by winning the title in Casablanca and then making it to the final of the world's most prestigious clay court tournament, the French Open, where he eventually succumbed to Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
in a close match (7–6(6), 3–6, 1–6, 5–7). By August 2005 he had climbed to a career-best 9th place in the ATP entry rankings, an advancement of 431 places in one year.
In December 2005, he was, again, suspended for a doping offense, this time for 8 years, effectively ending his professional career. This suspension was later reduced on appeal.
Puerta is left-handed and uses a single-handed backhand. He is a clay court specialist with a game that revolves around groundstrokes with heavy topspin. On fast surfaces his game is compromised by his comparatively weak serve and slow court speed. His three ATP titles so far were all won on clay.
Doping controversies
In 2003, Puerta received a two-year doping suspension after testing positive for clenbuterolClenbuterol
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier...
at Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...
. In his defence, he argued that the substance had been administered to him by his doctor to combat asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
and that it had no performance-enhancing effect. The sanction was subsequently reduced to nine months suspension, effective from October 2003, and a US$5600 fine.
In December 2005, Puerta was once again banned, this time after it was revealed that he had tested positive for the use of the cardiac stimulant, etilefrine
Etilefrine
Etilefrine is a cardiac stimulant used as an antihypotensive. It is a sympathomimetic amine of the 3-hydroxy-phenylethanolamine series used in treating orthostatic hypotension of neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine or metabolic origin...
, following his 2005 French Open final loss to Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
. The suspension was for 8 years, the longest in tennis history at that time. As a result, Puerta was forced to forfeit all his rankings points and prize money (€443,282/£300,671/$456,000) from the 2005 French Open onwards, and had all his 2005 results from after the French Open, annulled. Puerta's runner-up finish at the 2005 French Open was allowed to remain on the record books.
The International Tennis Federation
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
tribunal noted, however, that "The amount of etilefrine detected in the positive drugs test was too small to have any effect on his performance". Puerta appealed against the ban, claiming on his web site that he only ingested trace amounts of it accidentally left over by his wife in a glass. On July 12, 2006 his suspension was reduced to 2 years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
, making him eligible to restart his career on June 5, 2007.
Comeback
On June 6, 2007 Puerta returned to the professional circuit with a 6–4 6–3 victory over Australian Joseph SirianniJoseph Sirianni
Joseph Sirianni is an Australian tennis player from Melbourne, Victoria. Sirianni was born to father Joseph and mother Ida. Sirianni turned professional in 1996 and he plays right-handed. He achieved his career-high singles ranking of World Number 138 on 20 October 2008...
at the Sassuolo Challenger, a tournament to which he was invited as a wild card since he had no ranking http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/06/07/um/m-01433795.htm. In the second round, Puerta lost 6–3 6–0 to Spaniard Marc López
Marc López
Marc López i Tarrés is a professional male tennis player from Spain, who started playing tennis at the age of 8 years old and became professional in 1999...
. Since returning to the ATP, Puerta has only played on the ITF circuit, reaching the quarterfinals of the Trani and Puebla challengers, the semifinals of the Belo Horizonte and Medellín challengers, and the final of the Cordenons challenger.
Runner-up (1)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 2005 | French Open |  Rafael NadalRafael Nadal Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals... |
6–7, 6–3, 6–1, 7–5 |
Wins (3)
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (3) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | October 5, 1998 | Palermo Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia The Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia was a tennis tournament held annually in Palermo in Italy. Held from 1935 until 2006, the tournament was played on outdoor clay courts and was a part of the ATP Tour schedule from 1979 to 2006.-Singles:-Doubles:... , Italy |
Clay |  Franco SquillariFranco Squillari Franco Squillari is a former professional male tennis player from Argentina.In his career he has won 3 ATP Tour singles titles and he has reached the semi-finals at the 2000 French Open. He stopped his career in 2005... |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 2. | March 6, 2000 | Bogotá ATP Bogotá The Bancolombia Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour... , Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
Clay |  Younes El AynaouiYounes El Aynaoui Younes El Aynaoui is a professional tennis player from Morocco.He is a five-time singles winner on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of No. 14 in 2003, at the age of 31. His long career has been plagued by injuries and he did not play competitive tennis between September... |
6–4, 7–6 |
| 3. | April 4, 2005 | Casablanca Grand Prix Hassan II The Grand Prix Hassan II is an annual tennis tournament on the ATP Tour and is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series. The event is held annually at the Complexe Al Amal in Casablanca, Morocco and is played on clay courts. Between 1986 and 1989 it was part of the Challenger... , Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... |
Clay | Juan Mónaco Juan Mónaco Juan Mónaco , nicknamed "Pico", is a male tennis player from Argentina. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 14 on February 4, 2008. He is sponsored by Adidas and Yonex.-Biography:... |
6–4, 6–1 |
Runner-ups (8)
- 1998: San MarinoSan Marino OpenThe San Marino CEPU Open is a professional tennis tournament played on red clay. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour...
(lost to
Dominik HrbatýDominik HrbatýDominik Hrbatý is a retired professional tennis player from Slovakia.-Personal life:Hrbatý was born on 4 January 1978 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. His father was an architecture engineer and his younger brother is an umpire...
) - 2000: Mexico CityAbierto Mexicano TelcelThe Abierto Mexicano Telcel is a tennis tournament held in Acapulco, Mexico. It is an event on both the ATP Tour and the WTA Tour...
(lost to Juan Ignacio ChelaJuan Ignacio ChelaJuan Ignacio Chela is a professional male tennis player from Argentina. Like most Argentine players he is comfortable on Clay courts and owns all six of his career titles on the surface...
) - 2000: SantiagoMovistar OpenThe Movistar Open is an ATP International Series men's tennis tournament held in February 2010 in Las Condes commune, and it's played on clay. It was previously played in Viña del Mar.-History:In 1992, Brazil suspended its three ATP tournaments...
(lost to
Gustavo KuertenGustavo KuertenGustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000...
) - 2000: Gstaad, Switzerland (lost to Àlex CorretjaÀlex CorretjaÀlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999...
) - 2000: Umag, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
(lost to
Marcelo RíosMarcelo RíosMarcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No...
) - 2005: Buenos AiresATP Buenos AiresThe ATP Buenos Aires is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament is an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and it is played on outdoor clay courts at the 5,500 capacity Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club,...
(lost to Gastón GaudioGastón GaudioGastón Norberto Gaudio is a former tennis player from Argentina. His career-high ATP ranking was World No. 5 in 2005...
) - 2005: French Open (lost to Rafael NadalRafael NadalRafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
) - 2007: CordenonsZucchetti Kos Tennis CupThe Zucchetti Kos Tennis Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour. It is held annually at the A.S.D. Eurotennis Club in Cordenons, Italy, since 2004.-Singles:-Doubles:-External links:**...
, Italy (lost to Máximo GonzálezMáximo GonzálezMáximo González Mereira is a professional tennis player from Argentina. His career high ranking is #58, achieved on July 6, 2009.- Early career through 2006 :...
)
Wins (3)
- 1998:
- Bogotá (with Diego del Río)
- 1999:
- Munich (with Daniel OrsanicDaniel OrsanicDaniel Orsanic is a former professional male tennis player from Argentina and currently works as a coach on ATP tour.-Playing career:Orsanic was a left-hander and a double handed backhand...
) - 1999: Umag (with Javier SánchezJavier SánchezJavier Sánchez Vicario is a former professional tennis player from Spain.Sánchez won the US Open junior title in 1986, and then turned professional. He won his first professional doubles titles in 1987. His first top-level singles title came in 1988 at Buenos Aires. During his career he won a...
)
- Munich (with Daniel Orsanic
Singles performance timeline
To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the U.S. OpenU.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
, which ended on September 10, 2007.
| Tournament | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Career W-L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam Tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
A | A | A | A | A | 2R | 1R | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1–3 | |
| French Open | A | A | A | A | LQ | 2R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 2R | A | F 2005 French Open - Men's Singles Gastón Gaudio was the defending champion, but lost in the fourth round to David Ferrer.Rafael Nadal won in the final 6–7, 6–3, 6–1, 7–5, against Mariano Puerta.-Seeds:# Roger Federer # Andy Roddick ... |
A | A | A | A | 12–6 | |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | DQ | A | A | A | A | 0–3 | |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (tennis) The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881... |
A | A | A | A | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | A | 1R | A | DQ | A | A | A | A | 1–4 | |
| Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 3-3 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 6-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 14-16 | |
| Year-End Championship | ||||||||||||||||||
| ATP World Tour Finals | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | DQ 2005 Tennis Masters Cup - Singles Roger Federer was the defending champion, but David Nalbandian defeated him 6–7, 6–7, 6–2, 6–1, 7–6, in the final.-Seeds:# Roger Federer # Rafael Nadal ... |
A | A | A | 0–0 | ||
| Olympic Games | ||||||||||||||||||
| Summer Olympics Tennis at the Summer Olympics Tennis was part of the Summer Olympic Games program from the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics, but was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics... |
Not Held | A | Not Held | A | Not Held | A | Not Held | A | NH | 0–0 | ||||||||
| ATP World Tour 1000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Indian Wells Masters Indian Wells Masters The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California.... |
A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 6–6 | |
| Miami Masters Miami Masters The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park... |
A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0–2 | |
| Monte Carlo Masters | A | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | 1R | A | A | A | 3R | A | A | A | A | 3–3 | |
| Rome Masters Rome Masters The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's... |
A | A | A | A | A | 1R | QF | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 3–3 | |
| Madrid Masters Madrid Masters There are two sporting events named the Madrid Masters:*Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open — a men's and women's tennis tournament*Madrid Masters... |
A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | DQ | A | A | A | A | 0-0 | |
| Canada Masters Canada Masters The Canada Masters , currently sponsored as the Rogers Cup, is an annual tennis tournament held in Canada. The men's competition is a Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour. The women's competition is a Premier 5 tournament on the Women's Tennis Association tour... |
A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | DQ | A | A | A | A | 0-1 | |
| Cincinnati Masters Cincinnati Masters The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between... |
A | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | DQ | A | A | A | A | 1-1 | |
| Shanghai Masters Shanghai Masters (tennis) The Shanghai Masters is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour. It is held annually in October at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai, People's... |
Not Held | NMS | Not Held | Not ATP Masters Series | A | 0–0 | ||||||||||||
| Paris Masters Paris Masters The Paris Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Paris, France. It is played indoors at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The event is part of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour... |
A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | DQ | A | A | A | A | 0–1 | |
| Hamburg Masters Hamburg Masters The German Open Hamburg, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany and part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Originally a Grand Prix Tennis Tour event between 1978 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Championship... |
A | A | A | A | A | 3R | 3R | 1R | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | NM1 | 4–4 | |
| Career Statistics | ||||||||||||||||||
| ATP Finals Reached | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |
| ATP Tournaments Won | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |
| Year End Ranking | 786 | 764 | 424 | 141 | 39 | 101 | 21 | 254 | 116 | 118 | 133 | 56 | - | 261 | 195 | 311 | N/A | |
Walkovers are neither official wins nor official losses.
| NMS | means an event that was not an ATP Masters Series tournament. | |||
| NM1 | means an event that was not an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. | |||
DQ = Results Disqualified.