Fernando Verdasco · Biography

Fernando Verdasco Carmona was born on 15 November 1983 in Madrid, where he took up tennis as a child. He is left-handed and plays a two-handed backhand. He turned professional in 2001 and finished that year ranked 464th in the world. With Spain he won the Davis Cup three times, in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Early years on tour

He joined the ATP tour in the early 2000s, at a time when Spain had a large group of players at the top level. In 2004 he won his first two titles. The singles title came in Valencia, on clay and in front of a home crowd. The doubles title came in Stockholm alongside Feliciano López, who would later be his regular partner in the Davis Cup. Over the following seasons he moved steadily up the rankings, helped above all by a heavy left-handed forehand and a strong serve.

Davis Cup in 2008 and 2009

His best-remembered moment with the national team came in the 2008 final in Mar del Plata against Argentina. On 23 November that year he played the deciding rubber against José Acasuso. He came back from two sets to one down to win 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, which gave Spain the trophy. He also played the doubles with Feliciano López in that tie. A year later, in the 2009 final, Spain beat the Czech Republic 5-0, and Verdasco again won the doubles with López. He added a third Davis Cup title in 2011.

The Melbourne semi-final and world number 7

At the 2009 Australian Open he reached his first Grand Slam semi-final. There he lost to Rafael Nadal 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 in a match lasting 5 hours and 14 minutes, one of the longest in the tournament's history up to that point. After the event he kept climbing, and on 20 April 2009 he reached world number 7, the highest ranking of his career. That summer he won in New Haven and reached the US Open quarter-finals. At the end of the year he qualified for the season-ending championships in London, where he went out in the round-robin stage.

Singles titles

He won seven ATP singles titles. After Valencia (2004) came Umag (2008), New Haven (2009), San Jose and Barcelona (both in 2010), Houston (2014) and Bucharest (2016). The 2010 Barcelona Open, with its strong draw, was the most important of them. That same year he again reached the US Open quarter-finals. In 2013 he made the Wimbledon quarter-finals, his best result on the London grass. At Roland Garros he reached the fourth round several times.

Doubles and team events

His doubles career ran as long as his singles one. In 2012 he won four titles: Buenos Aires, Acapulco, Umag and Hamburg. In 2013 he teamed up with David Marrero, and the pair won in St Petersburg. At the end of that year they won the ATP World Tour Finals in London, the event that closes the season with the eight best teams. Their group-stage wins there included one over Marc López. On 11 November 2013 he reached number 8 in the doubles rankings. That same year he won the Hopman Cup with Anabel Medina. He also played at the 2012 London Olympics, where he lost in the first round.

Playing style

Throughout his career, his heavy-topspin left-handed forehand was his main shot, used both to open up the court and to finish points. He was comfortable on clay, where he won Valencia, Barcelona, Umag, Houston and Bucharest. Even so, his best Grand Slam results came on hard courts: the Melbourne semi-final and two quarter-finals in New York. Beyond that, his game relied on a strong serve and good volleys, which also served him well in doubles. His coaches included Nacho Truyol and Guillermo Alcaide.

Personal life

On 8 December 2017 he married Ana Boyer Preysler. Their first son, Miguel, was born on 26 March 2019. Mateo followed on 21 December 2020 and Martín on 24 April 2024. Their daughter Mía was born on 4 May 2026.