Ultimate Finish
Fabrice Santoro entered the professional tour in 1989 – the same year the first version of the World Wide Web was launched, the Berlin wall collapsed, the medical field celebrated its first liver transplant, and Ivan Lendl was ranked No. 1 in the world. Santoro, who at 37 boasts one of the longest careers in tennis, is retiring at the end of this year.
Fabrice is best known for his arsenal of trick shots that revolve around spin: backspin, sidespin, any spin but topspin. Pete Sampras lost to the Frenchman three out of their seven encounters and coined Santoro “The Magician.”
“My game style was 20 years out of date when I arrived on tour,” Santoro said, explaining that his style emphasizes finesse over power.
“He’s different,” Andy Murray said. “A bit of a throw back, but he’s always entertaining to watch.”
The Frenchman stands 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 160 pounds. He has faced two generations of larger, stronger opponents. Consequently, he learned to rely on control and court smarts to beat his opponents.
Roger Federer has faced Fabrice 11 times. “[Santoro’s] very talented in the way he hits the ball. He’s one of the greatest tacticians,” Federer said of the Frenchman. “He’s limited because he hits with two-hands on both sides, but he manages to fumble his way through.”
Santoro realized his best ranking, 17, in 2001. He has won more than 50 percent of his career matches, which include victories over champions Stefan Edberg, Lleyton Hewitt, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Roger Federer. Today, Santoro maintains a top 50 ranking.
“He has every shot in the book. He volleys great, anticipates the game well,” Murray said.
“He just doesn’t have as much power as maybe he would have liked. I’m sure if he did, he would have won Grand Slams.”
Considering his current ranking success, fans urge Santoro to postpone retirement. “No, it is time to stop,“ he responds. “The travel is too much and I want to spend time with my daughter.”
Santoro is uncertain what will occupy his time when he retires. He is certain, however, that he will close this professinal chapter with the fondest of memories. “More importantly than wanting to be in the top 10 or top 20, I wanted to have fun as long as possible. I managed to get good performances for 20 years and that’s difficult. But that was my challenge. And that’s the beauty of my career.”
