Jarkko Nieminen

Began playing tennis at age four with his parents...Father, Kauko, and mother, Leena, are retired chemists...Has one older sister, Anna-Riikka, who is an editor at a publishing company...Speaks Finnish, Swedish and English... Enjoys hockey, badminton, soccer and listening to various types of music...Won 1999 Junior US Open title over Denmark’s Kristian Pless...No. 9 in junior world rankings that year...Former No. 1 Bjorn Borg watched his 2001 Stockholm final and said, “‘I think he could become a great personality”...Has a 40-17 career Davis Cup record (31-8 in singles) in 22 ties...Wife, Anu Weckstrom is No. 1 badminton player in Finland (married June 11, 2005) and reached a career-high No. 13 in world...Both members of 2004 Finland’s Olympic team...In November 2007, served a short stint in Finnish army.

1999 -- Reached SF at Tampere Challenger...Made Davis Cup debut against Italy (l. to Gaudenzi)...

2000 -- Advanced to SF at Espinho Challenger...

2001 -- Became first Finn in year-end Top 100 since Veli Paloheimo in 1991...Qualified and reached final in Stockholm (l. to Schalken), in only second ATP event...First Finn in ATP final since Leo Palin in Sofia in December 1981...Won four Challengers...

2002 -- First Finnish player to end season in Top 50 at No. 40...Finalist in Estoril (l. to Nalbandian) and Mallorca (l. to Gaudio)...Won Challenger titles in Tampere and Helsinki...

2003 -- Finalist in Munich (l. to Federer)...At Roland Garros, became only second Finn to reach Grand Slam 4th RD (l. to Gonzalez)...

2004 -- Reached SF in Adelaide, Dubai and Beijing... Suffered broken right wrist on Apr. 19 during 1st RD win over Uros Vico at AMS Monte Carlo...Slipped and fell towards end of match and had to withdraw prior to 2nd RD against Moya...Had a 12-9 record at time of injury... Missed 11 weeks before returning to action in Bsstad...

2005 -- Retired with torn stomach muscle (vs. Federer) in Australian Open 3rd RD... Missed one month...Advanced to four SF and posted lone Top 10 win over No. 7 Agassi in 1st RD five-setter at Roland Garros...

2006 -- Compiled his best season by finishing in Top 20 for first time, winning a career-high 55 matches and capturing his and Finland’s first ATP title...In first month of season, went 9-2 with QF in Adelaide, first ATP title in Auckland (d. Ancic) and 3rd RD at Australian Open...In October, finalist in Stockholm (l. to Blake)...Reached his first AMS QF in Indian Wells (l. to Srichaphan)...Reached QF at Wimbledon (l. to Nadal)...Afterwards, reached a career-high No. 13 on July 10...Also advanced to SF in Rotterdam, Munich, Bsstad and QF in Barcelona, AMS Toronto, Bangkok, Tokyo and AMS Paris...In Barcelona, led Nadal 64 41 in QF before Spaniard rallied to win in three sets...Went 0-9 against Top 10 opponents....Earned a career-high $894,565...

2007 -- Finished in Top 30 for third straight year, highlighted by reaching his seventh ATP final in Basel (l. to Federer)...Also a SF in Marseille and Halle and QF in Mumbai and Stockholm....In doubles, captured first ATP title in Mumbai (w/Lindstedt) and finished a year-end best No. 46 in doubles.

2008 -- The Finnish left-hander ended in Top 50 for sixth time in last seven years, highlighted by a runner-up result in Adelaide (l. to Llodra) and QF showing at Australian Open (l. to Nadal)...Went 3-11 before reaching 3rd RD at Roland Garros (l. to Nadal)...In July, advanced to QF in Bastad and later went to 3rd RD at US Open (l. to Gonzalez)...His best indoor result came in Stockholm where he reached SF (l. to Nalbandian)...Went 0-6 vs. Top 10 opponents...Compiled marks of 18-19 on hard and 7-7 on clay.

2009

The Finnish native ranked in Top 100 for ninth straight year…Missed more than three months with wrist injury…Reached his eighth career ATP World Tour final in Sydney (d. Djokovic, l. to Nalbandian)…Underwent right wrist surgery on May 13…Returned Aug. 24 in New Haven…Reached QF in Stockholm (l. to O. Rochus) and fell to No. 122 on Nov. 2 before winning Challenger title in Jersey-2, Great Britain (d. Robert) to move back into Top 100…Had 12-14 record on hard courts, 0-1 on clay.