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”...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 Finland’s 2004 and 2008 Olympic team...In November 2007, served a short stint in Finnish army...Member of ATP Player Council from June 2010-June 2014.
Nieminen DEUCE Feature (May 2008)
Niemien Q&A Feature (May 2012)
2012 -- The top Finnish player ranked in Top 50 for 8th time in past 11 years, highlighted by his 2nd career ATP World Tour title in Sydney (d. Benneteau). Lone qualifier to win title during season...Also reached SF in Bangkok (l. to Gasquet) and QF in Montpellier and Rotterdam, all indoors, and on clay in Belgrade (l. to Paire)...In Grand Slam play, reached 2R at Roland Garros (l. to Murray), Wimbledon (l. to Baker) and US Open (l. to Isner). Also 2R at London Olympics (l. to eventual champion Murray)...In final week, runner-up at Helsinki Challenger (l. to Lacko)...Compiled records of 19-16 on hard, 5-7 on clay and 2-4 on grass. Went 0-6 vs. Top 10 opponents and his highestranked win came over No. 15 Raonic in Bangkok...
2011 -- The top player from Finland finished in Top 100 for 11th straight year and his best result was a runner-up in Stockholm (l. to Monfils in 3 sets) on Oct. 23…It was 6th year in a row he has reached a final...Went 1-9 vs. Top 10 opponents with his lone win over No. 6 Ferrer in 1R of Rotterdam in February…Compiled marks of 14-16 on hard, 8-6 on clay and 1-3 on grass...Lost in 1R in all 4 Grand Slam tournaments for the 1st time in his career, all to Top 20 Spanish foes -- No. 7 Ferrer (AO, RG), No. 15 Almagro (Wimb.) and No. 19 Verdasco (USO)...
2010 -- The Finn recorded 10th consecutive Top 100 season and finished in Top 40 for fifth time in six years…Reached SF in Delray Beach before title at Marrakech Challenger…Snapped six-match tour event losing streak with 1st RD win at Wimbledon (d. Koubek, l. to Murray)…Finished season with a 15-6 mark after US Open 1st RD loss, reaching QF or better in five straight ATP events – QF in Metz, runner-up in Bangkok (l. to Garcia-Lopez), QF in Tokyo, SF in Stockholm and QF in Montpellier…In doubles, reached SF at Australian Open (w/ Kohlmann), won Gstaad and runner-up in Stockholm (both w/Brunstrom)…Went 24-16 on hard and 5-8 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.
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.
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.
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...
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...
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...
2003 -- Finalist in Munich (l. to Federer)...At Roland Garros, became only second Finn to reach Grand Slam 4th RD (l. to Gonzalez)...
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...
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...
2000 -- Advanced to SF at Espinho Challenger...
1999 -- Reached SF at Tampere Challenger...Made Davis Cup debut against Italy (l. to Gaudenzi)...
2013
The Finn saved one match point versus Haas in 8-6 fifth set win in Australian Open 1R before falling to Dodig in 2R…At Montpellier, beat Davydenko in 2R en route to SF exit (l. to Gasquet)...
On 12 February, he beat Goffin 60 60 in Rotterdam 1R…Marked second double bagel at Rotterdam in 40-year history of event (1987 Edberg d. Maurer)…First double bagel on ATP World Tour since January 2012 at Doha 1R, Cipolla d. Mutawawa…
Fell in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami 3R (l. to Tsonga)…Beat Raonic (2R) and del Potro (3R) en route to ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo QFs (l. to Djokovic); represented his first ATP Masters 1000 QF (first on clay) since 2006 Paris...
On 5 May, with Tursunov, in only their second tournament together, won Munich doubles title (d. Baghdatis-Butorac)…Improved to 3-4 in doubles finals…
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