Paul-Henri Mathieu

Full name is Paul-Henri Mathieu...Nicknamed "Paulo"...Began playing tennis at age 3 1/2 with his older brother Pierre-Yves, who is a coach in Strasbourg...Father, Patrick, is a dentist; mother, Yveline, is a housewife...Also has one older sister, Aude (31)...From 1997-2000 trained at Nick Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Fla. before moving back to Paris...Captured Roland Garros junior title in 2000, defeating Robredo in three sets...Admired Boris Becker growing up...Underwent arthroscopic surgeries on both knees in 1997 and '98, missing several months...Favorite surfaces are hard and clay...Named ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2002...Has a 4-8 career Davis Cup singles record in six ties...Coached by countryman and former ATP World Tour pro Loic Courteau (since November 2008) and part of Team Lagardere.

2000 -- Made ATP debut in Kitzbuhel and reached 2nd RD...Reached one Futures final...

2001 -- Won three Futures titles...Reached two Challenger finals...

2002 -- Improved over 100 positions in ATP Rankings...Reached Grand Slam-best 4th RD at Roland Garros (d. W. Ferreira, Santoro, Novak; lost in five sets to '99 titlist Agassi)...In Long Island, posted three-set 2nd RD win over Sampras...Last player to beat 14-time Grand Slam champion in his career...In Moscow, became lone qualifier during season to win an ATP title (d. Robredo, Novak, Schuettler, No. 4 Safin, Schalken)...Following week in Lyon, beat Bjorkman (QF), Pless (saved 1 M.P. in SF) and Kuerten (F) to become first Frenchman to win titles in back-to-back weeks since Henri Leconte in 1986...

2003 -- Missed first two months with an abdominal injury...Finalist in Palermo (l. to Massu)...Also reached SF in Moscow and QF in Bucharest...

2004 -- Opened season in Chennai, but retired in 1st RD match due to left wrist injury...Returned to action in July in Kitzbuhel (l. to Squillari)...Advanced to QF in Washington (l. to Agassi) and Bucharest... Had best US Open showing as he reached 3rd RD...Won Segovia Challenger...

2005 -- Reached season-best SF at AMS Montreal (d. No. 5 Roddick in 1st RD, l. to eventual winner Nadal)... Reached Roland Garros 3rd RD, losing to Canas 8-6 in fifth set (in 5:04)...Advanced to QF in Chennai, Estoril and Bucharest...

2006 -- Reached 4th RD at Australian Open and reached Bucharest SF and Marseille QF...In a four-tournament stretch, advanced to 3rd RD in Barcelona (l. to Stepanek), Hamburg (l. to Robredo) and Roland Garros (l. to Nadal), losing to eventual champions in latter two...

2007 -- The No. 2 Frenchman (behind No. 8 Gasquet) finished in Top 25 for first time by winning two ATP titles -- Casablanca (d. Montanes) and Gstaad (d. Seppi) and reaching another final -- Moscow (Davydenko)...Won a career-high 46 matches, including personal-best four over Top 10 opponents (No. 3 Davydenko in Sydney, No. 4 Davydenko in Davis Cup, No. 5 Gonzalez at AMS Miami, No. 6 Gonzalez in Estoril)...Went 4-6 vs. Top 10 foes and earned a career-high $699,770.

2008 -- Finished in Top 35 for second straight year highlighted by runner-up showing in Metz in October (l. to Tursunov)...Also advanced to SF in Marseille (l. to Murray) and Munich (l. to Bolelli), and QF in Adeliade (l. to Sirianni), Beijing Olympics (l. to Gonzalez) and Moscow (ret. vs. Santoro)...In Grand Slam play, advanced to 4th RD at Australian Open (ret. vs. Nadal with left calf strain) and Roland Garros (l. to Djokovic)... Played Croat Marin Cilic four straight tournaments in June-July (lost three times)...Went 1-6 vs. Top 10 opponents with his lone win over No. 5 Davydenko in 2nd RD in Beijing... Compiled marks of 22-17 on on hard, 6-7 on clay and 3-3 on grass.

2009

The Frenchman reached his eighth career ATP World Tour final in Hamburg, losing to Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets...In first week of season, advanced to semi-finals in Brisbane, losing to Spaniard Fernando Verdasco...Also turned in quarter-final showing in Munich in May (l. to Youzhny).