Juan Monaco

Started playing at age six...Father, Hector, is a businessman...Mother, Cristina, is an architect...Has one sister, Mara, and brother, Andres...Enjoys spending time at home in Tandil with family and friends...Fellow ATP players Mariano Zabaleta, Juan Martin del Potro and Diego Junqueira also originate from Tandil...Enjoys playing soccer...Favourite sports to follow are soccer and basketball...Favourite teams are Estudiantes de la Plata and the San Antonio Spurs...Favourite soccer players are Chelo Carrusca and Jose “el Principe” Sosa...In the NBA, he’s a fan of Emanuel Ginobili.

Favourite surface is clay...Grew up idolizing Andre Agassi and countryman Mariano Zabaleta...Also enjoys going to the cinema...Favourite movies are “Gladiator” and “Lord of the Rings” series... Favourite actors are Robert De Niro and Al Pacino...Favorite book is “El Eternauta”...Favourite magazine is “El Grafico”...Favourite TV show is “Los Roldan”.

2011 -- The No. 2 Argentine behind (No. 11 del Potro) finished in Top 30 for 4th time in 5 years (except ’08) with his best result a 1st career hard court final in Valencia (l. to Granollers) as a wild card...Also a QF 4 other times, in Buenos Aires (l. to Wawrinka) and Acapulco (l. to Ferrer) on clay and in Winston-Salem (l. to Roddick) and Paris (l. to Federer) on hard...Member of Davis Cup finalist team, losing opening rubber to Nadal in Sevilla...Went 4-8 vs. Top 10 opponents, with wins over Monfils, Fish (2 times), and Ferrer…Compiled marks of 16-13 on clay and 15-13 on hard…Earned a career-high $872,640...

2010 -- The top Argentine finished in Top 30 for third time in four years, highlighted by 10th career final…Advanced to QFs or better six times and reached his first ATP Masters 1000 SF in Shanghai* (l. to Murray)…Was 10-3 on clay in February, with final in Santiago (l. to Bellucci) and back-to-back SFs in Buenos Aires and Acapulco, falling to Ferrero both times…Played on winning ATP World Team Championship team…Played through clay season with left wrist injury until Roland Garros, then sidelined for nearly three months before returning in Cincinnati*…Lost five straight matches before SF in Shanghai and QF in Valencia…Went 16-9 on clay and 14-11 on hard…Earned a career high $761,309.

2009 -- The Argentine finished in Top 30 for second time in three years, led ATP World Tour with 29 clay court wins and reached three finals — in Buenos Aires (d. Nalbandian, l. to Robredo in a third set tie-break), Båstad where he posted wins over Spaniards Verdasco (retired) and Robredo (l. to Soderling) and Bucharest (l. to Montanes)…At Rome*, qualified and defeated No. 4 Murray and No. 15 Cilic before losing in QF to F. Gonzalez…In doubles, reached final at Costa do Sauipe (w/ Arnold-Ker)…Went 3-7 vs. Top 10 opponents and compiled marks of 29-13 on clay and 7-12 on hard.

2008 -- Finished in Top 50 for second straight year, reaching two ATP World Tour finals...Began first month with a 9-2 record, reaching SF in Auckland (l. to Kohlschreiber), 3rd RD at Australian Open (l. to Berdych) and final in Vina del Mar (W/O vs. Gonzalez)...Sprained his left ankle in doubles final (day before) and then had to withdraw from singles final...Went from No. 21 to a career-high No. 14 afterwards...In April, reached QF in Valencia (l. to Almagro)...Following month advanced to final in Poertschach (l. to No. 4 Davydenko)...In June, reached SF in Warsaw (l. to Robredo)...Went 19-9 on clay and 9-10 on on hard...In doubles, captured first ATP title in Auckland (w/Horna), won title in Valencia, reached final in Vina del Mar and SF at US Open (all w/M. Gonzalez).

2007 -- One of most improved players of year, climbing from No. 70 to a year-end best No. 23 with three ATP clay court titles -- Buenos Aires (d. Di Mauro), Portschach (d. Monfils) and Kitzbuhel (d. Starace)...Advanced to QF or better in eight tournaments and reached 4th RD in two Grand Slam tournaments -- Roland Garros (l. to Canas) and US Open (l. to Djokovic)...On hard courts at AMS Cincinnati, posted wins over Spaniards Lopez and No. 2 Nadal (retired) before falling to Querrey in 3rd RD....Went 4-5 vs. Top 10 opponents and compiled marks of 28-8 on clay (second-most wins behind Nadal's 31) and 12-9 on hard courts...Earned a career-high $695,945.

2006 -- Finished in Top 75 for second time in three years with his best results on clay, reaching SF in Costa do Sauipe and Stuttgart...Also advanced to QF in Poertschach...At Roland Garros, turned in a 3rd RD showing (l. to Ljubicic in five sets)...

2005 -- Reached first ATP final in Casablanca (l. to Puerta)...Also reached QF in Munich and Ho Chi Minh...

2004 -- Finished in Top 100 for first time and improved his ranking by 247 spots...Opened season by winning Sao Paulo Challenger (d. Garcia)...Made ATP debut as a wild card in Buenos Aires and reached QF....Qualified into first AMS event in Miami and reached 3rd RD....Made Roland Garros debut as a qualifier (d. Bogomolov, l. to Coria)...Received wild card into Bsstad and reached QF...Followed with first SF in Sopot and later in Palermo...

2003 -- Won three Futures titles...Was 32-11 in Futures events and 1-4 in Challengers...

2002 -- Won first Futures title in first final appearance at Jamaica #20 (d F Rodriguez)...

2001 -- Reached three Futures QF...Reached doubles final at Spain Futures #7 (w/ Yamamoto)...