Mario Ancic

Former Croatian player Mario Ancic has enjoyed notable success in singles and doubles, including an Olympic medal, during his playing days. His career-high singles ranking came during the 2006 ATP Tour, when he was ranked seventh in the world. Throughout his career, Ancic won three singles titles and five doubles titles. He famously helped Croatia win the Davis Cup in 2005, and partnering with Ivan Ljubicic, he won a bronze medal in doubles for Croatia at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Among his notable achievements, he overcame seventh seed Roger Federer on his Grand Slam debut as a teenager at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships. His finest Grand Slam achievement, however, came in 2004, when he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon.

Ancic reached No. 1 in the junior world rankings in January 2001, compiling a singles record of 62-20. He had reached the finals of the Boys' Singles at both the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships in 2000. Goran Ivanisevic was his doubles partner in his Croatian Davis Cup Team debut as well as in the Summer Olympics in 2000. Initially, Ancic competed in Futures and Davis Cup competitions, winning one title in Zagreb, however, beginning in August 2001, he began competing in Challenger tournaments, winning four in singles and one in doubles. 

His ATP debut came at the Miami Masters, when he got a wild card and lost in the first round. The highlight of his Grand Slam debut came in the first round of the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, when he stunned seventh seed Roger Federer, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. In singles, he finished the 2002 season in the top 100. In February 2004, at the ATP Indesit Milano Indoor, Ancic reached his first singles final, defeating sixth seed Rafael Nadal and third seed Tommy Robredo along the way. His best Grand Slam result came in 2004, when he reached the semi-finals of the Wimbledon.

As a result, he climbed 36 places to No. 27 on the ATP singles ranking. He competed in doubles alongside Ivan Ljubicic for Croatia at the 2004 Summer Olympics. They returned home with a respectable bronze medal. Ancic's upward growth in his career continued when he won his first ATP singles championship at the Ordina Open. In 2005, he also reached the final of the Japan Open Tennis Championships.

Ancic got off to a solid start on the 2006 ATP Tour, which turned out to be a memorable year for him. In his second tournament of the year in Auckland, he overcame top seed Fernando Gonzalez en route to the final. In February, he also reached the final in Marseille, where he was defeated by Arnaud Clement. He carried his impressive form, reaching the quarterfinals of two Masters and two Grand Slams. He also set a new career high by reaching the semi-finals of the Hamburg Masters. Ancic then successfully defended his title from 2005 at ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Following the Wimbledon Championships, Ancic rose to No. 7, his career high in singles.

Ancic missed the hard-court season in the United States owing to a knee injury sustained in a jet skiing accident. In September, he reached the final of the China Open for the first time since his summer injury, losing to Marcos Baghdatis. He won his third singles title at the St. Petersburg Open in October, and lost in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters to Nikolay Davydenko. Eventually, Ancic announced his retirement from the sport due to recurring mononucleosis in February 2011.

Grand Slam singles record:

Australian Open: 4R (2003, 2007)

French Open: QF (2006)

Wimbledon: SF (2004)

US Open: 2R (2005)