Former World Number 1 Carlos Moya honoured at London by Association of Tennis Professionals
Spanish former World Number 1 pro tennis player Carlos Moya, who retired last week, was honoured in an official ceremony held by the Association of Tennis Professionals after an afternoon session in London on Sunday. Players from both the present and past
joined the Spanish pro on the court to commemorate his 15 year long career and celebrate his victories along the way. Carlos Moya told reporters from The Sport Review, “It was a great honour for me to share that special moment in my career with the top players
here.”
The Spanish phenomenon, who hails from the same island of Mallorca in Spain as current World Number 1 Rafael “Rafa” Nadal, has been forced to retire from the sport which he calls “the love of my life” due to an injury to his right foot. He has enjoyed 15
illustrious years on the tennis circuit, gathering over 20 titles for himself. One of these is his Grand Slam title from the 1998 French Open, which he won after defeating his compatriot Alex Corretja in straight sets at the final. In addition to this feather
in his cap, Carlos Moya was also the runner-up to Pete Sampras in the 1997 Australian Open; he was the first un-seeded finalist in sixteen years to qualify for the Grand Slam event.
In 1999, Carlos Moya ascended to the position of World Number 1 for a short period of time; he is the first Spaniard to make his mark on the rankings in such a way. His multiple trophies include, most recently, the Croatia title in 2007. Before this, he
took away the Rome Masters in 2004, the Cincinnati Masters in 2002 and the Monte Carlo event in the year 1998. In 2004, Moya played a crucial role in the defeat of the US team for the Davis Cup, leading Spain to victory with his defeat of Andy Roddick.
Carlos Moya obviously faced a great mental battle over the decision to retire. The 34 year old player says, “It didn’t happen overnight. Many things happened to me, but I wanted to believe that I could still play. Tennis is a sport I love, it’s not easy
to leave the love of your life.”
The former World Number 1 was the recipient of a standing ovation from fans, players and commentators alike at the O2 Arena in London. He was emotional and touched by the ceremony, thanking the London crowd for his send-off by saying, “Although I didn’t
play great here at Wimbledon, they always treated me well.”
He was also very appreciative of the Association of Tennis Professionals, saying, “I would like to thank the ATP for this recognition. It’s always great when people remember you, even when you’re not at the top.” Speaking of top players, Rafael Nadal also
made a touching speech for Moya, who was once his hitting partner.
Moya said, after the speech, “It was very emotional what he [Nadal] said, it really touched my heart. He’s a great guy, a great player, a great person. Knowing him for so long makes it special for me because first time I met him he was just 11, 12 years
old.”
Although he is retiring, Moya plans to stay involved with the sport which he has loved for so long. He says, “I don’t know in what part of tennis. I would like to play some exhibitions, maybe the senior tour in the future. I think I’m still fit enough to
do that.”
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