Two important moments in Gustavo Courtenay’s career are being remembered by the organization of the Hall of Fame, of which the Brazilian has been a member since 2012. The organization created an online vote to choose the five most remarkable moments in the history of world tennis. And former tennis players from Santa Catarina appear in two categories.
The first has been called “The Best Story of Cinderella” in reference to the unforgettable trajectory of tennis players who entered competitions as underdogs but rose to the title. This happened to Guga in his second participation in the main draw of Roland Garros in 1997.
At that time Brazil was only 66th in the ATP rankings. But he overcame the former champion and favorite to win his first career Grand Slam title. To date, Guga is the worst-ranked tennis player to have won the title.
She is up against seven other former athletes in this category, including Pete Sampras (for the 1990 US Open title), Serena Williams (1999 US Open), Michael Chang (1989 Roland Garros), and Emma Radukanu (2021 US Open). . ) , among others.
Guga also competes in the “Most Iconic Celebration” category for the famous 2001 Roland Garros festival. After winning the round of 16, he drew a heart on the clay with his racket and placed it on the drawing. He would go on to lift his third French Grand Slam trophy in that campaign.
Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, among Brazil’s competitors, is on court with her young daughter, Jada, to celebrate the 2009 US Open title; Novak Djokovic and his Serbian teammates won the 2010 Davis Cup (all shaved their hair on the court); and Jim Courier’s jump over the Yarra River after winning the 1992 Australian Open.
Brazil still exists in the “Moments of National Pride” category, along with legend María Esther Bueno. The former tennis player, who died in 2018, competes for the honors she gained after winning the Wimbledon title in 1959 and the US National (which would later lead to the US Open). His achievements were depicted on a postage stamp.
All nominees in each category can be found on the website https://ithf.votenow.tv/. Voting will close on the 30th, but only US residents can cast their vote.
