Canadian · Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia · Born 4 September 1972Daniel Nestor is a Canadian former tennis player and one of the greatest doubles players in history, who won Canada's first-ever Olympic tennis medal and a career doubles Grand Slam.
The only player in tennis history to win all four Grand Slams, all nine ATP Masters 1000 events, the ATP Finals, and an Olympic gold medal in doubles, Daniel Nestor turned 27 years of professional competition into 91 career titles — the third-highest total in the sport's history. He turned professional in 1991 and won his first ATP doubles title in 1994 in Bogotá, Colombia, alongside long-term partner Mark Knowles of the Bahamas, beginning a doubles career that would span 27 years. Nestor's signature achievement came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where, partnering fellow Canadian Sébastien Lareau, he upset the top-seeded, defending champion Australian pair of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in the gold medal match, winning Canada's first-ever Olympic medal in tennis, a distinction that stands to this day. He went on to win eight Grand Slam men's doubles titles across three different partnerships — three with Mark Knowles, three with Nenad Zimonjić (including back-to-back Wimbledon titles in 2008 and 2009), and two with Max Mirnyi — along with four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. In 2009, Nestor became the first player in tennis history, in singles or doubles, to win all four Grand Slams, all nine ATP Masters 1000 events, the year-end ATP Finals, and an Olympic gold medal. He spent three separate years as the world's No. 1 doubles player and represented Canada at six consecutive Olympic Games from 1996 to 2016. Nestor retired with 91 career doubles titles, the third-most in tennis history, and was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
Winning Canada's first-ever Olympic tennis medal and becoming one of the most decorated doubles players in tennis history
How They Played
Exceptional touch, volleying, and improvisational shot-making at the net
Lasting Impact
Widely regarded as one of the greatest doubles players of all time, and the standard-bearer for Canadian tennis before the country's modern golden generation
Career Honours
- Olympic gold, doubles (2000), Canada's only Olympic tennis medal
- 8x Grand Slam men's doubles champion
- 4x Grand Slam mixed doubles champion
- Career doubles Grand Slam plus all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles and Olympic gold
- 91 career doubles titles
Canadian Athletes