David Nalbandian

David Nalbandian is a retired Argentine tennis player who reached the 2002 Wimbledon final and won the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup, becoming the only Argentine man to reach the semifinals or better at all four Grand Slams.

Called up as a late replacement at the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup, David Nalbandian defeated world No. 1 Roger Federer in a five-set final to become just the second Argentine, after Guillermo Vilas, to win the year-end championship — and the first man ever to win it without a prior Grand Slam or Masters Series title. A successful junior, he won the 1998 US Open boys' singles title and the 1999 Wimbledon boys' doubles title before turning professional in 2000. Nalbandian made his breakthrough at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, reaching the final at just 20 years old to become the first Argentine man to reach a Wimbledon final in the Open Era, though he lost in straight sets to Lleyton Hewitt. Renowned for one of the best two-handed backhands on tour and elite return-of-serve skills, he became a fixture in the world's top 10 through the mid-2000s, reaching his career-high ranking of World No. 3 in March 2006 after becoming the only man to reach the semifinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in his career. His signature achievement came at the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup, where, called up as a replacement for Andy Roddick, Nalbandian won two of three round-robin matches before defeating World No. 1 Roger Federer in a five-set final — becoming just the second Argentine, after Guillermo Vilas, to win the year-end championship, and the first man ever to win it without a prior Grand Slam or Masters Series title. He backed this up in 2007 with back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 titles in Madrid and Paris, beating both Federer and Rafael Nadal along the way. A shoulder injury forced his retirement in October 2013, ending a 13-year career with 11 ATP titles and a 383–192 win-loss record, along with a standout Davis Cup career that helped Argentina reach three World Group finals.

All-court baseliner with a renowned two-handed backhand and elite return game

Remembered as one of the most talented players never to win a Grand Slam, and the only Argentine man to reach the semifinals or better at all four majors

• 2005 Tennis Masters Cup champion
• 2002 Wimbledon finalist
• Career-high ranking of World No. 4
• 2x ATP Masters 1000 champion
• Only Argentine to reach semifinals or better at all four Grand Slams