Fabrice Vetea Santoro (born December 9, 1972) is a retired
French professional male tennis player from
Tahiti. Though not counted among the top ranked players, he had an unusually long professional career – with many of his accomplishments coming toward the end of his career – and he is popular among spectators and other players alike for his winning demeanor and shot-making abilities.
Owing to his longevity on the tour and consistent ranking, Santoro holds several
ATP records: the most losses in singles play (444, though he won even more matches), and the most appearances in singles competition at
Grand Slam events (70). He is also the only male player to have appeared in Grand Slam singles competition in four different decades, from the
1989 French Open to the
2010 Australian Open.
In singles play, Santoro earned 6 titles but reached the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam only once; however, he was more successful in doubles competition, with two Grand Slam doubles titles, one Grand Slam mixed-doubles title, and 24 doubles championships overall.
Career overview
When Santoro successfully defended his 2007 title by winning the 2008
Newport tournament at the age of 35, he became the oldest tennis player to win back-to-back championships at an ATP singles event.
In addition, Santoro won what was, at the time, the longest singles match in the
open era: at the
2004 French Open, he beat...
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