The 2002 ATP Tour was the global elite men's professional tennis circuit organised by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for the 2002 tennis season. The ATP Tour is the elite tour for professional tennis organised by the
ATP. The ATP Tour includes the four
Grand Slam tournaments, the
Tennis Masters Cup, the
ATP Masters Series, the
International Series Gold and the
International Series tournaments.
Season summary
The 2002 ATP Tour season saw
Pete Sampras win his 14th
Grand Slam singles title, breaking his own record of 13 in the process, by defeating longtime rival
Andre Agassi 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 in the final of the
US Open.[1] This would be Sampras’s last tournament before retirement with him officially announcing his retirement at the next year's
US Open.[2] Sampras finished up with a
20–14 lead over Agassi in head to head, ending a rivalry that defined the 1990’s and early 2000’s in tennis.
Young Australian
Lleyton Hewitt ended the year
No. 1 for the second season in a row, having captured his second Grand Slam title at
Wimbledon by defeating
David Nalbandian in a crushing straight set victory.[3] Hewitt captured 5 titles in 2002 overall, including winning the title at the
Indian Wells Masters and then successfully defending the title at the
Tennis Masters Cup by defeating
Juan Carlos Ferrero 7–5, 7–5, 2–6, 2–6, 6–4 in the final.
Despite not winning a Grand Slam in 2002, Andre Agassi would win multiple
ATP Masters Series events by capturing the title in
Miami,
Rome and at the first edition of the
Madrid Masters. He won 5 titles overall throughout 2002 and ended the year ranked world No. 2. Swede
Thomas Johansson won his maiden and only Grand Slam title by defeating
Marat Safin in the final of the
Australian Open from a set down 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 7–6(7–4). The tournament had been rife with upsets that saw no top 6 seed reach the quarterfinals and saw both top 2 seeds Lleyton Hewitt and
Gustavo Kuerten lose in their first round matches.
Albert Costa also became a maiden Grand Slam champion after he defeated fellow Spaniard
Juan Carlos Ferrero 6–1, 6–0, 4–6, 6–3 in the final of the
French Open. Like Johansson, he would also never win another Grand Slam title after this.
2002 saw the emergence of future 20-time Grand Slam champion
Roger Federer as a top 10 player. The young Swiss won his first Masters Series title in
Hamburg by defeating Marat Safin in the final in straight sets.[4] Federer would go on to end the year as world no. 6. Safin would also have a strong season, bouncing back inside the top 3 after dropping out of the top 10 of the
ATP rankings in
2001. Having reached the Australian Open final, Safin would reach the semifinals of the French Open and win the
Paris Masters. Youngster Juan Carlos Ferrero also solidified himself as a top player, ending the year inside the top 5 for the second season in a row.
Jiří Novák,
Tim Henman, Albert Costa and
Andy Roddick rounded out the year-end top 10.
Following is a list of notable players (winners of a main tour title, and/or part of the
ATP rankings top 100 (singles) or top 50 (doubles) for at least one week) who announced their retirement from professional tennis, became inactive (after not playing for more than 52 weeks), or were permanently banned from playing, during the 2002 season:
Karim Alami (born May 24, 1973, in Casablanca, Morocco) He turned professional in 1990 and reached his career-high ranking of no. 25 in 2000. He earned two career singles titles and one doubles title. He played his last career match in Trani, Italy in August against
Potito Starace.[6]
Sergi Bruguera (born 16 January 1971, in Barcelona, Spain) He turned professional in 1988 and reached a career-high ranking of world no. 3. He won the French Open in 1993 and 1994 and was a semifinalist at the year-end finals in 1994. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics. In doubles, he earned 3 titles and achieved a career-high ranking of world no. 49, reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open. He played his last career match in Segovia in July against
Lovro Zovko.[7]
Magnus Gustafsson (born 3 January 1967 in Lund, Skåne, Sweden) He turned professional in 1986 and reached his career-high ranking of world no. 10 in 1991. He reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 1994 and earned 14 career titles. His last match was in Stockholm in October 2001 against
Jan Vacek.[8]
Cédric Pioline (born 15 June 1969 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) He turned professional in 1989 and reached a career-high ranking of no. 5. He was a finalist at the US Open in 1993 and at Wimbledon in 1997. He also won one Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo in 2000. He played his last match in October in Basel against
Tim Henman.[9]
Patrick Rafter (born 28 December 1972) He turned professional in 1991 and reached a ranking of world no. 1 in 1999. He won the US Open in 1997 and 1998 and was a finalist at Wimbledon and a semifinalist at the Australian Open and French Open. He won 11 career ATP titles. He played his last match in Davis Cup competition in November 2001 against France.[10]
Pete Sampras (born August 12, 1971, in Lake Sherwood, California) Sampras debuted on the professional tour in 1988 and played his last top-level tournament in 2002 when he won the US Open, defeating rival
Andre Agassi in the final. He was the year-end world no. 1 for six consecutive years (1993–1998) and won seven Wimbledon singles championships.
Jan Siemerink (born 14 April 1970 in Rijnsburg, South Holland, Netherlands) He turned professional in 1989 and reached his career-high ranking of no. 14 in 1998. He reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1998 and earned four career singles titles. In doubles, he was ranked no. 16 in 1996 and earned 10 career titles. He played his last match in Valencia, Spain in May partnering
Dennis van Scheppingen.[11]
The 2002 ATP Tour was the global elite men's professional tennis circuit organised by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for the 2002 tennis season. The ATP Tour is the elite tour for professional tennis organised by the
ATP. The ATP Tour includes the four
Grand Slam tournaments, the
Tennis Masters Cup, the
ATP Masters Series, the
International Series Gold and the
International Series tournaments.
Season summary
The 2002 ATP Tour season saw
Pete Sampras win his 14th
Grand Slam singles title, breaking his own record of 13 in the process, by defeating longtime rival
Andre Agassi 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 in the final of the
US Open.[1] This would be Sampras’s last tournament before retirement with him officially announcing his retirement at the next year's
US Open.[2] Sampras finished up with a
20–14 lead over Agassi in head to head, ending a rivalry that defined the 1990’s and early 2000’s in tennis.
Young Australian
Lleyton Hewitt ended the year
No. 1 for the second season in a row, having captured his second Grand Slam title at
Wimbledon by defeating
David Nalbandian in a crushing straight set victory.[3] Hewitt captured 5 titles in 2002 overall, including winning the title at the
Indian Wells Masters and then successfully defending the title at the
Tennis Masters Cup by defeating
Juan Carlos Ferrero 7–5, 7–5, 2–6, 2–6, 6–4 in the final.
Despite not winning a Grand Slam in 2002, Andre Agassi would win multiple
ATP Masters Series events by capturing the title in
Miami,
Rome and at the first edition of the
Madrid Masters. He won 5 titles overall throughout 2002 and ended the year ranked world No. 2. Swede
Thomas Johansson won his maiden and only Grand Slam title by defeating
Marat Safin in the final of the
Australian Open from a set down 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 7–6(7–4). The tournament had been rife with upsets that saw no top 6 seed reach the quarterfinals and saw both top 2 seeds Lleyton Hewitt and
Gustavo Kuerten lose in their first round matches.
Albert Costa also became a maiden Grand Slam champion after he defeated fellow Spaniard
Juan Carlos Ferrero 6–1, 6–0, 4–6, 6–3 in the final of the
French Open. Like Johansson, he would also never win another Grand Slam title after this.
2002 saw the emergence of future 20-time Grand Slam champion
Roger Federer as a top 10 player. The young Swiss won his first Masters Series title in
Hamburg by defeating Marat Safin in the final in straight sets.[4] Federer would go on to end the year as world no. 6. Safin would also have a strong season, bouncing back inside the top 3 after dropping out of the top 10 of the
ATP rankings in
2001. Having reached the Australian Open final, Safin would reach the semifinals of the French Open and win the
Paris Masters. Youngster Juan Carlos Ferrero also solidified himself as a top player, ending the year inside the top 5 for the second season in a row.
Jiří Novák,
Tim Henman, Albert Costa and
Andy Roddick rounded out the year-end top 10.
Following is a list of notable players (winners of a main tour title, and/or part of the
ATP rankings top 100 (singles) or top 50 (doubles) for at least one week) who announced their retirement from professional tennis, became inactive (after not playing for more than 52 weeks), or were permanently banned from playing, during the 2002 season:
Karim Alami (born May 24, 1973, in Casablanca, Morocco) He turned professional in 1990 and reached his career-high ranking of no. 25 in 2000. He earned two career singles titles and one doubles title. He played his last career match in Trani, Italy in August against
Potito Starace.[6]
Sergi Bruguera (born 16 January 1971, in Barcelona, Spain) He turned professional in 1988 and reached a career-high ranking of world no. 3. He won the French Open in 1993 and 1994 and was a semifinalist at the year-end finals in 1994. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics. In doubles, he earned 3 titles and achieved a career-high ranking of world no. 49, reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open. He played his last career match in Segovia in July against
Lovro Zovko.[7]
Magnus Gustafsson (born 3 January 1967 in Lund, Skåne, Sweden) He turned professional in 1986 and reached his career-high ranking of world no. 10 in 1991. He reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 1994 and earned 14 career titles. His last match was in Stockholm in October 2001 against
Jan Vacek.[8]
Cédric Pioline (born 15 June 1969 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) He turned professional in 1989 and reached a career-high ranking of no. 5. He was a finalist at the US Open in 1993 and at Wimbledon in 1997. He also won one Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo in 2000. He played his last match in October in Basel against
Tim Henman.[9]
Patrick Rafter (born 28 December 1972) He turned professional in 1991 and reached a ranking of world no. 1 in 1999. He won the US Open in 1997 and 1998 and was a finalist at Wimbledon and a semifinalist at the Australian Open and French Open. He won 11 career ATP titles. He played his last match in Davis Cup competition in November 2001 against France.[10]
Pete Sampras (born August 12, 1971, in Lake Sherwood, California) Sampras debuted on the professional tour in 1988 and played his last top-level tournament in 2002 when he won the US Open, defeating rival
Andre Agassi in the final. He was the year-end world no. 1 for six consecutive years (1993–1998) and won seven Wimbledon singles championships.
Jan Siemerink (born 14 April 1970 in Rijnsburg, South Holland, Netherlands) He turned professional in 1989 and reached his career-high ranking of no. 14 in 1998. He reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1998 and earned four career singles titles. In doubles, he was ranked no. 16 in 1996 and earned 10 career titles. He played his last match in Valencia, Spain in May partnering
Dennis van Scheppingen.[11]