Indian Wells, 2002
The Magician
Pete Sampras gave him the nickname after beating him in three sets in the third round at Indian Wells in 2002.
Source: ATP TourThe 21st century
Fabrice Santoro
France · born Tahiti, 1972 · right-handed, two-handed on both sides · twice Newport champion and Wimbledon doubles finalist
All playersBack to the rankings
2
Newport singles titles, 2007 and 2008, the second at 35
9-0
His match record at Newport after the 2008 final
2006
Wimbledon men's doubles finalist and Halle doubles champion, both with Nenad Zimonjić
70
Grand Slam singles events, the first man to reach that number
24
ATP doubles titles, with 6 in singles
Playing career
Fabrice Santoro was born in Tahiti in 1972 and grew up in La Seyne-sur-Mer in the south of France, where his father, a former footballer, taught tennis. He won the French Open boys' title in 1989, after saving two match points in the final against Jared Palmer, and turned professional that year.
He hit with two hands on both forehand and backhand and won with angles, spin and touch rather than power. He reached No. 17 in singles in 2001 and won six singles titles, the first in Lyon in 1997. In doubles he was No. 6 in 1999 and won 24 titles, including the Australian Open in 2003 and 2004 with Michaël Llodra; with Daniela Hantuchová he won the 2005 French Open mixed doubles. He won the Davis Cup with France in 1991 and 2001 and played three Olympic Games.
Pete Sampras called him the Magician. Santoro kept playing into his late thirties: he won Newport in 2007 and 2008, retired at the end of 2009 and returned for the 2010 Australian Open so that he had played Grand Slam tournaments in four decades; it was his 70th major. He has since won the Wimbledon gentlemen's invitation doubles twice with Greg Rusedski.
On grass
| Newport finals | 2007: beat Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-4. 2008: beat the wildcard Prakash Amritraj 6-3, 7-5, to become the third man to win Newport twice in a row and the oldest champion there |
|---|---|
| Halle | Singles final 2001, lost to Thomas Johansson. Doubles: won 2006 with Nenad Zimonjić, beating Michael Kohlmann and Rainer Schüttler 6-0, 6-4; lost the 2007 final with Zimonjić |
| Wimbledon 2006 | Men's doubles final with Zimonjić as sixth seeds, lost to Bob and Mike Bryan 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6 on Centre Court |
| Wimbledon invitation doubles | Won the gentlemen's invitation doubles with Greg Rusedski in 2012 and 2016; runners-up in 2013 |
Every grass title: 3
Show every title, tournament by tournament
| Newport, Rhode Island | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Men's singles Hall of Fame Open | |
| 2008 | Men's singles Hall of Fame Open | |
| Halle | ||
| 2006 | Men's doubles | with Nenad Zimonjić |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. †single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"When you start a career at 16 years old, never, ever can you imagine you'll win a tournament 20 years later."
Anecdotes
The person behind the player.
Newport, July 2008
Twenty years on
He beat Prakash Amritraj, a wildcard ranked 305th, for his sixth singles title and 451st match win. "I have the same passion for the game as five, 10, 15 years ago, maybe more," he said. Amritraj said Santoro told him afterwards that his strategy was right but he needed to be a little more aggressive.
Source: Associated Press via The Santa Fe New MexicanAt home
A racquet museum
He collects classic tennis racquets and has said he hopes to have a tennis museum at home. He supports Chelsea, and named France's 1998 World Cup win as his most thrilling sporting memory.
Source: ATP TourParis, 1989
Two match points
He won the French Open boys' title in 1989 after saving two match points against Jared Palmer, and finished the year as the world No. 2 junior.
Source: ATP TourMelbourne, 2010
Four decades
Having retired at the end of 2009, he came back for the 2010 Australian Open alone, so that he would have played Grand Slam tournaments in four different decades. It was his 70th major.
Source: WikipediaJoin Grass Tennis Club
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Where they won on grass
- International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport
- Gerry Weber Stadion, Halle
- All England Club, Wimbledon
- Find a grass court near you
Rivals and partners
- Nenad Zimonjić
- Nicolas Mahut
- Prakash Amritraj
- Thomas Johansson
- Pete Sampras
- Greg Rusedski
On Grass Tennis Club
Elsewhere online
Sources
- Fabrice Santoro, ATP Tour biography
- Fabrice Santoro, ATP Tour player data (profile header)
- Fabrice Santoro, Olympedia
- Associated Press report on the 2008 Newport final, Sports Illustrated
- "Santoro claims second straight Hall title", Associated Press via The Santa Fe New Mexican, 2008
- Gerry Weber Open 2006 doubles draw, official tournament archive
- Wimbledon Compendium 2025, AELTC
- 2007 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, singles, Wikipedia
- Fabrice Santoro, Wikipedia
- GTC roll of grass champions, checked against a second source where one exists
Page updated 4 November 2026. Spotted an error? Send a correction.
