Alexander Popp
Alexander Popp (born 4 November 1976) is a former German professional tennis player.[1] He reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2000 and 2003.[1]
| Country (sports) |  Germany |
|---|---|
| Residence | Mannheim, Germany |
| Born | 4 November 1976 Heidelberg, West Germany |
| Height | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Turned pro | 1997 |
| Retired | 2005 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $976,038 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 45–65 |
| Career titles | 0 6 Challengers, 7 Futures |
| Highest ranking | No. 74 (10 July 2000) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2001) |
| French Open | 1R (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) |
| Wimbledon | QF (2000, 2003) |
| US Open | 2R (2000, 2002) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 5–6 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 266 (15 July 2002) |
Personal life
Popp was born in Heidelberg to parents Rainer and Jennifer, and started playing tennis at the age of 8. He was coached by Helmut Luthy, from 1994 until retirement.[1] He holds a British passport through his mother, who was born in Wolverhampton.[2]
Tennis career
Popp turned professional in 1997 at the age of 21.[1]
Popp's career highlights are making the quarterfinals of Wimbledon (by far his most successful tournament) in 2000 (defeating Gustavo Kuerten and Michael Chang en route), and in 2003 (defeating Jiří Novák). He also reached the fourth round in 2004, losing to the eventual runner-up in each of these three runs (Patrick Rafter, Mark Philippoussis and Andy Roddick respectively), and the third round in 2005. Popp also reached the final of Newport in 2004 and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 74.
In doubles, Popp made the final of Newport in 2002 (partnering Jürgen Melzer) and the semifinals of the Ho Chi Minh City championships in 2005 (partnering Jiří Vaněk).
Singles titles
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (0) |
| Challengers (6) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| 1. | 1999 | Oberstaufen | Clay |  Francisco Costa |
7–6, 6–3 |
| 2. | 1999 | Bronx | Hard |  Sébastien de Chaunac |
6–7, 7–6, 6–0 |
| 3. | 2000 | Hamburg | Carpet | Andy Fahlke |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 4. | 2001 | Aachen | Carpet | Axel Pretzsch |
6–3, 1–6, 6–2 |
| 5. | 2001 | Eckental | Carpet |  Peter Wessels |
6–4, 5–7, 6–2 |
| 6. | 2002 | Heilbronn | Carpet |  Jürgen Melzer |
3–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Top 10 wins per season
| Season | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | Total |
| Wins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Wins over top 10 players per season
| # | Player | Rank | Event | Surface | Rd | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ||||||
| 1. | Gustavo Kuerten |
4 | Wimbledon, England | Grass | 3R | 7–6(8–6), 6–2, 6–1 |
| 2003 | ||||||
| 2. |  Jiří Novák |
10 | Wimbledon, England | Grass | 3R | 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(7–3) |
External links
- Alexander Popp at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Alexander Popp at the International Tennis Federation