He recalls, "My Dad used to play tennis with his friends. I was like four years old and every time he played I went with him and once I started to hit against the wall I didn't want to go. My Dad finished his match, he was drinking some beer after that and still I was hitting against the wall."

Coaching and Training

Since 2006, Larry Stefanki from the United States has been his coach. Stefanki only travels with him for 20 weeks each year. They agreed on this arrangement because he felt he did not need a full-time coach. He called Larry at his home in San Diego to discuss working together.

"Larry will help me improve some things, especially my net game, I need to go forward," he said. His right-handed play style has been honed under Stefanki's guidance.

Memorable Achievements

One of his most memorable achievements was winning a gold medal in doubles and a bronze medal in singles at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. "When we got back home it was really unbelievable. We felt really, really proud of ourselves and our country, everybody was really happy there," he said.

Another highlight was defeating tennis legend Pete Sampras in 2001 at Cincinnati. "I remember that match because in my dreams I have been waiting to play that match for more than 10 years, since he won the US Open in 1990. I was only 10 years old and I always dreamed just to play against him. Then I played in that stadium and I beat him."

Injuries and Recovery

In September 2000, he suffered a stress fracture in his right hand during the Biella Challenger. This injury forced him to retire from his first-round match and he did not play for the rest of the season.

Superstitions and Rituals

He has specific rituals when it comes to his equipment. He changes racquets after each set and uses different strings when playing on grass courts. "One change I make for grass is that I use half gut in my strings because it gives you a little more power and I can go up in tension. Normally I play with synthetic strings."

Awards and Honours

In 2003, he received the Chilean National Sports Award from President Ricardo Lagos for winning the World Team Cup title with Nicolas Massu and Marcela Rios. He also won his first career ATP title in Orlando as a qualifier in 2000, defeating countryman Nicolas Massu in the final.

Turning Professional

He turned professional in 1999 and has since made significant strides in his career. His coach's part-time schedule allows him to maintain a balance between training and personal life.

Olympic Success

The highlight of his 2004 season came at the Athens Olympic Games where he captured both a bronze medal in singles and a gold medal in doubles with Nicolas Massu. This victory marked Chile's first-ever Olympic gold medal.

In singles, he outlasted Taylor Dent from the United States 16-14 in the third set of their bronze medal match, saving two match points. In doubles, he and Massu saved four match points against Germany's Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler to win gold.

Personal Life

Apart from tennis, he enjoys surfing the internet, going out with friends, and fly fishing. He is currently dating Argentine WTA Tour player Gisela Dulko.

Future Ambitions

Looking ahead, he aims to win as many Grand Slams as possible, with a particular focus on Roland Garros.