Don Guillermo Garcia Lopez. An entire institution of Spanish tennis despite the fact that he was more a player from the second row of the ‘Armada’ than from the first row, which was the one that took the covers, especially and naturally, Rafa Nadal. But we cannot ignore a career full of great results and achievements, a career that has come to an end in this 2021 in which he has hardly played anymore. It is mandatory now to review everything that the Albacete has given of himself, who at 38 years old leaves a very beautiful tour of the ATP circuit, with huge milestones and with a multipurpose tennis that was a guarantee of spectacle on the court . Here at Punto de Break we already gave in early 2021 the exclusive of what would be the last year of ‘Willy’ on the professional circuit.
Triumph against Moyà in Australia to make himself known
The history of Guillermo García López is that of a slow evolution, simmering. The rodeño was not one of the most promising juniors, nor did it have the most brilliant outbreak in the world, but it was advancing with a determined step and without stumbling. He became known to the general public at the Australian Open in 2005, when he was 21 years old. After being planted in the semifinals in Chennai losing to Carlos Moyà, he would give the great blow in Melbourne, charging precisely the Balearic, ‘top ten’ at that time, in the first round. The thing would not go much further but ‘Willy’ was already on the map. In statements to the ATP, he tells a curious anecdote about that surprising victory against Moyà. “From that first victory, a group of fans there would see me train. Whenever I jumped on the track afterwards, there were about 15 fans with a shirt with my photo printed on. They are tremendous there, they made good scenes during the games They appeared from no one knows where and since then they followed me everywhere. “
He came to that appointment as 130th in the world, he did not know what it was like to still step on the top 100. That triumph was a great milestone in his career and as he himself admits, a ‘click’ to believe himself capable of much more and to continue growing as tennis player. “It was the ‘click’ of my career. I had him close to beating him a few weeks before and I knew that although it was a Grand Slam, I could beat him. After that match I realized that I could professionally and succeed in the world of tennis,” he details Guillermo, who was growing effectively, although in the Grand Slams it took him a few years to reach the second week.
From this first stage as a professional Guille extracts a curious anecdote, an incredible match that few remember and that faced him neither more nor less than Novak Djokovic on the grass of Wimbledon. The Albacete won by two sets to zero and had a match ball with 5-4 and serve and after a winning shot, both thought that the duel was over. Nothing further. The decision was corrected and the clash would drag on. Neither could later with a 6-5 and 40-0 and would finally end up losing in five sets (6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7 4-6). “It was a game that even though I lost it, I am left with the feeling that I won it,” admits the Spaniard.
In the following years, the La Mancha tennis player was consolidating himself among the 100 best in the world, although without making too much noise but establishing himself safely on the ATP circuit. And also, reinforcing that idea of giant killers. After the famous victory against Moyà, he was able to knock down an entire Andre Agassi, certainly in low hours of course, on American soil. Specifically on the slopes of Delray Beach by a clear 6-4 and 6-2. Another undeniably memorable moment in ‘Willy’s’ career.
The best time of his career, 2010-2011 and epic victory against Nadal
You could see good workmanship, complete, with good shots, but he lacked a confidence boost, something that would make him be more of a player, a quality leap that would take him to more ambitious levels. At a more mature age, the best results of his career began to arrive. Already in 2009, at about 26 years old, he lifted his first ATP title against Julien Benneteau on the Austrian soil of Kitzbühel. Huge accolade for Guille who between 2010 and 2011 lived his best time as a professional tennis player.
In the Grand Slams it still did not start, with many participations settled with early defeats. However, the glory would come from the other side. In the ‘indoor’ tournament in Bangkok, now disappeared from the ATP calendar, García López would achieve the most famous and valuable victory of his career. Nothing more and nothing less than to charge the one who was number one in the world at that time, Rafa Nadal. Another Mallorcan who fell into the networks of La Mancha. Memorable that semifinal duel where Rafa missed up to 23 break options and where he found a highly inspired García López. He would finish the job on Sunday by obtaining his second ATP title. “For me, the feeling is that I fulfilled a spectacular goal. It was Nadal, the best in the world at the time and the current US Open champion. He had been playing at a high level, it was something wonderful. He gave me a lot of confidence, I believed I was capable of passing the top 50 and go much higher. Then I did very good tournaments afterwards, “recalls ‘Willy’.
It hit its peak in the rankings in February of the following year, establishing itself at number 23 in the world. Three more titles would later fall to complete the five with which he has retired. Titles in Casablanca, Zagreb and Bucharest. Taking stock, he made finals on all surfaces, as he was a finalist at Eastbourne on grass. And both outdoors and in the pavilion. In Grand Slams, his pending issue, García López was able to go to the round of 16 on two occasions, already in his thirties, at Roland Garros in 2014, where he knocked down Wawrinka in the first round to lose in the round of 16 to Monfils and in the 2015 Australian Open where he was stopped by Wawrinka himself in four rounds.
Attrition and injuries have progressively separated García López from the big tournaments, his last Slam victory in 2018 at Wimbledon against the Portuguese Gastao Elias. Many memories remain of a tennis player with the soul of a giant killer, always dangerous, generally in the shadow of the best generation of tennis players in Spanish tennis, but who contributed to making the ‘Armada’ bigger. And a final reflection to finish: “In our country we have had the immense luck of being able to have one of the best in the history of our sport. He has been fantastic for our tennis, for the fans and an icon. But it is also fair to say that his figure has prevented other careers like mine from being valued more “.
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