The South American tennis fan base is arguably the most passionate in the world today.
Andy Murray once tweeted that South America should have its own designated swing on the ATP Tour with its own masters series.
He explained: “The way the fans support the tournaments there is incredible. Amazing atmospheres and tennis is clearly part of their sporting culture.”
Murray’s observation held true in the 2025 Miami Open Round of 32 matchup between Alex de Minaur and 18-year-old Brazilian star Joao Fonseca, where de Minaur labelled the tournament the ‘Rio Open’, referring to the overwhelmingly Brazilian presence in the crowd.
The mood among Brazilian tennis fans is one of jubilance, as Fonseca’s rise to prominence could mark the end of a long wait for a South American star at the forefront of world tennis.
It’s been just over 15 years since a player from the continent last won a major, with the grand slam scene in the last two decades primarily dominated by Europeans.
As Brazilian fans look to Fonseca to be the next great South American superstar, we look back at the five best in years gone by. Here are the top five South American men’s tennis players of the Open Era.
5. Gaston Gaudio
One of four Argentinians to ever win a grand slam title, Gaston Gaudio held the French Open title aloft in 2004, defeating compatriot Guillermo Coria in a thrilling five-set final, after coming back from two sets down.
He was the first Argentine to win a major since Guillermo Vilas in 1979, ending a quarter-century drought.
A clay court specialist, all eight of Gaudio’s singles titles were won on the dirt, clinching his last in 2005 when he emerged victorious in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
Gaudio enjoyed a career-high ATP singles ranking of world no.5 in April 2005. He retired in 2011.
4. Andres Gomez
Andres Gomez Santos played professionally in the 80s and 90s and ranked as high as world no.4 in singles and world no.1 in doubles.
Gomez is the only player from Ecuador to ever win a grand slam, doing so in 1990 when he defeated eight-time major champion Andre Agassi in the final of Roland Garros in four sets.
The left-handed Ecuadorian made the quarter-finals of three slams in a single year, recording last-eight finishes at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in 1984.
Gomez finished his career with 21 singles titles and 33 doubles titles to his name, including two doubles major championships at the 1986 US Open, and the 1988 French Open.
3. Juan Martin Del Potro
Like many top players on tour during the 2000s and 2010s, Juan Martin Del Potro’s career was made significantly more difficult by playing in the greatest era in tennis history.
However, despite having to compete against Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal for the grandest prizes in tennis, Del Potro still managed to carve a legendary career.
The Argentine was the only player outside the ‘big three’ to win a grand slam title between the 2005 Australian Open and the 2012 US Open.
Del Potro won the 2009 US Open in a special run that featured a straight sets victory over Nadal in the semi-final, and a five-set triumph over Federer in the final.
With a career-high ranking of world no.3, Del Potro collected 22 singles titles, won bronze and silver for Argentina at the London and Rio Olympics respectively, and led his home country to a Davis Cup title in 2016.
2. Gustavo Kuerten
Regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian players of all time, Gustavo ‘Guga’ Kuerten is a three-time grand slam champion and former world no.1.
Kuerten shocked the tennis world in 1997 when he won his first of three French Open titles as an unseeded player, defeating three former champions on route to the title: Thomas Muster (1995) in the third round, Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1996) in the quarter-finals, and Sergi Bruguera (1993, 1994) in the final.
After becoming the first Brazilian men’s player to win a major, ‘Guga’ went on to repeat the feat for a second and third time, adding two more Roland Garros titles to his collection in 2000 and 2001.
He finished his career with 20 ATP Tour-level singles titles and eight doubles titles.
Kuerten was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012, and was a torch bearer for Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
1. Guillermo Vilas
Guillermo Vilas has won the most grand slam titles of any South American men’s player in history, with four major titles under his belt.
The legendary Argentinian won two Australian Opens, as well as a US Open and a Roland Garros title.
Vilas won 62 singles titles, 16 doubles titles, and earned a career-high ATP ranking of world no.2, which he held for 83 weeks.
The Argentine’s best year came in 1977 when he won 16 singles titles, two of which were grand slams. In that year he had a win percentage of 89.65%, with a record of 130 wins to just 15 losses.
Producing his best work on clay, Vilas had a record 53-match winning streak on clay courts, which stood until 2006, when Rafael Nadal surpassed the record.
Two years after his first retirement, Vilas was inducted into the Hall of Fame and is still widely regarded today by many as the greatest South American player of the Open Era.
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