Marcelo Ríos

Marcelo Ríos Mayorga, nicknamed “El Chino” was born in Santiago on December 26, 1975. At the age of nine his mother decided to introduce him to the world of sports. She enrolled him in classes at the Stade Francaise, where his teacher, Felipe Puelma, discovered that he had talent.

At the beginning of 1988 he began training in the Santa Rosa of Las Condes Sports Club. Two years later at Universidad Católica he changed to Hans Gildemeister’s Club, being Gildemeister also one of the people responsible for Ríos’s success.

In 1992, at the age of 16, he was a national champion in the US Open in doubles, with Gabriel Silberstein.

His first professional victory came in 1995 where he won the Bologna’s title. Since then, he won 21 titles in singles, in matches such as Montecarlo in 1997, Indian Wells, Key Biscayne and Rome in 1998, Qatar in 2001, Hong Kong in 2001, among others.

It was in March of 1998, playing in the Key Biscayne Championship where he became the number one tennis player defeating André Agassi in the final.

He announced his retirement from tennis on July 16, 2004.

 (Written by Matías Abarca - 3°H - 5,6)