Justin Gimelstob
Encyclopedia
Justin Jeremy Gimelstob (born January 26, 1977, in Livingston, New Jersey
) is a retired American tennis player. Gimelstob has been a resident of Morristown, New Jersey
and as of 2009 resided in Santa Monica, California
.
He was the top-ranked boy in his respective age group at the ages of 12, 14, 16, and 18. As a pro, he won the 1998 Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles with Venus Williams
as his partner. He won a total of 10 singles titles and 15 doubles championships as a pro, and twice was a member of the U.S. Davis Cup team.
In singles matches, he has defeated Andre Agassi
, Petr Korda
, Àlex Corretja
, Patrick Rafter
(when he was # 5 in the world), and Gustavo Kuerten
.
Gimelstob grew up in the New Vernon
section of Harding Township, New Jersey
. He graduated from Newark Academy
in Livingston, New Jersey
, in 1995. As a sophomore at Newark Academy, Gimelstob led the school's tennis team to a 26–0 record and won the state Tournament of Champions
. In 2005, he was entered into the high school's hall of fame, the Newark (N.J.) Academy Hall of Fame. The high school named its tennis facility after him and his brothers.
Known to many as "The Most Quotable Guy on the ATP Tour", he earned the title with many interesting interviews. After reaching the U.S. Open as a wild-card in 1995, he said, "I'm only seven matches away from my first Grand Slam
title."
In September 1995, he defeated World No. 65 David Prinosil
in the first round of the U.S. Open. It was Gimelstob's first Grand Slam event, and he was ranked # 1,154. Gimelstob was featured in Sports Illustrated
; the September 11, 1995, issue asked, "Eighteen-year old UCLA frosh, with 4.0 GPA in first term, aces U.S. Open debut. Could he be tennis' Tiger Woods?"
In 1996, his second (and final) year at UCLA, Justin won the NCAA doubles championship and helped lead the Bruins to a runner-up finish in the team competition (they lost to Stanford). After turning professional later in the year, Gimelstob began to steadily move up the world rankings.
At Wimbledon in June 1997 he upset world # 12 Gustavo Kuerten
, 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 1–6, 6–4.
In July 1997, he defeated world # 32 Andre Agassi
at the ATP
event in Los Angeles, 7–5, 6–2, played on the campus of UCLA. Later that month, he defeated world # 16 Petr Korda
6–4, 6–4 in Montreal. Gimelstob then reached the 3rd round at the 1997 US Open.
Gimelstob subsequently established himself chiefly as a doubles specialist, winning 12 titles. In 11 appearances at the US Open
, he partnered 11 different players.
He won the 1998 Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles, with Venus Williams
as his partner. In 1998 Gimelstob also won his second career ATP doubles title (his first was in 1997, and as of February 2001, he had 9 career doubles titles).
In June 1998 at Wimbledon he beat world # 9 Àlex Corretja
7–6 (3), 6–2, 6–3. In July he upset world # 5 Patrick Rafter
6–4, 6–3 in Los Angeles.
In 1999, he reached his highest world singles ranking in April (# 63) and won an additional five doubles titles with four different partners (he has been ranked as high as # 18 in the world in doubles). In March he beat world # 22 Thomas Muster
, 6–4, 7–5 in Scottsdale, and in August he upset world # 7 Todd Martin
, 6–4, 6–4 in Cincinnati.
In June 2000 he beat world No.27 Fabrice Santoro
in London, 4–6, 6–4, 6–0. In July he upset world # 19 Mark Philippoussis
3–6, 7–6 (7–5), 7–6 (7–3).
In 2001, he had the best Grand Slam performance of his career, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open with partner Scott Humphries. At the US Open, 5' 9" Michal Tabara
spat at Gimelstob after Gimelstob defeated him in five sets after what Tabara felt were too many (3) of Gimelstob's injury timeouts for blisters in the 202 minute match that Gimelstob won 6–4, 3–6, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2. "Unless he grows about another foot by the time I get back to the locker room", the 6' 5" Gimelstob said, "he's in trouble." Tabara was fined $1,000 for unsportsmanlike behavior.
At the 2002 U.S. Open, Gimelstob was eliminated in the second round of the singles competition by No. 6 seed Andre Agassi
in straight sets, 6–0, 6–1, 6–0. In doubles, he and partner Jeff Tarango
reached the 2nd round before losing to Brian MacPhee and Nenad Zimonjić
, 7–5, 2–6, 6–7 (5–7).
In February, 2003 he upset world # 13 Paradorn Srichaphan
, 7–5 6–2, in San Jose
. At Wimbledon in 2003, he competed in both the singles and doubles events. He upset No. 15 seed Arnaud Clément of France in the 2nd round 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–7 (2–7), 6–1. In the third round, Gimelstob lost to Jonas Björkman
of Sweden, 1–6, 3–6, 3–6. In September 2003, he won the International Series Gold tournament in Tokyo with Nicolas Kiefer
as his partner. They beat Scott Humphries and Mark Merklein, 6–7, 6–3, 7–6.
At Wimbledon 2004, Gimelstob teamed up with his old friend Scott Humphries
. The duo faced the dynamic Bryan brothers, ranked second, in the 2nd round. Gimelstob and his partner upset Bob
and Mike Bryan
6–3, 3–6, 6–4. They lost to Mark Knowles
and Daniel Nestor
in the quarterfinals, 3–6, 2–6.
Gimelstob won two singles titles in 2004. In July, took Forest Hills, New York, beating Dušan Vemić 7–6 (7), 6–2 in the final. In September, he competed in a hard-court tournament in Beijing. He beat Florent Serra
of France 6–2, 6–2 in the quarterfinals, and Alex Bogomolov Jr. 6–1, 6–3 in the final.
Gimelstob won both doubles titles as well at Forest Hills and Beijing in 2004. In China, he was paired with Graydon Oliver as they defeated Alex Bogomolov Jr. and Taylor Dent
4–6, 6–4, 7–6 (8–6) in the final. He won the Nashville
hard court title in November 2004.
Gimelstob had a good run in the hard court tournament in Tallahassee, during April 2005, losing in the finals. Gimelstob faced 29th seed Nicolás Massú
in the 2nd round of Wimbledon 2005 and upset the highly rated Chilean 6–3, 4–6, 7–6 (7–5), 7–6 (7–0). He was eliminated in the 3rd round by Lleyton Hewitt
(seeded 3rd) 7–6 (7–5), 6–4, 7–5.
In 2006, Gimelstob reached his first ATP Tour Singles Final at The Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, Rhode Island
, losing to Mark Philippoussis
. In March 2006 he defeated world # 39 Feliciano López
, 7–5. 6–3, in Indian Wells. In May he defeated world # 32 Nicolás Massú
, 2–6, 7–6 (7–3), 6–4, in the Portugal, and in July he defeated world # 36 Andy Murray, 6–1, 7–6 (4), in the semifinals at Newport, Rhode Island.
In September 2006 he had back surgery to remove two large disc fragments that were cutting off the nerves in his right leg. The injury was so bad that he had begun to lose feeling in his right leg.
In June 2007, Gimelstob lost a contentious 6–4 vote of the ATP Players Council in his attempt to replace Andre Agassi's manager, Perry Rogers, on the men's tour's 3-man board of directors, and to become the first active player on the board.
Gimelstob retired from professional tennis in the fall of 2007. In his final singles major, he was defeated by Andy Roddick
in the first round of the 2007 U.S. Open, 7–6, 6–3, 6–3. He also played doubles in the 2007 US open. After retirement, he pursued a career in sports commentary, working for Tennis Channel.
In 2008 Gimelstob joined Washington, D.C.'s first pro tennis team, the Washington Kastles
. Also in 2008, Gimelstob ranted on a Washington D.C. sports radio program about Anna Kournikova
, calling her a "bitch" and a "douche." He also judged other female tennis players based on their looks.
magazine article about increased anti-Semitism in France, whether he had been the brunt of anti-Semitism while he was in France for the French Open, he responded that he was uncertain. "They're so impolite and rude in general, you don't know if they think I'm Jewish or whether I'm just another American tourist".
He was entered into the Southern California Jewish Hall of Fame in 2005. He was inducted into the MetroWest Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in New Jersey in 2006.
He said he was proud to be a Jewish role model. He added: “When I played, I got a lot of support from the Jewish community. People identify me as a Jewish athlete. It’s a strong responsibility, and I appreciate that.”
(under the name "Gimel Takes All"), and has served as a regular commentator for Tennis Channel. He has also presented tennis features and interviews for the TV Guide
channel.
Gimelstob has often been a guest on the Washington, D.C. morning radio show "The Sports Junkies", talking about his tennis career, his interactions with other tennis pros, his dalliances with such female players as Martina Hingis, and a variety of other topics. On June 25, 2008, Gimelstob issued an apology for comments he had made on the show. During the interview, Gimelstob, a regular guest on the show, said that he when he faced Anna Kournikova
the following month in an exhibition match in Washington: "I’m going to serve it right at the body, about 128, right into her midriff. If she's not crying by the time she comes off court then I did not do my job." Asked if that meant he hated the Russian, with whom he trained as a youth, he replied: "Hate is a very strong word. I just despise her to the maximum level just below hate." He added that he would not like to sleep with Kournikova, "because she's such a douche
." Instead, "I wouldn't mind having my younger brother, who's a kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits of that."
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
) is a retired American tennis player. Gimelstob has been a resident of Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
and as of 2009 resided in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
He was the top-ranked boy in his respective age group at the ages of 12, 14, 16, and 18. As a pro, he won the 1998 Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles with Venus Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...
as his partner. He won a total of 10 singles titles and 15 doubles championships as a pro, and twice was a member of the U.S. Davis Cup team.
In singles matches, he has defeated Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
, Petr Korda
Petr Korda
Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first...
, Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999...
, Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
(when he was # 5 in the world), and Gustavo Kuerten
Gustavo Kuerten
Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000...
.
Juniors
He began to play tennis at age eight, and he was the top-ranked boy in his age group by 12 years of age. In 1991, he was ranked # 1 in the USTA Boys' 14 age group, and he was # 1 ranked again in the USTA Boys' 16 age group, winning the USTA championship, in 1993. He was also ranked # 1 at age 18, and in 1995 he won the USTA National Boys' 18 Championships.Gimelstob grew up in the New Vernon
New Vernon, New Jersey
New Vernon is an unincorporated area located in Harding Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The village is within the boundaries of Harding Township along with a portion of Green Village. It is the location of the governmental offices for Harding Township...
section of Harding Township, New Jersey
Harding Township, New Jersey
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 3,180 people, 1,180 households, and 940 families residing in the township. The population density was 155.6 people per square mile . There were 1,243 housing units at an average density of 60.8 per square mile...
. He graduated from Newark Academy
Newark Academy
Newark Academy is a coeducational private day school located in Livingston, New Jersey. With both lower and upper schools, this institution comprises grades six through twelve...
in Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
, in 1995. As a sophomore at Newark Academy, Gimelstob led the school's tennis team to a 26–0 record and won the state Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions (NJSIAA)
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament of Champions is the sports tournament for New Jersey high schools that determines which high school will be crowned as the #1 overall team in the state for each sport...
. In 2005, he was entered into the high school's hall of fame, the Newark (N.J.) Academy Hall of Fame. The high school named its tennis facility after him and his brothers.
College and pro careers
In January 1995, Gimelstob enrolled at UCLA, which had offered him a scholarship. There, he completed his first semester with a 4.0 GPA. After his freshman year however, during which he was an All American, he turned pro.Known to many as "The Most Quotable Guy on the ATP Tour", he earned the title with many interesting interviews. After reaching the U.S. Open as a wild-card in 1995, he said, "I'm only seven matches away from my first Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
title."
In September 1995, he defeated World No. 65 David Prinosil
David Prinosil
David Prinosil is a former tennis player from Germany, who turned professional in 1991. He represented his country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was defeated in the first round by Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic...
in the first round of the U.S. Open. It was Gimelstob's first Grand Slam event, and he was ranked # 1,154. Gimelstob was featured in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
; the September 11, 1995, issue asked, "Eighteen-year old UCLA frosh, with 4.0 GPA in first term, aces U.S. Open debut. Could he be tennis' Tiger Woods?"
In 1996, his second (and final) year at UCLA, Justin won the NCAA doubles championship and helped lead the Bruins to a runner-up finish in the team competition (they lost to Stanford). After turning professional later in the year, Gimelstob began to steadily move up the world rankings.
At Wimbledon in June 1997 he upset world # 12 Gustavo Kuerten
Gustavo Kuerten
Gustavo Kuerten is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Brazil. He won the French Open three times between 1997 and 2001, and was the Tennis Masters Cup champion in 2000...
, 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 1–6, 6–4.
In July 1997, he defeated world # 32 Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
at the ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
event in Los Angeles, 7–5, 6–2, played on the campus of UCLA. Later that month, he defeated world # 16 Petr Korda
Petr Korda
Petr Korda is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. He is best known for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and for testing positive for the banned substance, nandrolone, following a match at Wimbledon that same year.-Career:Korda was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.He first...
6–4, 6–4 in Montreal. Gimelstob then reached the 3rd round at the 1997 US Open.
Gimelstob subsequently established himself chiefly as a doubles specialist, winning 12 titles. In 11 appearances at the US Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
, he partnered 11 different players.
He won the 1998 Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles, with Venus Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...
as his partner. In 1998 Gimelstob also won his second career ATP doubles title (his first was in 1997, and as of February 2001, he had 9 career doubles titles).
In June 1998 at Wimbledon he beat world # 9 Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja
Àlex Corretja i Verdegay is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career, he finished runner-up twice at the French Open . He won the ATP Tour World Championships in 1998 and reached his career-high singles ranking of world no. 2 in 1999...
7–6 (3), 6–2, 6–3. In July he upset world # 5 Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Patrick "Pat" Michael Rafter is an Australian former World No. 1 tennis player. He twice won the men's singles title at the US Open and was twice the runner-up at Wimbledon. Rafter was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He was known for his natural serve-and-volley style of...
6–4, 6–3 in Los Angeles.
In 1999, he reached his highest world singles ranking in April (# 63) and won an additional five doubles titles with four different partners (he has been ranked as high as # 18 in the world in doubles). In March he beat world # 22 Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list...
, 6–4, 7–5 in Scottsdale, and in August he upset world # 7 Todd Martin
Todd Martin
----Todd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Playing career:...
, 6–4, 6–4 in Cincinnati.
In June 2000 he beat world No.27 Fabrice Santoro
Fabrice Santoro
Fabrice Vetea Santoro is a retired French professional male tennis player from Tahiti. Though not counted among the top ranked players, he had an unusually long professional career – with many of his accomplishments coming toward the end of his career – and he is popular among spectators and other...
in London, 4–6, 6–4, 6–0. In July he upset world # 19 Mark Philippoussis
Mark Philippoussis
Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry....
3–6, 7–6 (7–5), 7–6 (7–3).
In 2001, he had the best Grand Slam performance of his career, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open with partner Scott Humphries. At the US Open, 5' 9" Michal Tabara
Michal Tabara
Michal Tabara is a tennis player from the Czech Republic, who turned professional in 1997. The right-hander has won one singles title so far in his career. Tabara reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on July 23, 2001, when he became world number 47.Tabara was involved in a minor controversy at...
spat at Gimelstob after Gimelstob defeated him in five sets after what Tabara felt were too many (3) of Gimelstob's injury timeouts for blisters in the 202 minute match that Gimelstob won 6–4, 3–6, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2. "Unless he grows about another foot by the time I get back to the locker room", the 6' 5" Gimelstob said, "he's in trouble." Tabara was fined $1,000 for unsportsmanlike behavior.
At the 2002 U.S. Open, Gimelstob was eliminated in the second round of the singles competition by No. 6 seed Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
in straight sets, 6–0, 6–1, 6–0. In doubles, he and partner Jeff Tarango
Jeff Tarango
Jeffrey Gail Tarango is a retired American professional tennis player. He was a top ten doubles player and a French Open doubles runner up, but is mostly remembered for defaulting a match at Wimbledon and his wife assaulting the umpire once Tarango had left the court.-Career summary:Tarango...
reached the 2nd round before losing to Brian MacPhee and Nenad Zimonjić
Nenad Zimonjic
Nenad Zimonjić is a professional Serbian tennis player who is currently ranked World No. 3 in men's doubles. He is the second tennis doubles player from Serbia to hold the World No.1, after Slobodan Živojinović.-Career:...
, 7–5, 2–6, 6–7 (5–7).
In February, 2003 he upset world # 13 Paradorn Srichaphan
Paradorn Srichaphan
Paradorn Srichaphan is a retired professional tennis player from Thailand. He is the highest ranked men's singles player from Thailand and Asia in history, reaching a career high World No. 9. His nickname is "Ball".-Career:...
, 7–5 6–2, in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. At Wimbledon in 2003, he competed in both the singles and doubles events. He upset No. 15 seed Arnaud Clément of France in the 2nd round 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–7 (2–7), 6–1. In the third round, Gimelstob lost to Jonas Björkman
Jonas Björkman
Jonas Lars Björkman is a former World Number 4 Swedish professional tennis player. He is also a former World No. 1 in doubles. Björkman retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup Doubles championships....
of Sweden, 1–6, 3–6, 3–6. In September 2003, he won the International Series Gold tournament in Tokyo with Nicolas Kiefer
Nicolas Kiefer
Nicolas Kiefer , is a former German professional tennis player. His mother, Nicole, is French. He won a silver medal in men's doubles with partner Rainer Schüttler at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens....
as his partner. They beat Scott Humphries and Mark Merklein, 6–7, 6–3, 7–6.
At Wimbledon 2004, Gimelstob teamed up with his old friend Scott Humphries
Scott Humphries
Scott Humphries , is a professional tennis player from the United States.Humphries achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 29 in 2000...
. The duo faced the dynamic Bryan brothers, ranked second, in the 2nd round. Gimelstob and his partner upset Bob
Bob Bryan
Robert Charles "Bob" Bryan is an American male professional tennis player. With his twin brother Mike, he has spent over 200 weeks as a World No. 1 doubles player. He has won eighteen Grand Slam titles, 11 in men's doubles and seven in mixed doubles. He turned professional in 1998...
and Mike Bryan
Mike Bryan
Michael Carl "Mike" Bryan is an American professional tennis player. He stands tall, weighs 192 lbs and plays right-handed. He turned professional in 1998. With his twin brother Bob, he has been World No...
6–3, 3–6, 6–4. They lost to Mark Knowles
Mark Knowles
Mark Knowles is a former World number 1 doubles professional male tennis player from the Bahamas, who will go down as one of the greatest athletes of his country for his longevity within his sport and charitable contributions off the court.After being awarded a scholarship to the Nick...
and Daniel Nestor
Daniel Nestor
Daniel Mark Nestor, CM , born Danijel Nestorović September 4, 1972, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, is a Serbian-born Canadian professional tennis player from Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
in the quarterfinals, 3–6, 2–6.
Gimelstob won two singles titles in 2004. In July, took Forest Hills, New York, beating Dušan Vemić 7–6 (7), 6–2 in the final. In September, he competed in a hard-court tournament in Beijing. He beat Florent Serra
Florent Serra
Florent Lucien Serra is a French male tennis player. A right-hander, he has won two ATP titles during his career and is coached by Pierre Cherret.-Early life and junior career:...
of France 6–2, 6–2 in the quarterfinals, and Alex Bogomolov Jr. 6–1, 6–3 in the final.
Gimelstob won both doubles titles as well at Forest Hills and Beijing in 2004. In China, he was paired with Graydon Oliver as they defeated Alex Bogomolov Jr. and Taylor Dent
Taylor Dent
Taylor Phillip Dent is a retired professional tennis player from the United States.-Early career and back injury:He won 4 ATP singles titles during his career: Newport , Bangkok , Memphis , and Moscow , and reached the finals of three other events on tour...
4–6, 6–4, 7–6 (8–6) in the final. He won the Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
hard court title in November 2004.
Gimelstob had a good run in the hard court tournament in Tallahassee, during April 2005, losing in the finals. Gimelstob faced 29th seed Nicolás Massú
Nicolás Massú
Nicolás Alejandro Massú Fried , nicknamed Vampiro , is a Chilean tennis player, a former world number nine in singles, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist...
in the 2nd round of Wimbledon 2005 and upset the highly rated Chilean 6–3, 4–6, 7–6 (7–5), 7–6 (7–0). He was eliminated in the 3rd round by Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Hewitt
Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20...
(seeded 3rd) 7–6 (7–5), 6–4, 7–5.
In 2006, Gimelstob reached his first ATP Tour Singles Final at The Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, losing to Mark Philippoussis
Mark Philippoussis
Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry....
. In March 2006 he defeated world # 39 Feliciano López
Feliciano López
Feliciano López Diaz-Guerra is a Spanish professional male tennis player. He was born in Toledo and now lives in the Spanish capital Madrid....
, 7–5. 6–3, in Indian Wells. In May he defeated world # 32 Nicolás Massú
Nicolás Massú
Nicolás Alejandro Massú Fried , nicknamed Vampiro , is a Chilean tennis player, a former world number nine in singles, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist...
, 2–6, 7–6 (7–3), 6–4, in the Portugal, and in July he defeated world # 36 Andy Murray, 6–1, 7–6 (4), in the semifinals at Newport, Rhode Island.
In September 2006 he had back surgery to remove two large disc fragments that were cutting off the nerves in his right leg. The injury was so bad that he had begun to lose feeling in his right leg.
In June 2007, Gimelstob lost a contentious 6–4 vote of the ATP Players Council in his attempt to replace Andre Agassi's manager, Perry Rogers, on the men's tour's 3-man board of directors, and to become the first active player on the board.
Gimelstob retired from professional tennis in the fall of 2007. In his final singles major, he was defeated by Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
in the first round of the 2007 U.S. Open, 7–6, 6–3, 6–3. He also played doubles in the 2007 US open. After retirement, he pursued a career in sports commentary, working for Tennis Channel.
In 2008 Gimelstob joined Washington, D.C.'s first pro tennis team, the Washington Kastles
Washington Kastles
The Washington Kastles, a professional tennis team based in Washington, D.C., are a franchise of the World TeamTennis Pro League and the 2009 WTT Champions. The Kastles entered the World TeamTennis League in 2008 and are owned by Mark Ein. The team is named for Kastle Systems, a security company...
. Also in 2008, Gimelstob ranted on a Washington D.C. sports radio program about Anna Kournikova
Anna Kournikova
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova is a Russian retired professional tennis player. Her beauty and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide, despite the fact that she never won a WTA singles title. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name...
, calling her a "bitch" and a "douche." He also judged other female tennis players based on their looks.
Jewish heritage
Gimelstob is Jewish, Asked in 2003, in the wake of a Vanity FairVanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
magazine article about increased anti-Semitism in France, whether he had been the brunt of anti-Semitism while he was in France for the French Open, he responded that he was uncertain. "They're so impolite and rude in general, you don't know if they think I'm Jewish or whether I'm just another American tourist".
He was entered into the Southern California Jewish Hall of Fame in 2005. He was inducted into the MetroWest Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in New Jersey in 2006.
He said he was proud to be a Jewish role model. He added: “When I played, I got a lot of support from the Jewish community. People identify me as a Jewish athlete. It’s a strong responsibility, and I appreciate that.”
ATP Tour and Challenger singles titles
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (0) |
| Challengers (9) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score |
| 1. | September 23, 1996 |  Urbana-ChampaignJSM Challenger The JSM Challenger is a tennis tournament held in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois since 1996. The event is part of the challenger series and is played on indoor hard courts.-Singles:-Doubles:- External links :***... |
Hard (I) | Steve Bryan |
5–7 6–3 6–4 |
| 2. | November 11, 1996 |  AndorraAndorra Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of... |
Hard (I) |  Sandon StolleSandon Stolle Sandon Stolle is a former professional male tennis player from Australia and former World No. 2 in doubles .Stolle is the son of former Australian tennis champion Fred Stolle... |
6–4 6–2 |
| 3. | November 16, 1998 | Andorra Andorra Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of... |
Hard (I) |  George BastlGeorge Bastl George Edward Bastl is a professional tennis player from Switzerland. He is ranked at World No. 845 as of August 22, 2011.He has reached one singles final in his career – at Tashkent in 1999.-Tennis career:... |
6–3 2–6 7–6 |
| 4. | November 15, 1999 | Andorra Andorra Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of... |
Hard (I) |  Max MirnyiMax Mirnyi Max Mirnyi is a professional tennis player from Belarus.Today Mirnyi is a doubles specialist, but he also enjoyed a good singles career, finishing in the top 50 in the world for seven straight years, as well as representing Belarus in Davis Cup competition since April 1994, where he holds a... |
4–6 7–6 7–5 |
| 5. | June 7, 2004 | Forest Hills Forest Hills, Queens Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area... |
Grass |  Dušan VemićDušan Vemic Dušan Vemić is a Serbian professional tennis player. He was born on June 17, 1976, in Zadar, in Yugoslavia, now Croatia; he currently lives in Belgrade.-Professional career:... |
7–6 6–2 |
| 6. | September 20, 2004 |  Beijing |
Hard | Alex Bogomolov Jr. |
6–1 6–3 |
| 7. | November 8, 2004 | Nashville Music City Challenger The Music City Challenger is a tennis tournament held in Nashville, Tennessee since 2004. The event is part of the challenger series and is played on indoor hard courts.-Singles:-Doubles:- External links :**... |
Hard (I) | Amer Delic Amer Delic Amer Delić is a Bosnian tennis player. Representing the United States as a tour player until 2009, he now represents the country of his birth, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a member of its Davis Cup team.... |
7–6 7–6 |
| 8. | November 15, 2004 | Urbana-Champaign JSM Challenger The JSM Challenger is a tennis tournament held in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois since 1996. The event is part of the challenger series and is played on indoor hard courts.-Singles:-Doubles:- External links :***... |
Hard (I) |  Ramón DelgadoRamon Delgado Ramón Delgado is a tennis player from Paraguay, who turned professional in 1995. At the 1998 French Open, he defeated Pete Sampras in the second round. He has not won a single title during his career so far... |
6–4 6–4 |
| 9. | October 24, 2005 | Carson Countrywide Classic USTA Challenger The USTA LA Tennis Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour and the ITF Women's circuit. It is held annually at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, USA, since... |
Hard | Amer Delic |
7–6 6–2 |
Post-playing career
Gimelstob has been a blogger for Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
(under the name "Gimel Takes All"), and has served as a regular commentator for Tennis Channel. He has also presented tennis features and interviews for the TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
channel.
Gimelstob has often been a guest on the Washington, D.C. morning radio show "The Sports Junkies", talking about his tennis career, his interactions with other tennis pros, his dalliances with such female players as Martina Hingis, and a variety of other topics. On June 25, 2008, Gimelstob issued an apology for comments he had made on the show. During the interview, Gimelstob, a regular guest on the show, said that he when he faced Anna Kournikova
Anna Kournikova
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova is a Russian retired professional tennis player. Her beauty and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide, despite the fact that she never won a WTA singles title. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name...
the following month in an exhibition match in Washington: "I’m going to serve it right at the body, about 128, right into her midriff. If she's not crying by the time she comes off court then I did not do my job." Asked if that meant he hated the Russian, with whom he trained as a youth, he replied: "Hate is a very strong word. I just despise her to the maximum level just below hate." He added that he would not like to sleep with Kournikova, "because she's such a douche
Douche
A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself.Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing of any body cavity. A douche bag is a piece of...
." Instead, "I wouldn't mind having my younger brother, who's a kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits of that."