Juan Aguilera, First Spaniard to Win a Masters 1,000, Passes Away

Juan Aguilera, a notable figure in the tennis world, has passed away in Barcelona at the age of 63 after a prolonged illness. The Barcelona-born tennis player, known for securing five ATP titles, holds a special place in Spanish tennis history as the first Spaniard to win a Masters 1,000 tournament. This achievement came in 1990 at the Hamburg tournament, where he defeated local hero Boris Becker with scores of 6-1, 6-0, and 7-6.

This remarkable feat capped off a spectacular tournament for Aguilera, who had previously defeated prominent tennis figures such as Michael Chang and Jim Courier before reaching the final.

Aguilera, who once ranked as high as world number seven, never advanced beyond the fourth round in a Grand Slam. His best performance was at the 1984 French Open, where Wilander prevented him from reaching the quarter-finals. His expertise lay on clay courts, where he claimed all five of his titles: two in Hamburg (1984 and 1990), Aix-en-Provence (1984), Bari (1989), and Nice (1990).

He was part of the Davis Cup team in 1983, playing a doubles match against Yugoslavia. With the 'Armada', he achieved seven individual victories but lost six in the six ties he participated in. Since retiring in 1991, with a record of 146 wins and 141 losses, he served as a coach at the Tennis Club of Premià de Dalt.