The Brazilian Gustavo "Guga" Kuerten began playing tennis at six with his parents. His long-time coach was Larri Passos. He was a skinny, cheerful player who, the ATP noted, would rather surf than play on grass.
His place in Brazilian sporting history was secured at the 1997 French Open. Aged 20, unseeded and ranked far down the list, he beat three former champions, Thomas Muster, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Sergi Bruguera, on his way to the title. He won Roland Garros again in 2000 and 2001, joining the small group of three-time champions there. After winning the 2001 final he drew a large heart in the clay to thank the crowd.
In 2000 he won five titles, crowned by the season-ending Masters Cup, which took him to world No. 1 at the end of the year. He was named ATP Player of the Year and became the biggest tennis star in Brazil since Maria Bueno. Brazil put him on a postage stamp in 2001.
His career was cut short by a damaged hip and other health problems. Hip surgery did not bring back his best form, he slid down the rankings, and he retired in May 2008 with three major titles. In August 2000 he had founded the Instituto Guga Kuerten, run by his mother Alice, to help people with disabilities in the state of Santa Catarina; his younger brother Guilherme had cerebral palsy. The ATP gave him its Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award in 2003, and he carried the Olympic torch in Rio de Janeiro in 2004.