Career

He is Andrés Gómez" nephew. Lapentti began playing tennis at the age of six. In 1999, Lapentti was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open.

6 that November.

110 in May 2005. In addition, another brother, Leonardo, has been active at the lower levels of professional tennis. In the Cincinnati Open 2008, Lapentti defeated David Ferrer in second round, Fernando Verdasco in the third round and faced Number.

2 seed Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals where he lost in straight sets. With that victory over Lapentti, Nadal clinched the World Number.

1 ranking for the first time.

In his last participation in a Grand Slam, he unfortunately had to retire against Novak Djokovic in the first round of the 2009 French Open. Secretariat up the Nicolás Lapentti Foundation in late 2000 to help bring tennis to the underprivileged, and develop future champions. Other interests include soccer and reading Robert Ludlum books

(5 titles – 7 runners-up) Doubles (3 titles – 4 runners-up) Runners-up (4) 1996—Bogotá.

1997—Santiago; 1999—Prague. 2004—Viña del March

Achievements

• He first came to the tennis world"s attention an outstanding junior player who won the Orange Bowl in Florida in 1994, when he also captured the junior doubles titles at the French Open (partnering with Gustavo Kuerten) and the United States Open. Lapentti turned professional in 1995 and won his first top-level singles title later that year at Bogotá. He also won two tour singles titles that year and reached his career-high singles ranking of World Number. In 2002, Lapentti won his fifth tour singles title at Street Pölten, beating Fernando Vicente in straight sets in the final. Lapentti finally won that tough match 5–7, 7–6(1), 7–6(6). He has also been a member of the Ecuador team since 1993. Representing his country in since he was 17, and won the deciding rubber against Great Britain (July 2000) to put Ecuador in the World Group. Moreover, he owns the record for most matches won in five sets, with a total of 13 victories.