Afolabi Ogunjuyigbe
Tommy Robredo has played his final ATP tour match at the age of 39 after going out of the Barcelona Open 23 years after making his tour debut there.
The Spanish world number 362 faced compatriot Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the first round of the ATP 500 event after receiving a wildcard to compete, losing 6-1, 6-1 to the man 14 years his junior.
The Spanish veteran turned pro back in 1998 before making his tour debut at the Barcelona Open as a 16-year-old, Davide Sanguinetti and 12th seed Marat Safin before falling to sixth seed Todd Martin in the third round.
Robredo went on to win the event five years later in 2004, one of 12 ATP tour singles titles secured by the veteran over his career, 11 of which came on clay.
The biggest of those titles came in 2006 at the then Masters Series Hamburg Open, defeating David Ferrer and Mario Ancic before ousting Radek Stepanek in the final.
He won one of three round robin matches he played there, his only victory coming against James Blake who actually went on to the final before losing to Roger Federer.
Though eventually a losing one for Robredo, one of his most memorable ATP moments came in the final of Valencia in 2014, when he faced Andy Murray in a dramatic epic.
Robredo’s best Slam showing was reaching the quarter-finals, a feat he achieved seven times across the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the US Open, making the last eight five times in Paris.
He further won the Davis Cup with Team Spain three times, in 2004, 2005 and 2009.
Finally, he peaked at world number five in the ATP rankings in August 2006, and appeared at that year’s Tour Finals in Shanghai.
He won one of three round robin matches he played there, his only victory coming against James Blake who actually went on to the final before losing to Roger Federer.
Though eventually a losing one for Robredo, one of his most memorable ATP moments came in the final of Valencia in 2014, when he faced Andy Murray in a dramatic epic.