PROFILE - Who is Thiago Monteiro, the astonishing Tsitsipas faller?

Thiago Monteiro is no ordinary tennis player. Adopted at birth and raised in a poor family, nothing destined the Brazilian to become a professional tennis player. And yet, in Madrid, Monteiro amazed the Spanish public. The world number 118 first silently made his way through the qualifying rounds, defeating Lucas Pouille (4-6, 6-4, 6-4) and then Radu Albot (7-6, 1-6, 6-4). Far from stopping there, the former world number 61 continued to shine in Spain. He ousted a confident Dusan Lajovic (6-4, 6-3) before pulling off the extraordinary feat of upsetting Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round (6-4, 6-4 in 1h34). Playing at a bluffing level, the Brazilian will, for the first time in his career, reach the third round of a Masters 1000 tournament.

But who really is this astonishing 29-year-old?

- An unusual life trajectory

Monteiro has had a very unusual life trajectory. Adopted at birth, he still remembers his (adoptive) mother, Fatima, telling him the story of a stork sent by God to deposit a baby on her doorstep. In a movingly candid way, Monteiro recounts: "My mom is very religious, she was part of a Catholic community where she helped the homeless. That's how she met my biological mother, who was living on the streets and was pregnant with me. [...] My biological mother told her she couldn't raise a child by sleeping outside. My mom, who was in remission from breast cancer at the time, saw this as a sign to give herself the strength to fight the depression she was suffering from." (comments relayed by L'Equipe).

The left-hander's admiration for Fatima is undeniable: "My mother's strength and courage come from another planet. She raised five children on her own, she educated us, supported us and loved us. I owe her everything. [...] Her strength and courage come from another planet. [...] I owe her everything. My life could be so different without this miracle. Thanks to her, I can live my dream, travel the world, play in packed stadiums against the best." (comments relayed by L'Equipe).

- Tennis, a late vocation

Being a professional tennis player was never an obvious choice for the astonishing left-hander. Raised by a very poor family in a country where all children live for soccer, tennis was not originally a vocation. As he himself admits, little Thiago never even thought about tennis in the first place. He was content to play soccer like all the other kids his age. In fact, it was his brother who gave him the virus: "I was 8 when my older brother took up tennis, just because we were in the middle of Guga (Kuerten) fever, who had won the French Open. [...] I had my soccer training next to the tennis court where my brother played. One day, he gave me a racket to play with. And he saw something in me. [...] We didn't have enough money to buy plane tickets, so he used to take me for drives. He could drive for twenty hours" (comments relayed by L'Equipe).

- Gustavo Kuerten as mentor

It was at the age of 14 that the dream became reality for the current 118th player in the world. During a tournament in Sao Paulo, he met a friend of Kuerten's family, who offered him a place in the academy of Larri Passos (Kuerten's historic coach). Not hesitating for a second, the Brazilian took off alone for the state of Santa Catarina. Progressing rapidly, he discovered the mockery, the social discrimination, the cold and the rivalry. But through hard work, he has now achieved the impossible. He lives by his talent.
If Monteiro has achieved this dream, it's also because "Guga" has been with him for years. Interviewed on the subject, the Brazilian explained in 2016: "Guga helped me get started, he managed me with his foundation. He gave me his help and support. It's incredible to have your idol on your side! [...] He helped me find sponsors like Lacoste and Babolat. I'm so grateful to him because I know how lucky I am. Now I can travel around Europe with my team and focus on my game and not the rest. He's so kind and warm to everyone."

On Monday, Kuerten will return to the court to face Jiri Lehecka (ranked 31st in the world) in the third round of the Madrid Masters 1000, with a special thought for Fatima and the story of the stork.