One veteran ATP star is set to retire from tennis after this week’s Challenger Tour event in Valencia.
While the big names on the ATP Tour brave the tough conditions in China at the Shanghai Masters, some of the lower-ranked players in tennis continue to ply their trade on the Challenger Tour.
Some of Spain’s finest players have headed back home to play the Copa Faulcombridge Challenger event on Valencia’s clay courts.
The top seeds include Vit Kopriva, Carlos Taberner, and Dusan Lajovic, names that might be familiar to fans of men’s tennis.
However, in a shock result, the number-one seed in Valencia was beaten by a retiring 37-year-old, who hadn’t won a match since the middle of June.
Retiring Albert Ramos Vinolas shocks the top seed in Valencia
Spain’s Albert Ramos Vinolas is set to retire from tennis upon the conclusion of the 2025 Copa Faulcombridge.
Awarded a wild card into the event, Ramos Vinolas was given the unenviable task of playing the number-one seed and world number 73, Pedro Martinez, in the first round.
Few would’ve backed the 37-year-old to secure the win, but he wasn’t prepared to retire just yet, defeating Martinez 6-4, 6-2, to book his place in the last-16.
It was his first win since June, as Ramos Vinolas snapped a five-match losing streak to prolong his retirement.
Albert Ramos Vinolas’ last seven matches
- Challenger Sassuolo 1R [WIN] vs Santiago Fa Rodriguez Taverna
- 1. Challenger Sassuolo 2R [LOSS] vs Dusan Lajovic
- 2. Swiss Open Q1 [LOSS] vs Ignacio Buse
- 3. Generali Open Q1 [LOSS] vs Yannick Hanfmann
- 4. Challenger Seville 1R [LOSS] vs Vilius Gaubas
- 5. Challenger Villena 1R [LOSS] vs Maks Kasnikowski
- Challenger Valencia 1R [WIN] vs Pedro Martinez
He will now play either Zdenek Kolar or Carlos Sanchez Jover in the second round on Wednesday, October 8, looking to extend his career by one more match.
How much did Albert Ramos Vinolas achieve during his career?
The Spaniard played a total of 12 ATP finals during his career, winning four.
| Final | Surface | Tier | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 2012 Grand Prix Hassan II | Clay | ATP 250 | Pablo Andujar | LOSS | 1-6, 6-7 |
| 2016 Swedish Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Fernando Verdasco | WIN | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2016 Chengdu Open | Hard | ATP 250 | Karen Khachanov | LOSS | 7-6, 6-7, 3-6 |
| 2017 Brasil Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Pablo Cuevas | LOSS | 7-6, 4-6, 4-6 |
| 2017 Monte-Carlo Masters | Clay | Masters 1000 | Rafael Nadal | LOSS | 1-6, 3-6 |
| 2018 Ecuador Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Roberto Carballes Baena | LOSS | 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 |
| 2019 Swiss Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Cedrik-Marcel Stebe | WIN | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2019 Austrian Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Dominic Thiem | LOSS | 6-7, 1-6 |
| 2021 Cordoba Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Juan Manuel Cerundolo | LOSS | 0-6, 6-2, 2-6 |
| 2021 Estoril Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Cameron Norrie | WIN | 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2022 Cordoba Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Alejandro Tabilo | WIN | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2023 Swiss Open | Clay | ATP 250 | Pedro Cachin | LOSS | 6-3, 0-6, 5-7 |
Despite winning four titles at the ATP 250 level, Ramos Vinolas’ greatest achievement was undoubtedly reaching the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters in 2017.
Ramos Vinolas shocked the world number one, Andy Murray, in round three, before beating Marin Cilic and Lucas Pouille on his way to the final.
He did, however, fall short in his bid to win the title, losing to his countryman, Rafael Nadal, in straight sets.
The clay-court specialist also enjoyed a standout Grand Slam result during his career, reaching the quarterfinals of Roland Garros in 2016.
Entering the competition without a seed next to his name, Ramos Vinolas pulled off several upsets on his way to the last eight.
- 2016 French Open 1R – Albert Ramos Vinolas defeated Horacio Zeballos, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
- 2016 French Open 2R – Albert Ramos Vinolas defeated Marco Trunelliti, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
- 2016 French Open 3R – Albert Ramos Vinolas defeated [23] Jack Sock, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
- 2016 French Open 4R – Albert Ramos Vinolas defeated [8] Milos Raonic, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
It was in the quarterfinals that his run came to an end, losing to the defending champion Stan Wawrinka in straight sets.
Ramos Vinolas never returned to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam but did reach a career-high ranking of 17th in the world a year later.
When he eventually retires from tennis this week in Valencia, he will do so as one of the greatest Spanish players of his generation.
Whether he can do so with another Challenger title under his belt remains to be seen…
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