Alejandro Falla

1.1. Childhood and Introduction to Tennis

Alejandro Falla was born on November 14, 1983, in Popayán, Colombia, though he is also associated with Cali. He began playing tennis at the age of six, receiving his initial coaching from his father, who was a tennis coach. His early training instilled a strong foundation for his future in the sport. Falla resides in Bogotá, Colombia. He stands 6.1 ft ^{(1.85 m)} tall and weighs 170 lb ^{(77 kg)}.

2.1. Junior Grand Slam Achievements

He reached the semifinals of the 2001 French Open in boys' singles, inspiring many aspiring Colombian tennis players. In junior doubles, Falla, alongside his compatriot Carlos Salamanca, secured a notable victory at the 2001 French Open, defeating the German duo of Markus Bayer and Philipp Petzschner. This marked the first junior Grand Slam title won by Colombian players.

His junior doubles record includes one title.

3.1. Early Career and Breakthrough

Falla turned professional in 2000. He made his Grand Slam debut at the 2004 French Open, reaching the second round before losing to David Nalbandian. Later that year, at Wimbledon, he faced Roger Federer on Centre Court in the second round, losing 1-6, 2-6, 0-6. After a period where his ranking dropped, he made a strong return to the Grand Slam circuit in 2006.

In 2006, Falla became the first Colombian player to break into the top 100 of the ATP rankings since Mauricio Hadad in 1996. That year, he qualified for the main draw of ATP tournaments a career-high five times. He reached the final of the Mexico City Challenger and won the Bogotá Challenger. At Wimbledon, he achieved his first career win over a top-10 player, upsetting 9th seed Nikolay Davydenko in a four-set thriller. This victory was also the first time a Colombian player had defeated a top-10 opponent. He reached the second round of the 2006 US Open, defeating Juan Martín del Potro before falling to Dmitry Tursunov.

In March 2007, Falla advanced to the third round of the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open, where he defeated 9th seed Tommy Haas in straight sets. He also reached the semifinals of the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon in 2007, notably beating 5th seed Ivan Ljubičić.

3.2. ATP Tour Singles Results

Falla reached two singles finals on the ATP Tour, though he did not secure a title. His first final appearance was at the 2013 Claro Open Colombia in July 2013, a home tournament in Bogotá. He lost to Ivo Karlović with a score of 3-6, 6-7^(4-7).

His second final came at the 2014 Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, in June 2014. Falla rallied to defeat 2011 champion Philipp Kohlschreiber 5-7, 7-6⁽⁵⁾, 6-4, becoming the first Colombian to reach the final of a grass-court tournament. In the final, he faced six-time champion Roger Federer, losing 6-7^(2-7), 6-7^(3-7).

3.3. ATP Tour Doubles Results

Falla reached one doubles final on the ATP Tour. This occurred in February 2011 at the 2011 SAP Open in San Jose, United States, where he partnered with Xavier Malisse. They were defeated in the final by the American duo of Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram with a score of 4-6, 6-4, [8-10].

3.4. Grand Slam Singles Performance

Falla's best Grand Slam singles result was reaching the fourth round of the 2011 French Open. He qualified for the main draw and advanced to the round of 16 before being defeated by Juan Ignacio Chela in a five-set match (6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-7^(5-7), 2-6).

At the 2010 Australian Open, Falla reached the third round, where he lost to 26th seed Nicolás Almagro in straight sets. He also reached the third round of the 2012 Australian Open, notably defeating 8th seed Mardy Fish 7-6^(4-7), 6-3, 7-6^(5-7) in the second round before losing to Philipp Kohlschreiber. At Wimbledon, he reached the third round.

One of his most memorable matches was at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, where he almost caused a major upset in the first round against defending champion Roger Federer. Falla won the first two sets and served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set, being just three points away from victory. However, Federer ultimately recovered to win 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6^(7-1), 6-0.

3.5. Grand Slam Doubles Performance

Falla's Grand Slam doubles appearances were primarily in the early rounds. His best result was reaching the second round of the 2014 French Open in men's doubles. He participated in the first round of the Australian Open in 2010, 2012, and 2013. At Wimbledon, he reached the first round in 2010 and 2014, and at the US Open, he also reached the first round in 2010 and 2014.

3.6. Challenger and Futures Circuit Success

Falla achieved significant success on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Futures Circuit, winning a total of 14 singles titles and 10 doubles titles.

In singles, he won 3 ITF Futures titles and 11 ATP Challenger titles. Notably, he secured multiple Challenger titles in his home country, including two in Bogotá (2004, 2006), two in Cali (2009, 2011), and one each in Pereira (2009) and Barranquilla (2012). His Challenger success also extended internationally, with wins in Salinas (2004), Rennes (2009), Nouméa (2014), and Bucaramanga (2014).

In doubles, Falla won 4 ITF Futures titles and 6 ATP Challenger titles. His Challenger doubles victories include two in Bogotá (2008, 2009), two in Medellín (2008, 2016), and one in Cali (2008) and Barranquilla (2016).

3.7. National Representation

Alejandro Falla consistently represented Colombia in team competitions. He was a member of the Davis Cup team starting in 2001 and continued to play for his country throughout his career, participating in various zonal and playoff ties.

He also represented Colombia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he competed in the men's singles event. In the first round, he faced top seed Roger Federer and was defeated 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Falla earned two medals at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador. He won a silver medal in men's doubles and a bronze medal in the men's team event.