1. Early Life and Junior Career
Fabrice Santoro was born on 9 December 1972, in Tahiti, French Polynesia, France. He grew up in La Seyne-sur-Mer in Southern France. His father, a former footballer, worked at Toulon arsenal's military port and later became a tennis teacher. Santoro began playing tennis as a child at the club where his father taught.
In his junior career, Santoro had significant achievements. After losing in the early rounds of the 1988 French Open and 1988 US Open junior events, he went on to win the 1989 French Open Boys' Singles title. He also reached the semifinals of the 1989 US Open Boys' Singles. Santoro achieved a career-high junior ranking of No. 3.
2. Professional Career
Fabrice Santoro turned professional in 1989, starting an unusually long career marked by consistent performance and unique style. He was popular among both spectators and other players due to his cheerful attitude on court and vast arsenal of trick shots.
2.1. Playing Style and Characteristics
Santoro's playing style was distinctive and often unpredictable, a significant departure from the power-hitting prevalent in his era. He was one of the rare male players to use two hands on both his forehand and backhand strokes. Although right-handed, he often used a slice forehand with his left hand, a technique he attributed to having used racquets of the same weight throughout his career, which were too heavy for him to hold with one hand as a six-year-old beginner. This unorthodox approach, combined with his soft and precise control, allowed him to frustrate opponents and control the tempo of matches. His varied and innovative style of play led Pete Sampras to famously nickname him The Magician (Le MagicienFrench), an alias widely adopted by fans and media. Santoro was also known for his speed around the court and his skilled defensive play.
2.2. Singles Career
Santoro's singles career saw him win six ATP Tour titles. He made his Grand Slam debut at the 1989 French Open. Early in his career, he showed flashes of potential, such as reaching the fourth round of the 1991 French Open and the quarterfinals of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he notably defeated Boris Becker in the third round before falling to Goran Ivanišević in a close five-set match.
After a period of relative struggle, Santoro secured his first ATP singles title in October 1997 at the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon in France, defeating Tommy Haas in the final. He continued to compete at a high level, reaching his only Grand Slam singles quarterfinal at the 2006 Australian Open, where he lost to David Nalbandian.
One of the most memorable matches of his singles career occurred at the 2004 French Open, where he defeated fellow Frenchman Arnaud Clément in a first-round match that lasted 6 hours and 33 minutes. At the time, this was the longest singles match in the Open Era. The record was later broken by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, but it remains the longest match in French Open history.
Santoro also holds the record for the most career wins over top ten opponents for a player who never reached the top ten, with 40 victories. His impressive record against top-ranked players includes wins over 18 players who were ranked world No. 1 at some point in their careers. Among these were Novak Djokovic, Jimmy Connors, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Thomas Muster, Marcelo Ríos, Gustavo Kuerten, Carlos Moyá, Pat Rafter, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, and Roger Federer. He had a particularly dominant record against Marat Safin, whom he defeated seven times against only two losses. Safin famously quipped, "Being told I would play Santoro was being told I was to die."
2.3. Doubles and Mixed Doubles Success
Fabrice Santoro achieved greater success in doubles and mixed doubles. He won 24 doubles titles and one mixed doubles title on the ATP Tour.
His most significant achievements in doubles came with his compatriot Michaël Llodra. Together, they won two Grand Slam men's doubles titles at the 2003 Australian Open and 2004 Australian Open. They also reached the finals of the 2002 Australian Open and the 2004 French Open, and were runners-up at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships with Nenad Zimonjić. In 2005, Santoro and Llodra teamed up to win the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, a prestigious competition featuring the top eight doubles teams in the world.
In mixed doubles, Santoro won the 2005 French Open title, partnering with Daniela Hantuchová. They defeated the formidable team of Martina Navratilova and Leander Paes in the final.
2.4. Longevity and Records
Santoro was renowned for his extraordinary longevity in professional tennis. He set several significant records during his career:
- He was the first player to appear in 70 Grand Slam men's singles events, surpassing Andre Agassi's previous record of 62 appearances. This record was later broken by Feliciano López.
- He holds the distinction of having played in Grand Slam tournaments across four different decades: the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.
- While he holds the record for most career wins over top-ten opponents for a player who never reached the top ten (40 wins), he also had the second-most losses in singles play behind Feliciano López, with 444 losses.
- In 2008, at the age of 35, Santoro became the oldest tennis player to win back-to-back championships at an ATP singles event when he successfully defended his title at the Newport tournament.
- He was the first leader of the ATP Race, winning the first tournament of the year in Doha in 2000, the year the race was introduced.
2.4.1. Wins over Top 10 Players
Santoro defeated 40 top 10 players throughout his career, a remarkable feat for a player who never reached the top 10 himself. Notable victories include:
| # | Player | Rank | Event | Surface | Round | Score | Santoro's Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | |||||||
| 1. | Andrés Gómez | 5 | Toulouse, France | Hard (i) | 1R | 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 | 85 |
| 1991 | |||||||
| 2. | Goran Ivanišević | 7 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | 2R | 6-0, 6-2 | 56 |
| 3. | Pete Sampras | 6 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 2R | 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 | 73 |
| 4. | Andre Agassi | 6 | Indianapolis, United States | Hard | 3R | 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 | 40 |
| 1992 | |||||||
| 5. | Michael Stich | 5 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 1R | 5-7, 2-1, retired | 48 |
| 6. | Petr Korda | 5 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | 2R | 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 | 54 |
| 7. | Boris Becker | 5 | Olympics, Barcelona | Clay | 3R | 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 | 37 |
| 8. | Petr Korda | 8 | New Haven, United States | Hard | QF | 7-6(8-6), 4-6, 6-3 | 44 |
| 1993 | |||||||
| 9. | Michael Stich | 10 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | 2R | 3-6, 7-6(9-7), 7-6(7-5) | 27 |
| 1995 | |||||||
| 10. | Pete Sampras | 2 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 1R | 6-4, 6-3 | 39 |
| 1997 | |||||||
| 11. | Thomas Muster | 2 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | 2R | 6-2, 7-6(7-3) | 90 |
| 12. | Marcelo Ríos | 8 | Prague, Czech Republic | Clay | QF | 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 | 69 |
| 13. | Thomas Muster | 5 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | 3R | 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 | 50 |
| 14. | Sergi Bruguera | 8 | Stuttgart, Germany | Carpet (i) | 2R | 7-5, 7-6(11-9) | 33 |
| 1998 | |||||||
| 15. | Greg Rusedski | 6 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | QF | 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 | 29 |
| 16. | Pete Sampras | 2 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | 3R | 6-1, 6-1 | 25 |
| 2000 | |||||||
| 17. | Nicolas Kiefer | 6 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | SF | 7-5, 6-4 | 34 |
| 18. | Nicolas Kiefer | 4 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | 1R | 6-1, 6-4 | 33 |
| 19. | Tim Henman | 10 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 2R | 7-6(7-5), 4-6, 6-4 | 28 |
| 20. | Lleyton Hewitt | 9 | Cincinnati, United States | Hard | 1R | 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 | 37 |
| 21. | Marat Safin | 6 | Cincinnati, United States | Hard | 3R | 6-1, 7-6(7-3) | 37 |
| 22. | Marat Safin | 2 | Olympics, Sydney | Hard | 1R | 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 | 35 |
| 23. | Magnus Norman | 4 | Paris, France | Hard (i) | 2R | 6-2, 6-4 | 37 |
| 2001 | |||||||
| 24. | Tim Henman | 9 | Miami, United States | Hard | 2R | 4-6, 7-6(7-4), 6-3 | 52 |
| 25. | Andre Agassi | 3 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | 2R | 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 | 52 |
| 26. | Marat Safin | 2 | Roland Garros, Paris, France | Clay | 3R | 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 0-6, 6-1 | 43 |
| 27. | Sébastien Grosjean | 8 | Halle, Germany | Grass | 2R | 7-5, 7-5 | 33 |
| 28. | Patrick Rafter | 10 | Halle, Germany | Grass | SF | 7-5, 6-4 | 33 |
| 2002 | |||||||
| 29. | Sébastien Grosjean | 9 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | 2R | 6-2, 7-5 | 26 |
| 30. | Sébastien Grosjean | 7 | Indian Wells, United States | Hard | 1R | 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 | 20 |
| 31. | Tommy Haas | 3 | Madrid, Spain | Hard (i) | 2R | 7-6(9-7), 4-1, retired | 50 |
| 32. | Roger Federer | 7 | Madrid, Spain | Hard (i) | QF | 7-5, 6-3 | 50 |
| 2003 | |||||||
| 33. | Carlos Moyá | 7 | Cincinnati, United States | Hard | 1R | 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 | 60 |
| 2004 | |||||||
| 34. | Juan Carlos Ferrero | 7 | Toronto, Canada | Hard | 1R | 3-2, retired | 58 |
| 35. | Lleyton Hewitt | 10 | Toronto, Canada | Hard | 3R | 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 | 58 |
| 2005 | |||||||
| 36. | David Nalbandian | 10 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 1R | 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 | 54 |
| 37. | Gastón Gaudio | 10 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | 3R | 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 6-4 | 65 |
| 2007 | |||||||
| 38. | Tommy Robredo | 7 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | 1R | 7-6(8-6), 6-4 | 63 |
| 39. | Andy Roddick | 5 | Lyon, France | Carpet (i) | 1R | 7-6(7-5), 2-6, 6-4 | 46 |
| 40. | Novak Djokovic | 3 | Paris, France | Hard (i) | 2R | 6-3, 6-2 | 39 |
2.5. Retirement and Post-Career Activities
Fabrice Santoro initially announced his retirement at the end of the 2009 season, playing his final ATP Tour match at his hometown tournament, the 2009 BNP Paribas Masters in Paris (Bercy). He lost his final singles match to James Blake and his final doubles match with Sébastien Grosjean against Johan Brunström and Jean-Julien Rojer.
However, Santoro briefly came out of retirement for one tournament at the 2010 Australian Open to achieve the unique record of having played in Grand Slam tournaments across four different decades. At 37 years old, he was the oldest player in the ATP top 100, ranked 68th when he entered this final tournament. He lost in the first round to Marin Čilić, officially concluding his professional tennis career with 70 Grand Slam appearances.
After retirement, Santoro remained involved in tennis. In December 2014, he served as a coach for the International Premier Tennis League team Indian Aces, contributing to their championship victory and continuing with the team in 2015. Since March 2019, Santoro has been the coach of Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic.
3. Personal Life
Fabrice Santoro was born in Tahiti and grew up in La Seyne-sur-Mer, located in the South of France. His father was a former footballer who later became a tennis teacher, and Santoro began playing the sport at his father's club.
As of 2022, Santoro divides his time between Paris and Corsica, where he owns a home near Ajaccio. He is known to be a big fan of the late French comedian Coluche, whose real name was Michel Colucci. Santoro has a daughter named Djenae.
4. Major Tournament Results
Fabrice Santoro's career was marked by consistent participation in major tournaments and a significant number of matches played. He amassed career prize money of 10.02 M USD.
4.1. Grand Slam Performance
Santoro's Grand Slam performance timelines reflect his remarkable longevity and frequent appearances across all four major tournaments.
- Key for tables: W = won; F = lost in final; SF = lost in semifinal; QF = lost in quarterfinal; #R = lost in the rounds indicated (e.g., 1R = 1st round); A = did not participate; NME = not Masters Series event; NH = not held; SR = career win-loss ratio (Majors + Masters Series); W-L = win-loss record.*
| Tournament | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | SR | W-L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | 3R | 2R | 1R | A | 3R | 4R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | QF | 3R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 18 | 22-18 |
| French Open | 1R | 2R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 1R | A | 1R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 4R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | 0 / 20 | 17-20 |
| Wimbledon | A | 1R | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | 1R | A | 2R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | A | 0 / 14 | 11-14 |
| US Open | A | 3R | 1R | 2R | 1R | A | 1R | A | 1R | 3R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | A | 0 / 18 | 13-18 |
| Win-loss | 0-1 | 3-3 | 3-3 | 1-2 | 1-3 | 4-2 | 1-4 | 0-1 | 0-3 | 6-3 | 6-4 | 2-4 | 7-4 | 2-4 | 5-4 | 6-4 | 2-4 | 5-4 | 4-4 | 2-4 | 3-4 | 0-1 | 0 / 70 | 63-70 |
| Tournament | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | SR | W-L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | 3R | 3R | 1R | 1R | F | W | W | QF | 3R | QF | QF | 1R | 2 / 13 | 33-11 |
| French Open | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 3R | A | 3R | A | 2R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 3R | F | 2R | 1R | SF | 1R | 1R | 0 / 18 | 21-17 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | SF | 3R | 2R | 1R | 3R | A | A | F | SF | 1R | 1R | 0 / 10 | 19-10 |
| US Open | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | SF | 2R | 1R | QF | 1R | A | 2R | 0 / 12 | 12-11 |
| Win-loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 2-1 | 1-1 | 3-3 | 2-2 | 8-3 | 5-4 | 2-3 | 7-4 | 14-3 | 12-2 | 4-3 | 10-4 | 11-4 | 3-3 | 1-4 | 2 / 53 | 85-49 |
4.2. Career Finals
Fabrice Santoro reached 12 singles finals and 42 doubles finals throughout his career.
4.2.1. Singles Finals
Santoro competed in 12 singles finals on the ATP Tour, winning 6 titles and finishing as runner-up 6 times.
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0-1 | October 1990 | Toulouse, France | Hard (i) | Jonas Svensson | 6-7(5-7), 2-6 |
| Loss | 0-2 | February 1993 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | Karel Nováček | 4-6, 5-7 |
| Loss | 0-3 | August 1994 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Goran Ivanišević | 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6 |
| Win | 1-3 | October 1997 | Lyon, France | Carpet (i) | Tommy Haas | 6-4, 6-4 |
| Loss | 1-4 | January 1998 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Petr Korda | 0-6, 3-6 |
| Win | 2-4 | February 1999 | Marseille, France | Hard (i) | Arnaud Clément | 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 |
| Loss | 2-5 | March 1999 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Hard (i) | Magnus Gustafsson | 4-6, 1-6 |
| Win | 3-5 | January 2000 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Rainer Schüttler | 3-6, 7-5, 3-0 retired |
| Loss | 3-6 | June 2001 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Thomas Johansson | 3-6, 7-6(7-5), 2-6 |
| Win | 4-6 | February 2002 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Hard | Younes El Aynaoui | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 |
| Win | 5-6 | July 2007 | Newport, United States | Grass | Nicolas Mahut | 6-4, 6-4 |
| Win | 6-6 | July 2008 | Newport, United States | Grass | Prakash Amritraj | 6-3, 7-5 |
4.2.2. Doubles Finals
Santoro reached 42 doubles finals, winning 24 titles and finishing as runner-up 18 times.
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1. | September 1995 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Álex Corretja | Hendrik Jan Davids Piet Norval | 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 |
| Loss | 1. | February 1997 | Marseille, France | Hard (i) | Olivier Delaître | Thomas Enqvist Magnus Larsson | 3-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 2. | October 1997 | Lyon, France | Carpet (i) | Olivier Delaître | Ellis Ferreira Patrick Galbraith | 6-3, 2-6, 4-6 |
| Loss | 3. | November 1997 | Moscow, Russia | Carpet (i) | David Adams | Martin Damm Cyril Suk | 4-6, 3-6 |
| Loss | 4. | January 1998 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Olivier Delaître | Mahesh Bhupathi Leander Paes | 4-6, 6-3, 4-6 |
| Win | 2. | July 1998 | Stuttgart, Germany | Clay | Olivier Delaître | Joshua Eagle Jim Grabb | 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 |
| Loss | 5. | August 1998 | Cincinnati, United States | Hard | Olivier Delaître | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 1-6, 1-2 retired |
| Win | 3. | September 1998 | Toulouse, France | Hard (i) | Olivier Delaître | Paul Haarhuis Jan Siemerink | 6-2, 6-4 |
| Win | 4. | October 1998 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Olivier Delaître | Piet Norval Kevin Ullyett | 6-3, 7-6 |
| Win | 5. | October 1998 | Lyon, France | Carpet (i) | Olivier Delaître | Tomás Carbonell Francisco Roig | 6-2, 6-2 |
| Win | 6. | August 1999 | Long Island, United States | Hard | Olivier Delaître | Jan-Michael Gambill Scott Humphries | 7-5, 6-4 |
| Win | 7. | October 2000 | Toulouse, France | Hard (i) | Julien Boutter | Donald Johnson Piet Norval | 7-6(10-8), 4-6, 7-6(7-5) |
| Win | 8. | February 2001 | Marseille, France | Hard (i) | Julien Boutter | Michael Hill Jeff Tarango | 7-6(9-7), 7-5 |
| Loss | 6. | January 2002 | Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Michaël Llodra | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 6-7(4-7), 3-6 |
| Win | 9. | October 2002 | Paris, France | Carpet (i) | Nicolas Escudé | Gustavo Kuerten Cédric Pioline | 6-3, 7-6(8-6) |
| Win | 10. | January 2003 | Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Michaël Llodra | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 |
| Win | 11. | February 2003 | Marseille, France | Hard (i) | Sébastien Grosjean | Tomáš Cibulec Pavel Vízner | 6-1, 6-4 |
| Loss | 7. | April 2003 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Michaël Llodra | Mahesh Bhupathi Max Mirnyi | 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6-8) |
| Loss | 8. | May 2003 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Michaël Llodra | Wayne Arthurs Paul Hanley | 1-6, 3-6 |
| Loss | 9. | September 2003 | Metz, France | Hard (i) | Michaël Llodra | Julien Benneteau Nicolas Mahut | 6-7(2-7), 3-6 |
| Loss | 10. | October 2003 | Paris, France | Carpet (i) | Michaël Llodra | Wayne Arthurs Paul Hanley | 3-6, 6-1, 3-6 |
| Loss | 11. | November 2003 | Houston, United States | Hard | Michaël Llodra | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 7-6(8-6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(3-7), 4-6 |
| Win | 12. | January 2004 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Mahesh Bhupathi | Jiří Novák Radek Štěpánek | 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 |
| Win | 13. | January 2004 | Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Michaël Llodra | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 7-6(7-4), 6-3 |
| Win | 14. | March 2004 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Mahesh Bhupathi | Jonas Björkman Leander Paes | 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 |
| Loss | 12. | May 2004 | French Open, France | Clay | Michaël Llodra | Xavier Malisse Olivier Rochus | 5-7, 5-7 |
| Loss | 13. | February 2005 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Jonas Björkman | Martin Damm Radek Štěpánek | 2-6, 4-6 |
| Win | 15. | May 2005 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Michaël Llodra | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 6-4, 6-2 |
| Loss | 14. | May 2005 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Michaël Llodra | Jonas Björkman Max Mirnyi | 6-4, 6-7(2-7), 6-7(3-7) |
| Win | 16. | October 2005 | Metz, France | Hard (i) | Michaël Llodra | José Acasuso Sebastián Prieto | 5-2, 3-5, 5-4 |
| Win | 17. | October 2005 | Lyon, France | Carpet (i) | Michaël Llodra | Jeff Coetzee Rogier Wassen | 6-3, 6-1 |
| Win | 18. | November 2005 | Shanghai, China | Carpet (i) | Michaël Llodra | Leander Paes Nenad Zimonjić | 6-7(6-8), 6-3, 7-6(7-4) |
| Win | 19. | January 2006 | Sydney, Australia | Hard | Nenad Zimonjić | František Čermák Leoš Friedl | 6-1, 6-4 |
| Loss | 15. | April 2006 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Nenad Zimonjić | Jonas Björkman Max Mirnyi | 2-6, 6-7(2-7) |
| Win | 20. | June 2006 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Nenad Zimonjić | Michael Kohlmann Rainer Schüttler | 6-0, 6-4 |
| Loss | 16. | June 2006 | Wimbledon, UK | Grass | Nenad Zimonjić | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6 |
| Win | 21. | October 2006 | Metz, France | Hard (i) | Richard Gasquet | Julian Knowle Jürgen Melzer | 3-6, 6-1, [11-9] |
| Win | 22. | October 2006 | Moscow, Russia | Carpet (i) | Nenad Zimonjić | František Čermák Jaroslav Levinský | 6-1, 7-5 |
| Loss | 17. | October 2006 | Paris, France | Carpet (i) | Nenad Zimonjić | Arnaud Clément Michaël Llodra | 6-7(4-7), 2-6 |
| Win | 23. | February 2007 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Nenad Zimonjić | Mahesh Bhupathi Radek Štěpánek | 7-5, 6-7(3-7), [10-7] |
| Win | 24. | May 2007 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Nenad Zimonjić | Bob Bryan Mike Bryan | 6-4, 6-7(4-7), [10-7] |
| Loss | 18. | June 2007 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Nenad Zimonjić | Simon Aspelin Julian Knowle | 4-6, 6-7(5-7) |
4.2.3. Mixed Doubles Finals
Santoro reached one mixed doubles final, winning the title.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2005 | French Open | Clay | Daniela Hantuchová | Martina Navratilova Leander Paes | 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
5. Legacy and Impact
Fabrice Santoro left a lasting legacy in tennis as one of the most distinctive and beloved players of his generation. His unconventional, two-handed style, combined with his extensive repertoire of trick shots and exceptional court coverage, made him a truly unique talent. He was admired by his peers and a strong crowd favorite, known for his cheerful and gentlemanly conduct on court. Santoro's ability to consistently challenge and defeat top-ranked opponents, despite never breaking into the top 10 himself, highlighted the effectiveness of his strategic and technical game over pure power. His remarkable longevity and record-breaking Grand Slam appearances also cemented his place in tennis history as a testament to his dedication and passion for the sport.