Age: 78
Ilie Nastase
Age: 78
Ilie "Nasty" Năstase (, born 19 July 1946) is a Romanian former world No. 1 professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was ranked world No. 1 between 1973 (23 August) and 1974 (2 June). He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles (58 singles and 45 in doubles). He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991. Năstase won seven Grand Slam titles: two in singles, three in men's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. He also won four Masters Grand Prix year-end championship titles and seven Championship Series titles (1970-73), the precursors to the current Masters 1000. In 2005, Tennis magazine ranked him as the 28th-best player of the preceding 40 years. He is the second male player to win a Grand Slam event without dropping a set and the first one to achieve this feat at the French Open (1973).
Career
At the beginning of his career in 1966, Năstase travelled around the world competing with his good friend Ion Țiriac. Together, they represented Romania in the Davis Cup competition, being three times runners up: in 1969, 1971, and 1972.
In singles, Năstase won his first tournament at Cannes on 16 April 1967. His first victories against top players happened in 1969 in Stockholm, where he defeated Tony Roche and Stan Smith.
Năstase became one of the best players in 1970, with many experts ranking him as the sixth-best player in the world at that time, behind the Australians Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe, and Roche and the American Arthur Ashe. Năstase's high ranking resulted from his success at the Italian Open in Rome and at the U.S. Indoor Open in Salisbury, Maryland. With Tiriac, Năstase won the men's doubles title at the French Open.
In 1971, Năstase was the runner-up at the French Open. where he lost the final in four sets to Jan Kodeš. In December, Năstase won his first Masters Grand Prix title.
In 1972, he became the no. 2 in the world, owing to his winning the US Open in a five-set final over Arthur Ashe. This tournament was the only event of the year in which all the best players participated. Two months before at Wimbledon, Năstase narrowly lost to Stan Smith in an epic five-set final, one of the most exciting championship matches there. Although Smith took the title, public sympathy lay with the volatile Romanian.
In the Davis Cup, Năstase was undefeated in singles until losing to Stan Smith in the final played on clay in his native Bucharest. In December at the year-end tour finals, Năstase took revenge against Smith, winning his second consecutive Masters Grand Prix title.
In 1973, he was in sensational form. By winning 17 tournaments, including the French Open, a doubles title at Wimbledon, and a third Masters title, Năstase was the undisputed world No.1 that year. In the Davis Cup, he won seven of eight singles rubbers, including a victory over Tom Okker, the "Flying Dutchman." In matches against the other top players, Năstase was 1-0 against Newcombe and 1-1 against Smith. The Romanian won the French Open without dropping a set (a feat repeated by Björn Borg in 1978 and 1980 and by Rafael Nadal in 2008 and 2010), and he won the French Open (clay), Rome (clay) and Queen's Club (grass) in succession, a feat never repeated in the open era, though Borg won Rome, the French Open, and Wimbledon in succession in 1978, and Nadal won the French Open, Queen's Club, and Wimbledon in succession in 2008.
In 1974, he was the only player to qualify for both the WCT Finals and the Masters Grand Prix finals. As usual, Năstase played well in the Masters, in particular against Newcombe in the semifinals. (Năstase finished his career with a 4-1 record versus Newcombe, losing only their first match in 1969.) The Romanian, however, lost the final to Guillermo Vilas in five sets.
For the fifth consecutive year, Năstase reached the Masters Grand Prix Final in 1975, where he defeated Björn Borg, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.
During the first half of 1976, Năstase won four tournaments (Atlanta WCT, Avis Challenge Cup WCT, US Open Indoor, and La Costa), and head-to-head, he led Connors 2-1, Vilas 1-0, Ashe 1-0, and Borg 2-0. Năstase did not enter the Australian Open, which was again avoided by most of the top players. Năstase was prevented from entering the French Open because he participated in World Team Tennis. In the second half of the year, Nastase lost to Borg in the men's singles final of Wimbledon and in the semifinals of the US Open. Năstase won three other tournaments during the second half of the year, the Pepsi Grand Slam, South Orange, and the four-man tournament of Caracas, Venezuela, in October (not to be confused with the Caracas WCT tournament in March), making seven tournament championships for the year. Năstase was the world No. 3, behind Connors and Borg.
In 1977, Năstase finished no. 9 in the ATP rankings. He was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon and the French Open and participated in the WCT Finals. Năstase was still one of the 20 best players in 1978. At Wimbledon, he again reached the quarterfinals, losing to Okker after defeating Roscoe Tanner.
During the remainder of his career, Năstase steadily declined and only occasionally defeated a good player, such as Johan Kriek in the third round of the 1982 US Open. Năstase retired from the tour in October 1985 at the age of 39 after playing in the tournament in Toulouse, although he did play the challenger tournament at Dijon in June 1988.
Playing style
Considered one of the most gifted tennis players in history, Ilie Năstase was noted both for his sorcery with the racket and his ability to entertain, amusing spectators with his antics and mimicry. Even during a crucial phase of a match, he was likely to do something bizarre that would entertain the crowd. Nicknamed the Bucharest Buffoon, Nastase could master all the shots, playing either baseline or serve-and-volley. One of the fastest players, he is remembered for his magnificent lobs and retrieves. Nastase could apply a discomforting spin to his shots, being an expert at putting the ball just beyond an opponent's reach. His greatest weakness was a fragile nervous system and erratic temperament, but when he maintained his concentration during a match, he could conjure up the most devastating tennis, being regarded as a tennis magician or an artist creating with great originality and panache. Năstase pioneered a distinctive tennis shot, a backward, over-the-shoulder wrist-flick useful as a last resort in recovering lobs. Tennis writer Bud Collins dubbed the shot the "Bucharest Backfire" after Năstase.
According to The Independent, Năstase is best remembered for being one of the best players never to win the singles title at Wimbledon, for his tantrums, and his good looks.
Athletic distinctions
- Năstase won the Tennis Masters Cup tournament (today ATP World Tour Finals) four times, in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975. Only Roger Federer (6 times), Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl and Novak Djokovic (5 times) succeeded to win more.
- He is one of the five tennis players (third place) in the world who won more than 100 pro titles (57 singles and 45 doubles) according to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) website, though there are many titles that are not included in the ATP statistics. (see Career statistics section).
- Năstase was the first professional sports figure to sign an endorsement contract with Adidas in 1972.
Awards and accolades
- Năstase was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.
- In 2005, TENNIS Magazine put Năstase in the 28th place in its list of 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS era.
- In March 2009 Ilie Năstase was made a knight of the France's Legion d'honneur, being acclaimed for his "impressive sporting career" and "the sense of spectacle" he created when playing.
Non-tennis activities
Năstase wrote several novels in French in the 1980s. He entered politics in the 1990s, making an unsuccessful run for mayor of Bucharest in 1996. Elected to the Romanian Senate for a Bucharest seat in 2012, he initially sat for the Conservative Party, switching to the National Union for the Progress of Romania in July 2015, after the former party ceased to exist.
Personal life
Năstase has been married four times: his first wife was Dominique Grazia, a Belgian fashion model, whom he married at the age of 26, and with whom he has a daughter, Nathalie. They were married for ten years. His second wife was American actress Alexandra King, whom he married in 1984 and with whom he adopted two children, Nicholas and Charlotte. His third wife was Romanian fashion model Amalia Teodosescu, whom he married in 2004. They have two children, Alessia and Emma Alexandra. After they split up in 2010, he married Romanian fashion model Brigitte Sfăt in 2013.
Maxim has placed Năstase at number 6 on its top ten "Living Sex Legends" list, as he is reputed to have slept with over 2500 women. Năstase's own guess, which was at 800-900 women, was too low for the writer of his biography who wanted a larger number, to improve his reputation, as it evidently did. After hearing this, his third wife, Amalia, said that she was happy to have conquered such a man. Năstase met Amalia at a Sting concert and married her in a Greek Orthodox ceremony on 5 June 2004 followed by a Civil ceremony in July of the same year. They divorced in February 2010, after six years of marriage. As he played for the Army's sports club Steaua, he was an employee of the Ministry of Defence. Now he has the rank of Major General.
Career statistics
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 5 (2-3)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1971 | French Open | Clay | Jan Kodeš | 6-8, 2-6, 6-2, 5-7 |
Runner-up | 1972 | Wimbledon | Grass | Stan Smith | 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 5-7 |
Winner | 1972 | US Open | Grass | Arthur Ashe | 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(1-5), 6-4, 6-3 |
Winner | 1973 | French Open | Clay | Nikola Pilić | 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 |
Runner-up | 1976 | Wimbledon | Grass | Björn Borg | 4-6, 2-6, 7-9 |
Doubles: 5 (3-2)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1966 | French Championships | Clay | Ion Țiriac | Clark Graebner Dennis Ralston |
3-6, 3-6, 0-6 |
Winner | 1970 | French Open | Clay | Ion Țiriac | Arthur Ashe Charlie Pasarell |
6-2, 6-4, 6-3 |
Runner-up | 1973 | French Open | Clay | Jimmy Connors | John Newcombe Tom Okker |
1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 4-6 |
Winner | 1973 | Wimbledon | Grass | Jimmy Connors | John Cooper Neale Fraser |
3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 8-9(3), 6-1 |
Winner | 1975 | US Open | Clay | Jimmy Connors | Tom Okker Marty Riessen |
6-4, 7-6 |
Mixed doubles: 3 (2-1)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1970 | Wimbledon | Grass | Rosemary Casals | Olga Morozova Alex Metreveli |
6-3, 4-6, 9-7 |
Winner | 1972 | Wimbledon | Grass | Rosemary Casals | Evonne Goolagong Cawley Kim Warwick |
6-4, 6-4 |
Runner-up | 1972 | US Open | Grass | Rosemary Casals | Margaret Court Marty Riessen |
3-6, 5-7 |
Year-End Championships
Singles: 5 (4-1)
Outcome | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1971 | Paris | Hard (i) | Stan Smith | 5-7, 7-6(7-4), 6-3 |
Winner | 1972 | Barcelona | Hard (i) | Stan Smith | 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 |
Winner | 1973 | Boston | Carpet | Tom Okker | 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 |
Runner-up | 1974 | Melbourne | Grass | Guillermo Vilas | 6-7(6-8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6 |
Winner | 1975 | Stockholm | Carpet | Björn Borg | 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 |
Singles performance timeline
W | F | SF | QF | R# | RR | Q# | A | NH |
Qualifying matches and Walkovers are neither official match wins nor losses.
Tournament | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | SR | W-L | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | 1R | 0 / 1 | 0-1 | 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||
French Open | 2R | 1R | QF | F | 1R | W | QF | 3R | QF | 1R | 3R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1 / 14 | 33-13 | 71.74 | ||||||
Wimbledon | 3R | 4R | 2R | F | 4R | 4R | 2R | F | QF | QF | 3R | 1R | 1R | 0 / 13 | 35-13 | 72.92 | |||||||
US Open | 4R | 3R | W | 2R | 3R | QF | SF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1 / 15 | 29-14 | 67.44 | |||||
Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 5-3 | 7-2 | 9-3 | 13-2 | 11-2 | 9-3 | 7-3 | 10-2 | 9-3 | 4-1 | 1-2 | 3-2 | 2-4 | 4-3 | 2-2 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 2 / 42 | 97-41 | 70.29 |
The Masters | W | W | W | F | W | 4 / 5 | 22-3 | 88.00 | |||||||||||||||
Davis Cup | P | P | P | F | P | F | F | SF | QF | P | P | QF | P | QF | 1R | 2R | 1R | 0 / 17 | 74-22 | 77.08 | |||
Tournaments | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 19 | 32 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 26 | 24 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 338 | ||
Titles-Finals | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 7-11 | 12-16 | 15-18 | 6-11 | 5-9 | 6-13 | 3-5 | 2-5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | *59 / 96 | *59-37 | 61.46 |
Overall Win-Loss | 0-2 | 2-2 | 9-2 | 24-13 | 40-13 | 76-12 | 120-20 | 114-17 | 77-21 | 91-21 | 76-13 | 48-19 | 48-21 | 30-23 | 22-25 | 22-26 | 15-25 | 8-13 | 4-14 | 1-4 | 827/1133 | ** | 72.99 |
Year End Ranking | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 49 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 118 | 202 | 431 | $2,076,761 |
- * including 57 pre-ATP and ATP titles
- ** including 749 - 287 (overall - 1036) listed by the ATP
Records
- These records were attained in the Open Era of tennis.
Championship | Years | Record accomplished | Player tied |
Masters Grand Prix | 1971-1975 | 88.00% (22-3) match winning percentage | Stands alone |
Grand Prix Tour | 1968-1985 | 42 five set match wins | Stands alone |
Singles titles (58)
As listed on the ATP website but including titles which predate the formation of the ATP in 1972.
No. | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 1970 | Salisbury, US | Carpet (i) | Cliff Richey | 6-8, 3-6, 6-4, 9-7, 6-0 |
2. | 1970 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Jan Kodeš | 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 8-6 |
3. | 1971 | Richmond, US | Hard (i) | Arthur Ashe | 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 |
4. | 1971 | Hampton, US | Hard (i) | Clark Graebner | 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 |
5. | 1971 | Nice, France | Hard | Jan Kodeš | 10-8, 11-9, 6-1 |
6. | 1971 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Tom Okker | 3-6, 8-6, 6-1, 6-1 |
7. | 1971 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Jan Leschly | 6-7, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 |
8. | 1971 | Wembley, UK | Hard (i) | Rod Laver | 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
9. | 1971 | Tennis Masters Cup, Paris | Carpet (i) | Stan Smith | 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 |
10. | 1972 | Baltimore, US | Hard | Jimmy Connors | 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 |
11. | 1972 | Omaha, US | Hard (i) | Ion Țiriac | 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 |
12. | 1972 | Monte Carlo, Monaco (2) | Clay | František Pala | 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 |
13. | 1972 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | František Pala | 6-0, 6-0, 6-1 |
14. | 1972 | Nice, France | Clay | Jan Kodeš | 6-0, 6-4, 6-3 |
15. | 1972 | Düsseldorf, Germany | Clay | Jürgen Fassbender | 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 |
16. | 1972 | Toronto, Canada | Clay | Andrew Pattison | 6-4, 6-3 |
17. | 1972 | US Open, New York | Grass | Arthur Ashe | 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 |
18. | 1972 | South Orange, US | Hard | Manuel Orantes | 6-4, 6-4 |
19. | 1972 | Seattle, US | Hard | Tom Gorman | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 |
20. | 1972 | London | Carpet (i) | Tom Gorman | 6-4, 6-3 |
21. | 1972 | Tennis Masters Cup, Barcelona (2) | Carpet (i) | Stan Smith | 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 |
22. | 1973 | Omaha, US | Hard (i) | Jimmy Connors | 5-0, retired |
23. | 1973 | Calgary, Canada | Hard (i) | Paul Gerken | 6-4, 7-6 |
24. | 1973 | Washington Indoor, US | Carpet (i) | Jimmy Connors | 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 |
25. | 1973 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Adriano Panatta | 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 |
26. | 1973 | Monte Carlo, Monaco (3) | Clay | Björn Borg | 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 |
27. | 1973 | Madrid, Spain (2) | Clay | Adriano Panatta | 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 |
28. | 1973 | Florence, Italy | Clay | Adriano Panatta | 6-3, 3-6, 0-6, 7-6, 6-4 |
29. | 1973 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Nikola Pilić | 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 |
30. | 1973 | Rome, Italy (2) | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 |
31. | 1973 | Queen's Club, London | Grass | Roger Taylor | 9-8, 6-3 |
32. | 1973 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Roy Emerson | 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 |
33. | 1973 | Cincinnati, US | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 |
34. | 1973 | Torneo Godó-Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 2-6, 6-1, 8-6, 6-4 |
35. | 1973 | Paris, France | Hard (i) | Stan Smith | 4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 |
36. | 1973 | Tennis Masters Cup, Boston (3) | Carpet (i) | Tom Okker | 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 |
37. | 1974 | Richmond, US | Carpet | Tom Gorman | 6-2, 6-3 |
38. | 1974 | Washington WCT, US | Carpet (i) | Tom Okker | 6-3, 6-3 |
39. | 1974 | Bournemouth, UK | Clay | Paolo Bertolucci | 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 |
40. | 1974 | Cedar Grove, US | Hard (i) | Juan Gisbert Sr. | 6-4, 7-6 |
41. | 1974 | Madrid, Spain (3) | Clay | Björn Borg | 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 |
42. | 1974 | Torneo Godó-Barcelona, Spain (2) | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 8-6, 9-7, 6-3 |
43. | 1975 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Juan Gisbert Sr. | 6-1, 7-5, 6-2 |
44. | 1975 | Valencia, Spain | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 6-3, 6-0 |
45. | 1975 | Madrid, Spain (4) | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 7-6, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 |
46. | 1975 | South Orange, US | Clay | Bob Hewitt | 7-6, 6-1 |
47. | 1975 | Tennis Masters Cup, Stockholm (4) | Hard (i) | Björn Borg | 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 |
48. | 1976 | Atlanta WCT, US | Carpet (i) | Jeff Borowiak | 6-2, 6-4 |
49. | 1976 | Salisbury, US | Carpet (i) | Jimmy Connors | 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 |
50. | 1976 | La Costa, US | Hard | Jimmy Connors | 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 |
51. | 1976 | Pepsi Grand Slam, Myrtle Beach | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 6-4, 6-3 |
52. | 1976 | Honolulu Challenge Cup | Hard | Arthur Ashe | 6-3, 1-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-1 |
53. | 1976 | South Orange, US | Clay | Roscoe Tanner | 6-4, 6-2 |
54. | 1977 | Mexico City WCT, Mexico | Hard | Wojtek Fibak | 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 |
55. | 1977 | Aix en Provence, France | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | 6-1, 7-5, ret. |
56. | 1977 | Las Vegas Challenge Cup, US | Hard | Jimmy Connors | 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5 |
57. | 1978 | Miami, US | Carpet (i) | Tom Gullikson | 6-3, 7-5 |
58. | 1978 | Montego Bay Challenge Cup, Jamaica | Hard | Peter Fleming | 2-6, 5-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 |
Singles runners-up (38)
No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 1969 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Nikola Pilić | 4-6, 6-4, 1-6 |
2. | 1970 | Brussels, Belgium | Clay | Tom Okker | 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-4, 4-6 |
3. | 1970 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Tom Okker | 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 4-6 |
4. | 1971 | Macon, U.S. | Hard | Željko Franulović | 4-6, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 |
5. | 1971 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Jan Kodeš | 6-8, 2-6, 6-2, 5-7 |
6. | 1971 | Brussels, Belgium | Clay | Cliff Drysdale | 0-6, 1-6, 5-7 |
7. | 1971 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Željko Franulović | 3-6, 6-7, 1-6 |
8. | 1972 | Salisbury, U.S. | Hard (i) | Stan Smith | 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 4-6 |
9. | 1972 | Hampton, U.S. | Hard (i) | Stan Smith | 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, 4-6 |
10. | 1972 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Stan Smith | 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 5-7 |
11. | 1972 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Manuel Orantes | 4-6, 3-6, 1-6 |
12. | 1973 | Hampton, U.S. | Hard (i) | Jimmy Connors | 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 3-6 |
13. | 1973 | Bournemouth, United Kingdom | Clay | Adriano Panatta | 8-6, 5-7, 3-6 |
14. | 1973 | London | Carpet | Tom Okker | 3-6, 4-6 |
15. | 1974 | Toronto WCT, Canada | Carpet | Tom Okker | 3-6, 4-6 |
16. | 1974 | Hampton, U.S. | Carpet | Jimmy Connors | 4-6, 4-6 |
17. | 1974 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Andrew Pattison | 7-5, 3-6, 4-6 |
18. | 1974 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Björn Borg | 3-6, 4-6, 2-6 |
19. | 1974 | Tennis Masters Cup, Melbourne | Grass | Guillermo Vilas | 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6 |
20. | 1975 | Basel, Switzerland | Carpet | Jiří Hřebec | 1-6, 6-7, 6-2, 4-6 |
21. | 1975 | Tucson, U.S. | Hard | John Alexander | 5-7, 2-6 |
22. | 1975 | Louisville, U.S. | Clay | Guillermo Vilas | 4-6, 3-6 |
23. | 1975 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Manuel Orantes | 6-7, 0-6, 1-6 |
24. | 1976 | Baltimore, U.S. | Carpet | Tom Gorman | 5-7, 3-6 |
25. | 1976 | Hampton, U.S. | Carpet | Jimmy Connors | 2-6, 2-6, 2-6 |
26. | 1976 | Caracas WCT, Venezuela | Clay | Raúl Ramírez | 3-6, 4-6 |
27. | 1976 | Stockholm WCT, Sweden | Carpet | Wojtek Fibak | 4-6, 6-7 |
28. | 1976 | Nottingham, U.K. | Grass | Jimmy Connors | Match abandoned due to rain |
29. | 1976 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Björn Borg | 4-6, 2-6, 7-9 |
30. | 1976 | Hong Kong | Hard | Ken Rosewall | 3-6, 3-6 |
31. | 1977 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Carpet | Dick Stockton | 6-2, 3-6, 3-6 |
32. | 1977 | Virginia Beach, U.S. | Hard | Guillermo Vilas | 2-6, 6-4, 2-6 |
33. | 1978 | Houston WCT, U.S. | Clay | Brian Gottfried | 6-3, 2-6, 1-6 |
34. | 1978 | Forest Hills WCT, U.S. | Clay | Vitas Gerulaitis | 2-6, 0-6 |
35. | 1978 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Balázs Taróczy | 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6 |
36. | 1979 | Cleveland, U.S. | Hard | Stan Smith | 6-7, 5-7 |
37. | 1981 | Nancy, France | Hard (i) | Pavel Složil | 2-6, 5-7 |
38. | 1981 | Bologna, Italy | Carpet | Sandy Mayer | 5-7, 3-6 |
Sources for this section
- Michel Sutter, Vainqueurs Winners 1946-2003, Paris, 2003. Sutter has attempted to list all tournaments meeting his criteria for selection beginning with 1946 and ending in the fall of 1991. For each tournament, he has indicated the city, the date of the final, the winner, the runner-up, and the score of the final. A tournament is included in his list if: (1) the draw for the tournament included at least eight players (with a few exceptions, such as the Pepsi Grand Slam tournaments in the second half of the 1970s); and (2) the level of the tournaments was at least equal to the present day challenger tournaments. Sutter's book is probably the most exhaustive source of tennis tournament information since World War II, even though some professional tournaments held before the start of the open era are missing. Later, Sutter issued a second edition of his book, with only the players, their wins, and years from 1946 to 27 April 2003, period.
- John Barrett, editor, World of Tennis Yearbooks, London, from 1976 to 1983.
- Joe McCauley in Mr Nastase: The Autobiography, by Ilie Năstase with Debbie Beckerman, 2004.
- 1982 WCT Yearbook
- ATP Official Guide to Professional Tennis 2004 (page G18).
Other titles (28)
Here are Năstase's tournament wins that are not included in the statistics on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) website. The website is very incomplete from 1968 to 1970 and has some omissions for tournaments held since 1968.
Năstase won several tournaments during the early years of his career that were equivalent to the present day "challenger" tournaments. Because the term "challenger" started to be applied to second-rank tournaments in 1978, those tournaments are termed "minor tournaments" in the following list.
- 1967 - Cannes (minor tournament), Travemünde (minor tournament)
- 1968 - Viareggio, Bucharest (minor tournament)
- 1969 - Madras (minor tournament), New Delhi (minor tournament), Gauhati (minor tournament), Travemünde, La Corogne, Budapest, Denver
- 1970 - Napoli, Ancona
- 1971 - Omaha, Istanbul
- 1973 - Istanbul, Kingston
- 1974 - Portland, World Invitational Tennis Classic (WITC) at Hilton Head (four-man invitational tournament, not to be confused with the CBS Classic tournament also played at Hilton Head)
- 1975 - WITC at Hilton Head (four-man invitational tournament), Helsinki, Dutch Round Robin (Utrecht Netherlands), Graz, Uppsala
- 1976 - Caracas (a four-man invitation tournament in October, not to be confused with the Caracas WCT in March that was won by Raúl Ramírez), Argentine Round Robin (invitational tournament)
- 1977 - Rotterdam World Star (invitational tournament)
- 1978 - Frankfurt (invitational tournament)
Doubles ATP titles (45)
No. | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 1970 | Philadelphia WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Ion Țiriac | Arthur Ashe Dennis Ralston |
6-4, 6-3 |
2. | 1970 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Ion Țiriac | Arthur Ashe Charlie Pasarell |
6-2, 6-4, 6-3 |
3. | 1970 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Ion Țiriac | William Bowrey Owen Davidson |
0-6, 10-8, 6-3, 6-8, 6-1 |
4. | 1970 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Clay | Ion Țiriac | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan |
6-3, 6-4 |
5. | 1971 | Hampton, U.S. | Hard (i) | Ion Țiriac | Clark Graebner Thomaz Koch |
6-4, 4-6, 7-5 |
6. | 1971 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Ion Țiriac | Tom Okker Roger Taylor |
1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 8-6 |
7. | 1971 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Željko Franulović | Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol |
6-4, 6-4 |
8. | 1972 | Kansas City, U.S. | Indoor | Ion Țiriac | Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes |
6-7, 6-4, 7-6 |
9. | 1972 | Hampton, U.S. | Hard (i) | Ion Țiriac | Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes |
6-4, 7-6 |
10. | 1972 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Stan Smith | Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes |
6-2, 6-2 |
11. | 1972 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Ion Țiriac | Lew Hoad Frew McMillan |
3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-3, RET. |
12. | 1972 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Jan Kodeš | Bob Hewitt Ion Țiriac |
4-6, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 |
13. | 1972 | Montreal, Canada | Clay | Ion Țiriac | Jan Kodeš Jan Kukal |
7-6, 6-3 |
14. | 1973 | Salisbury, U.S. | Hard (i) | Clark Graebner | Jürgen Fassbender Juan Gisbert |
6-2, 6-4 |
15. | 1973 | Calgary, Canada | Indoor | Mike Estep | Szabolcz Baranyi Péter Szőke |
7-6, 6-3 |
16. | 1973 | Hampton, U.S. | Hard (i) | Clark Graebner | Jimmy Connors Ion Țiriac |
6-2, 6-1 |
17. | 1973 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Juan Gisbert | Georges Goven Patrick Proisy |
6-4, 5-7, 6-4 |
18. | 1973 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Jimmy Connors | John Cooper Neale Fraser |
3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 8-9, 6-1 |
19. | 1973 | South Orange, U.S. | Hard | Jimmy Connors | Richard Pancho Gonzales Tom Gorman |
6-7, 6-3, 6-2 |
20. | 1973 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Tom Okker | Antonio Muñoz Manuel Orantes |
4-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
21. | 1973 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Tom Okker | Bob Carmichael Frew McMillan |
2-6, 6-3, 7-5 |
22. | 1973 | Paris, France | Hard (i) | Juan Gisbert | Arthur Ashe Roscoe Tanner |
6-3, 6-4 |
23. | 1973 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Jimmy Connors | Bob Carmichael Frew McMillan |
7-6, 7-5 |
24. | 1974 | Bournemouth, England | Clay | Juan Gisbert | Corrado Barazzutti Paolo Bertolucci |
6-2, 7-5 |
25. | 1974 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Clay | Jimmy Connors | Jürgen Fassbender Hans-Jürgen Pohmann |
6-7, 6-3, 6-4 |
26. | 1974 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Juan Gisbert | Manuel Orantes Guillermo Vilas |
3-6, 6-0, 6-2 |
27. | 1974 | London, England | Carpet | Jimmy Connors | Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez |
3-6, 7-6, 6-3 |
28. | 1975 | Salisbury, U.S. | Carpet | Jimmy Connors | Jan Kodeš Roger Taylor |
4-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
29. | 1975 | South Orange, U.S. | Clay | Jimmy Connors | Dick Crealy John Lloyd |
7-6, 7-5 |
30. | 1975 | US Open, New York | Clay | Jimmy Connors | Tom Okker Marty Riessen |
6-4, 6-4 |
31. | 1975 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Jan Kodeš | Juan Gisbert Manuel Orantes |
7-6, 4-6, 9-7 |
32. | 1976 | Stockholm WCT, Sweden | Carpet | Alex Metreveli | Tom Okker Adriano Panatta |
6-4, 7-5 |
33. | 1977 | St. Louis WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Adriano Panatta | Vijay Amritraj Dick Stockton |
6-4, 3-6, 7-6 |
34. | 1977 | London WCT, England | Hard (i) | Adriano Panatta | Mark Cox Eddie Dibbs |
7-6, 6-7, 6-3 |
35. | 1977 | Houston WCT, U.S. | Hard | Adriano Panatta | John Alexander Phil Dent |
6-3, 6-4 |
36. | 1977 | Aix-en-Provence, France | Clay | Ion Țiriac | Patrice Dominguez Rolf Norberg |
7-5, 7-6 |
37. | 1979 | Sarasota, U.S. | Carpet | Steve Krulevitz | John James Keith Richardson |
7-6, 6-3 |
38. | 1979 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Raúl Ramírez | Victor Pecci Balázs Taróczy |
6-3, 6-4 |
39. | 1979 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | Brian Gottfried | Robert Lutz Stan Smith |
1-6, 6-3, 7-6 |
40. | 1979 | Atlanta, U.S. | Hard | Raymond Moore | Steve Docherty Eliot Teltscher |
6-4, 6-2 |
41. | 1979 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | Tom Okker | Mike Cahill Colin Dibley |
7-5, 6-4 |
42. | 1981 | Nancy, France | Hard (i) | Adriano Panatta | John Feaver Jiří Hřebec |
6-4, 2-6, 6-4 |
43. | 1981 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | José Luis Clerc | Markus Günthardt Pavel Složil |
7-6, 6-7, 7-6 |
44. | 1981 | Paris, France | Hard (i) | Yannick Noah | Andrew Jarrett Jonathan Smith |
6-4, 6-4 |
45. | 1985 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | Brad Gilbert | Michael Robertson Florin Segărceanu |
6-3, 6-2 |