Status: Winner of one ATP singles title. Career high singles rank #13 in July 2006. Has career wins over Sampras, Agassi, Djokovic.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 172
DOB: July 23, 1981 In: Masku, Finland
Tennis Inspirations: “Vilas when Borg and McEnroe played. Becker, Edberg and Sampras.”
Nicknames: “Just my first name. I haven’t had any nice nicknames [smiles].”
Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “Well, listen to music, watching movies, doing the sports like ice hockey, soccer, basketball, floor hockey, badminton.”
Early Tennis Memory: “I have so many of those, which ones should I pick…I remember when I was hitting the ball against our living rooom window. I was doing that like the whole day. Playing tennis inside, hitting against the window (age 5). And the window didn’t break, just like, it was loose [smiles].”
Pre-Match Feeling: “It depends on what kind of match there is. But the first time I played against Sampras was really fun because he used to be my idol. I started to play better and I was able to beat him. I was really excited and deeply concentrated to my own game. Because he was really my idol when I was a young boy. I just try to concentrate on my own game. And try to analyze my game and the opponent’s game as well as I can.”
First Job: “Tennis.”
First Car: “That was Fiat (blue).”
Favorite Meal: “Meatballs.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Blueberry.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Well, I think when I won my first title in 2006 (Auckland). I was so close so many times before, finally won it. So it was, at least, one of the best moments.”
Most Painful Moment: “Hmmm…there’s many painful moments. But it must be the most painful matches when I had – I lost a few – after I had match points. Not so lately but a few years ago.”
Favorite Tournaments: “U.S. Open. Wimbledon. Stockholm. Madrid. Barcelona. Australia. I also like playing in Asia.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “I’m pretty close with the Swedish guys like Simon Aspelin. Guys from Nordic countries, guys from Sweden, Denmark.”
Funniest Players: “Simon Aspelin. (Aspelin interjects with a smile, “Ask him again what he thinks before the match because I want to hear the truth.”)
Toughest Competitors: “Well, Federer has been the toughest for me. And obviously many guys. But I have played ten times against him and never beaten him, never won a set.”
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “No I don’t have any embarrassing memories. Just playing really bad on big courts – that’s maybe the most embarrassing.”
Funny Memory: “It’s tough to pick one. There’s many but not when you ask [smiles]…well, once I served to my doubles partner’s ass. And really, real like hard. That was pretty embarrassing. It was a guy from my club (age 17).”
Favorite Vacation: “I would like to go to Nepal. The big mountains, Himalayas.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “I like open-minded, polite, respect other people.”
Family: Wife, Anu.
You can read more tennis Biofiles and essays at www.tennis-prose.com
Topics: Basketball Floor, Edberg, First Car, First Job, Floor Hockey, Greatest Sports, Hockey Soccer, Jarkko Nieminen, Leisure Activities, Madrid Barcelona, Mcenroe, Nordic Countries, Painful Moment, Playing Tennis, Simon Aspelin, Soccer Basketball, Sports Moment, Sweden Denmark, Tennis Friends, Vilas
Biofile with Jarkko Nieminen