Entering the pro circuit between the late ’90s and early 2000s was anything but simple. Back then, icons Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi largely dictated the game’s pace, alongside figures like Marat Safin, and Andy Roddick. Just taking his first steps was none other than Roger Federer, soon to be joined by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Competing and earning notable results during this demanding era was Olivier Rochus, a player who always stood out due to his height.
The immense majority of ATP circuit players measure over six feet tall (1.80 meters), with many easily surpassing that stature. However, Rochus, a native of Belgium, stood at the opposite extreme.
In the Open Era, he is the third shortest male player in tennis history at just 5-foot-6 (168 centimeters). For context, the shortest was Spaniard Angel Gimenez (5-foot-4), and the second shortest was American Harold Salomon (5-foot-5).
The notable career of Olivier Rochus
Olivier Rochus competed as a professional from 1999 through 2014. While his most significant achievements came in doubles alongside his compatriot Xavier Malisse, he still managed to capture two singles titles (Palermo in 2000 and Munich in 2006) and climbed as high as World No. 24.
In doubles, he achieved his greatest glory with Malisse, winning Roland Garros in 2004. The pair also claimed the Adelaide title in 2005. His competitive career wrapped up in 2014, concluding a 15-year run at the sport’s highest level, marked by several important victories.
The mythic match that stunned Djokovic
Undeniably, the most important singles victory of Olivier Rochus’s career came in 2010 against Novak Djokovic at the Miami Masters 1000. On Nole’s favored hardcourt surface—and at a time when the Serb already possessed a Grand Slam title and stood on the cusp of his career-defining 2011 season—the Belgian underdog shocked the tennis world by defeating Djokovic in Miami by a score of 6-2, 6-7, 6-4.
Strong accusations against Rafael Nadal
Olivier Rochus first publicly targeted Rafael Nadal in 2013, when he suggested the Spanish tennis star was doping, according to the Belgian outlet La Libre Belgique. “There are only rumors about Nadal, but there are many,” Rochus questioned. “Perhaps enough to ask this question: How can he dominate Roland Garros and one month later be unable to play?”
“If controls were public, we wouldn’t have to listen to stupid comments like that without any proof. It’s incredible that such things are said. Let him present proof and then we’ll talk,” he added.
Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle and former coach, responded without hesitation in an interview with Punto de Break. “Besides being an imbecile, he is ill-mannered. He is a true imbecile because if one knew [something], it would be fine to say it. But knowing, as I believe he should know, that Rafael has never taken anything in his life and surely won’t, I find it incredible that a fool like this says what he said,” Toni Nadal stated.
The controversy didn’t end there. The Belgian later took aim at Nadal again during the 2014 Australian Open Final, where Rafa lost to Stan Wawrinka. Rochus suggested the treatment Nadal received during a medical timeout was suspicious.
“When he returned from the locker room he was limping. Then, surprisingly, he could run in the third and fourth sets. He clearly left the court to receive an injection,” the Belgian asserted during the Eurosport broadcast.
Life after the ATP tour
After retiring from professional play, Rochus transitioned into a commentator role, working for the French television network Eurosport. On a personal level, he is married with two children and remains a passionate golfer. His social media presence frequently features shared content about his family and nostalgic throwbacks to his tennis career.