# Ernests Gulbis
**Ernests Gulbis** (born 1988 in Riga, Latvia) is a Latvian former professional tennis player who reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 10 on 9 June 2014 after a run to the Roland Garros semifinal, and who won six [ATP Tour](https://www.edgepedia.org/atp-tour) singles titles without ever losing a final.[1](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/p-p/g858/bio) • [2](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis) • [3](https://tennis.esp.br/en/players/ernests-gulbis) Known for an all-out attacking game and an outspoken manner, he was a fixture of tour conversation for more than a decade.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/tennis/ernests-gulbis-i-enjoy-going-out-you-can-t-think-only-about-tennis-2269657.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988, Riga, Latvia; right-handed, 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)[2](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis) |
| Career-high ranking | No. 10, 9 June 2014, after the Roland Garros semifinal[1](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/p-p/g858/bio) |
| Singles titles | 6 ATP titles, 6–1 in finals: Delray Beach 2010, Los Angeles 2011, Delray Beach 2013, St. Petersburg 2013, Marseille 2014, Nice 2014[3](https://tennis.esp.br/en/players/ernests-gulbis) • [17](https://www.nbcsports.com/tennis/news/stefanos-tsitsipas-wins-stockholm-open) |
| Best Grand Slam results | Roland Garros semifinal 2014; quarterfinal 2008; US Open fourth round 2007[2](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis) |
| Career record | 248-239 in tour-level singles; prize money $7,668,948[2](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis) • [3](https://tennis.esp.br/en/players/ernests-gulbis) |
| Playing style | Attacking baseline game built on a powerful forehand and big serve, with a noted drop shot[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/tennis/ernests-gulbis-i-enjoy-going-out-you-can-t-think-only-about-tennis-2269657.html) • [5](https://sport360.com/article/tennis/wimbledon/240109/wimbledon-ernests-gulbis-walks-away-with-positives-following-surreal-third-round-against-novak-djokovic) |
| Career end | Retirement reported in February 2024[6](https://www.tennisnet.com/news/offiziell-ernests-gulbis-beendet-seine-karriere) |
## Background and development
Gulbis began playing tennis at age 5 with his grandmother and earned his first ATP ranking point at 15, on 5 July 2004, after a Challenger debut in Zell, Germany as a wildcard.[1](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/p-p/g858/bio) From age 12 to 18 he trained at the Tennis Academy in Munich founded by former ATP pro Niki Pilic, where [Novak Djokovic](https://www.edgepedia.org/novak-djokovic) also learned the game; the two spent several years at the same academy in Bavaria.[7](https://www.atptour.com/-/media/files/media-guide/2016/atp2016_player_bios_e_to_k.pdf) • [8](https://www.lemonde.fr/roland-garros/article/2014/06/06/j13-carre-d-as_6002808_1616946.html)
His family background drew frequent comment. His father, Ainars, is an investment businessman and former basketball player, and his mother, Milena, is a drama theater actress; he has three sisters and a younger brother.[7](https://www.atptour.com/-/media/files/media-guide/2016/atp2016_player_bios_e_to_k.pdf) His paternal grandfather played basketball for the Soviet Union and his maternal grandfather was a leading film director.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/tennis/ernests-gulbis-i-enjoy-going-out-you-can-t-think-only-about-tennis-2269657.html)
## Playing style
Gulbis played an offensive-minded game that relied on his forehand, and he was early pegged as dangerous mainly on fast surfaces.[9](https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/the-last-word-atp-no-24-ernests-gulbis) Writers described a game with variety, including a superb drop shot, and explosiveness to burn, but one that for years lacked texture: he drilled nearly every forehand at full power, rarely changed the tempo of a match that was going badly, and did not always adjust to his opponent.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/tennis/ernests-gulbis-i-enjoy-going-out-you-can-t-think-only-about-tennis-2269657.html) At his best, the raw tools were evident; in Delray Beach in 2010 he broke Ivo Karlovic, one of the tour's biggest servers, three times in a final by reading the direction of the first serve.[10](https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/the-ernests-truth)
The cost of the high-risk style showed in his numbers. In a 2013 Italian Open match against [Rafael Nadal](https://www.edgepedia.org/rafael-nadal) he hit 59 winners against 50 unforced errors, out-aced Nadal 15-0, and won 97 points to Nadal's 94, yet lost in two hours and 38 minutes after saving two match points in the third set.[11](https://www.si.com/tennis/2013/05/16/rafael-nadal-ernests-gulbis-italian-open) "I was the better player in the match," Gulbis said afterward, adding that Nadal "is not going to give you anything free."[11](https://www.si.com/tennis/2013/05/16/rafael-nadal-ernests-gulbis-italian-open)
## Career highlights
Gulbis broke into the top 100 on 26 February 2007 and the top 50 on 8 October 2007 after Challenger titles, and reached the US Open fourth round in his breakthrough 2007 season.[1](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/p-p/g858/bio) • [2](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis) His six titles were Delray Beach in 2010 and 2013, Los Angeles in 2011, St. Petersburg in 2013, and [Marseille](https://www.edgepedia.org/marseille) and Nice in 2014; he was runner-up at Stockholm in 2018, losing to [Stefanos Tsitsipas](https://www.edgepedia.org/stefanos-tsitsipas) 6-4, 6-4 in the final.[3](https://tennis.esp.br/en/players/ernests-gulbis)
His best [Grand Slam](https://www.edgepedia.org/grand-slam-tennis) run came at Roland Garros 2014, where he beat [Roger Federer](https://www.edgepedia.org/roger-federer) in the fourth round before losing to Djokovic in the semifinal, a result that lifted him to No. 10, his only weeks inside the top ten.[1](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/p-p/g858/bio) • [2](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis) • [12](https://www.lemonde.fr/roland-garros/article/2014/06/06/best-of-gulbis_6002806_1616946.html) He had earlier reached the 2008 [French Open](https://www.edgepedia.org/french-open) quarterfinal, and returned to the fourth round there in 2016 and at Wimbledon 2018.[2](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis) • [13](https://www.opendorleans.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Dossier-de-Presse-Open-dOrl%C3%A9ans-2019.pdf)
Against the era's leading players his record was lopsided: 0-7 against Nadal and 1-7 against Djokovic, though he held winning records against opponents such as Andreas Seppi (6-1) and Albert Montanes (5-1).[3](https://tennis.esp.br/en/players/ernests-gulbis) By surface he finished 142-140 on hard courts, 76-70 on clay, and 15-24 on grass.[3](https://tennis.esp.br/en/players/ernests-gulbis)
## Public statements
Gulbis was one of the tour's most quotable players. Before the 2013 French Open he told L'Equipe that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and [Andy Murray](https://www.edgepedia.org/andy-murray) were, for him, "all boring players," and argued that tennis should be more like boxing; he had earlier said the four lacked charisma while calling them brilliant players.[14](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/may/29/ernests-gulbis-french-open-rant) • [15](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/tennis/wimbledon-2013-greedy-ernests-gulbis-is-quick-to-exploit-jowilfried-tsonga-s-weakness-8675794.html) At the same tournament in 2014 he said that a woman's main task should be to have children rather than play tennis, remarks that drew wide criticism.[16](https://www.lemonde.fr/roland-garros/article/2014/05/30/pour-ernests-gulbis-une-femme-doit-penser-a-faire-des-enfants-pas-jouer-au-tennis_6002797_1616946.html) He was also known for smashing rackets, telling French media in 2014 that he owed at least one broken racket to every court on the planet.[12](https://www.lemonde.fr/roland-garros/article/2014/06/06/best-of-gulbis_6002806_1616946.html)
## Later career and retirement
Gulbis's ranking declined steadily after 2014; he played fewer events each season and his last tour-level matches came in the early 2020s, including [Davis Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/davis-cup) ties for Latvia and qualifying appearances at Roland Garros 2018.[3](https://tennis.esp.br/en/players/ernests-gulbis) • [2](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis) In February 2024 the Austrian tennis site tennisnet.com reported that Gulbis had officially ended his career.[6](https://www.tennisnet.com/news/offiziell-ernests-gulbis-beendet-seine-karriere)
## References
1. [Ernests Gulbis Bio, ATP Tour](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/p-p/g858/bio)
2. [Ernests Gulbis Player Card, Roland-Garros](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/players/13650-e.gulbis)
3. [Ernests Gulbis: matches, ranking and statistics, Tennis.esp.br](https://tennis.esp.br/en/players/ernests-gulbis)
4. [Ernests Gulbis: 'I enjoy going out. You can't think only about tennis', The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/tennis/ernests-gulbis-i-enjoy-going-out-you-can-t-think-only-about-tennis-2269657.html)
5. [Wimbledon: Ernests Gulbis walks away with positives following 'surreal' third round against Novak Djokovic, Sport360](https://sport360.com/article/tennis/wimbledon/240109/wimbledon-ernests-gulbis-walks-away-with-positives-following-surreal-third-round-against-novak-djokovic)
6. [Offiziell: Ernests Gulbis beendet seine Karriere, tennisnet.com](https://www.tennisnet.com/news/offiziell-ernests-gulbis-beendet-seine-karriere)
7. [ERNESTS GULBIS (LAT), ATP 2016 Media Guide](https://www.atptour.com/-/media/files/media-guide/2016/atp2016_player_bios_e_to_k.pdf)
8. [J13 - Carré d'as, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/roland-garros/article/2014/06/06/j13-carre-d-as_6002808_1616946.html)
9. [The Last Word: ATP No. 24, Ernests Gulbis, Tennis.com](https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/the-last-word-atp-no-24-ernests-gulbis)
10. [The Ernests Truth, Tennis.com](https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/the-ernests-truth)
11. [Rafael Nadal survives stern test from Ernests Gulbis at Italian Open, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/tennis/2013/05/16/rafael-nadal-ernests-gulbis-italian-open)
12. [Best of Gulbis, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/roland-garros/article/2014/06/06/best-of-gulbis_6002806_1616946.html)
13. [Dossier de Presse Open d'Orléans 2019](https://www.opendorleans.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Dossier-de-Presse-Open-dOrl%C3%A9ans-2019.pdf)
14. [Top four are boring, let's make tennis more like boxing – Ernests Gulbis, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/may/29/ernests-gulbis-french-open-rant)
15. [Wimbledon 2013: Greedy Ernests Gulbis is quick to exploit Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's weakness, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/tennis/wimbledon-2013-greedy-ernests-gulbis-is-quick-to-exploit-jowilfried-tsonga-s-weakness-8675794.html)
16. [Pour Ernests Gulbis, une femme doit penser à faire des enfants, pas jouer au tennis, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/roland-garros/article/2014/05/30/pour-ernests-gulbis-une-femme-doit-penser-a-faire-des-enfants-pas-jouer-au-tennis_6002797_1616946.html)
17. [Tsitsipas wins Stockholm Open; becomes first Greek to claim ATP title](https://www.nbcsports.com/tennis/news/stefanos-tsitsipas-wins-stockholm-open)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Racket and precision ball sports › Tennis › Tennis players and seasons › Individual tennis player biographies › Nordic and Baltic tennis player biographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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