Alex Bogomolov, Jr. - Tennis Career

Tennis Career

Bogomolov's father, Alex, Sr., was a former Soviet national tennis coach who worked with Larisa Neiland, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and Andrei Medvedev. Born in Moscow, Russia, the 5' 10" Bogomolov was the no. 1 ranked USTA player for the 18s section in 2000, and had a career-high ranking of world no. 33 on October 31, 2011.

In 1998, Bogomolov won the USTA National Boys’ 16 Championships, defeating Andy Roddick in the final. As of July 2005, he had won three singles championships and one doubles title on the USTA circuit.

In 2005, he was suspended for 1.5 months due to a positive doping test during the Australian Open. The banned substance found was salbutamol, which Bogomolov admitted taking through an inhaler to treat exercise-induced asthma. However, he had not filed the proper paperwork and was not covered by an exemption. The tribunal found that there had been no intent to enhance performance by the taking of salbutamol, so the otherwise mandatory two-year ban did not apply. He also had to forfeit prize money and ranking points earned at the Australian Open and other competitions.

In July 2008, he won the Shotgun 21 world championship at the Pacific Palisades Tennis Center, defeating John Isner in semifinal, and Philip King in final, twice by the score of 21–20.

Bogomolov beat world no. 83 Bobby Reynolds, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, in Waco, Texas in September 2008. After having surgery on his left wrist in late 2008, Bogomolov began work at athe Gotham Tennis Academy.

In July 2009 at the Hall of Fame Championships, he upset fifth-seeded Arnaud Clément of France, 1–6, 6–3, 6–4.

Bogomolov won his first Challenger title in three years in Champaign-Urbana over Amer Delic, 5–7, 7–6, 6–3. It is his first title of 2010.

In 2011, he defeated Andy Murray in straight sets, 6–1, 7–5, in the second round of the Miami Masters 1000. He was defeated by John Isner in the third round, 2–6, 6–7. At the 2011 Farmers Classic, Bogomolov was defeated by Ernests Gulbis in the semifinals, 2–6, 6–7. He defeated Robby Ginepri in straight sets, 6–4, 6–3, in the first round of the Western & Southern Open. He set up a rematch against Andy Murray, after defeating an out-of-sorts world no. 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6–3, 6–4, in the second round. He lost to Murray, 2–6, 5–7.

At the US Open, he lost in the third round to John Isner, 6–7, 4–6, 4–6. He was eliminated in the first round in Kuala Lumpur by Marcos Baghdatis, 6–7, 4–6.

On December 1, 2011, the International Tennis Federation ruled him eligible to compete for Russia in the Davis Cup. Bogomolov lost to American wild card Jack Sock in the opening round of Atlanta Open.