Moya, one of the sport's class acts, is attempting a comeback at Indian Wells, in the same tournament where he became No. 1 in the world in 1999. He stayed there only two weeks, but that was enough to last him a lifetime.
The tennis career of Carlos Moya will end with grace and dignity, reflecting the man himself.
That end may not come for a year or two. But he is 33, is six months from becoming a father for the first time, and is clearly in the twilight of a career that, for the better part of 15 years, was all sunshine.
He is in Indian Wells to play in the BNP Paribas Open this week and next, and it is the perfect place for him to begin the end.
"I love it here," he says. "The memories . . ."
It was 11 years ago in this tournament, March 15, 1999, that the Spaniard with movie-star looks and world-class game became the No. 1 men's player in the world. He won a semifinal against Gustavo Kuerten, and the points that came with that made him No. 1. Tournament organizers brought a cake onto the court, and the celebration began.
"I knew at the start of the tournament I had a chance," Moya says. "Four of us did. Me, Pete Sampras, Pat Rafter and Alex Corretja. They all lost their first match and I had a lot of pressure from then on. I knew if I got to the final, I would be No. 1."
He had never beaten Kuerten, a three-time French Open champion, and he remembers his battle with nerves in the last game.
"I was telling myself this was going to happen, if I can serve it out," he says. "Then there was just relief after match point."
He lost to Mark Philippoussis in the final but still had a chance to stay No. 1 for at least another month. All he had to do was beat Sebastien Grosjean in the round of 16 at the next tournament in Miami.
"I had two or three match points, but he won," Moya says.
Still, as it should be, his two-week reign at the top of men's tennis remains a huge source of pride. He was the first Spaniard to do it. Not 1975 U.S. Open champion Manual Orantes, not two-time French champion Sergi Bruguera, not two-time French finalist Corretja.
Moya says that many more players have won Grand Slam tournaments (he won the '98 French) and have helped win Davis Cups for their country (he won the title point by beating Andy Roddick and the United States in 2004), than have been No. 1.
And he's correct. Since the rankings began and Ilie Nastase became No. 1 on Aug. 23, 1973, only 24 men have held the top spot.
Right now, Moya's ranking is No. 639. He has played in four tournaments this year and won one match. He is in the main draw here because he asked for a wild card and was quickly granted one.
