Corrado Barazzutti
A tenacious Italian baseliner who rose to world number seven and became the heart of his country's first Davis Cup triumph.
Born 1953 (age 73)·Italian tennis player·Birthday: February 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Corrado Barazzutti's game was not built on overpowering flair but on relentless consistency, a sharp tactical mind, and exceptional fitness. In the late 1970s, his dogged baseline style propelled him to the top ten, peaking at world number seven in 1978—a rare feat for an Italian man at the time. His greatest legacy, however, is written in team competition. Barazzutti was the emotional and competitive cornerstone of the Italian Davis Cup squad that, against all odds, captured the title in 1976. His two crucial singles victories in the final against Chile epitomized his fighting spirit. After retiring, he seamlessly transitioned into leadership, captaining Italy's Davis Cup team and later serving as the tournament director of the prestigious Italian Open, where his deep understanding of the game shaped the event for a new era.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Corrado was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Corrado Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Corrado's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 7 in August 1978.
- Won five ATP singles titles, including at Bournemouth and Cairo.
- Was instrumental in Italy's 1976 Davis Cup victory, winning both his singles rubbers in the final.
- Reached the semifinals of both the French Open (1978) and the US Open (1977).
Did You Know?
He was nicknamed 'Il Guerriero' (The Warrior) for his fighting spirit on court.
He served as the tournament director of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome for many years.
After his playing career, he became a successful coach and Davis Cup captain for Italy.
“My game was built on patience, on making the other man play one more shot until he missed.”
