Comeback Kid Guccione Loses 70 Pounds, Helps Australia Reach ATP Cup Final Eight

Before the inaugural ATP Cup, Aussie Chris Guccione hadn't played a doubles match in three years, since the 2017 Australian Open quarter-finals.

Guccione couldn't sprint after a tennis ball without pain, much less play a three-hour doubles match. Having been bothered by Achilles pain for eight years and been forced to limp or hobble around the house, in January 2017, Guccione took a sabbatical from professional tennis and started teaching the sport with his brother, Anthony, in Melbourne.

But he left open the possibility of a potential comeback by applying for a protected FedEx ATP Doubles Ranking, which would let him enter a limited number of tournaments at his former doubles ranking of No. 40.

This week at the ATP Cup, a much lighter Guccione – he lost 70 pounds, or 32 kilograms – has made coming back look easy. Teammate John Peers and Guccione have gone 3-0 for Group F champions Australia, who play Great Britain at the Final Eight on Thursday in Sydney.

Every tie has been clinched by the time Guccione/Peers have come for doubles, the final match of ATP Cup ties. But a healthier Guccione and Peers will be ready should they be called upon to clinch a tie and help Australia get closer to keeping the inaugural ATP Cup title on home soil.

“I always enjoyed playing for Australia. The pressure never bothered me too much. Just go out there and do your best, and try to get things all right,” Guccione said. “You're always nervous but I tended to play a little better under a bit more pressure.”

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The pain began in 2009, one year after the 6'7” left-hander reached the Sydney International singles final. Guccione partially tore his right Achilles that season, but persisted in his singles career before switching to doubles.

Eventually, though, in 2017, the five-time ATP Tour doubles titlist was feeling pain in his left Achilles as well because of how much he had been compensating for his right side.

“It wasn't fun,” he said. “I was still getting okay results but I couldn't train. I was in pain.”

Teaching tennis to kids aged 8-19 for about 25 hours a week helped him stay in the game while limiting his movement and resting both Achilles. Guccione didn't play points with his students and mostly hit from a corner.

The Aussie, however, gradually began to feel better, and with the ability to go for a run and not pull up sore for two days, he started eating healthier as well, laying off salty foods, especially any and all kinds of chips.

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About a year ago, two years after he stopped playing professionally, Guccione had little to no pain in either Achilles, and in June 2019, he started working out with an eye on returning for the green and gold at the ATP Cup.

“I started to train properly physically, on court, off court, to get back in shape. I was hitting the ball well and the Achilles was still feeling good. No issues at all with it,” Guccione said.

His healthier eating helped him drop the weight, something he wanted to do even if he couldn't come back and play for Australia after he had gained weight towards the end of his first go-around with the sport. When Guccione took a break three years ago, he weighed about 265 pounds. But now he weighs 195.

“I feel really good now that I'm able to train. I got back into good shape. I feel better on the court, lighter on the court. I move better obviously,” he said. “It's nice. Regardless of tennis, it's much healthier being in shape if you can do it, off the court as well.”

His tennis, as he showed this week, never left him, nor did captain Lleyton Hewitt's belief in his former teammate.

“I don't think it was easy for Gucc straight up. There was probably a little bit of pressure on him to go out there and play well. I didn't really know what to expect probably in the first match. And we were 2-nil up in that match as well, so it gave him the opportunity to go out there and play probably a little bit freer, which has probably helped out these first couple of matches,” Hewitt said.

“I love Gucc... He certainly plays better when he wears the green and gold as well. Plus he fits in with all the boys. He's a pretty quiet guy behind the scenes, but he gels in with everyone else's personality. So he's a guy that I can go to as well because he's been around the traps for a number of years.”

Guccione has played in 14 ATP Tour singles and doubles finals and three Grand Slam doubles quarter-finals. But this year's ATP Cup has provided a new experience for the 34-year-old, who could play a championship-clinching role for his home country in Sydney.