On June 6, 2004, Argentine tennis saw a historic landmark — one that’s yet to be repeated. As Gastón Gaudio and Guillermo Coria took to the court to play in the 2004 Roland Garros final, Argentina became one of only seven countries to have two representatives in the same Grand Slam final.

When you take into account the context of what was going on with the sport at the time, there’s a case to be made for that Sunday being perhaps the greatest day in Argentine tennis history.

The fortnight between May 24 and June 6 could also be considered the best two weeks ever. In the build-up to that moment, Argentine stars dominated Paris. David Nalbandian also reached the semis — he lost against Gaudio — and Juan Ignacio Chela had fallen in the quarterfinals. In the women’s draw, Paola Suárez reached the singles semifinals and won her third doubles title earlier that day.

According to journalist Alfredo Bernardi, who was there to see Gaudio lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires following his win, it was the “perfect moment in every sense” and showed that Argentines had that “extra something to go all the way.”

The 2004 Roland Garros final was the culminating moment for a generation of Argentine players known as la Legión. A group of prodigies that came up through the ranks in the late 90s and turned the country into a tennis powerhouse. At one point in the aughts, Argentina boasted 14 players in the top 100 of the ATP ranking, the most of any nation.

The key to understanding that moment is the convertibilidad: An Argentine monetary law approved in 1991 that established a one-to-one rate between the Argentine peso and the US dollar. This allowed Argentine players in the development stages to access financing and compete outside the country.

“At that time, you needed around US$400,000 to develop as a professional tennis player, at the pace of around US$70,000 per year,........

© Buenos Aires Herald