The miracle of the Catalan ENT specialist who wanted to be a world champion

BarcelonaWhen a person has just won a world championship, hops on their motorcycle, and heads straight to work without stopping at home, one can sense that this isn't quite normal. And if, on top of that, they arrive in Tarragona in the afternoon to play—and win—another match in the Spanish Championship, a tournament they won a few days later, after four hours of battling in Florida, tropical heat, and not a minute of sleep, we're talking about someone made of different stuff.

Carlos Costa Bou, a Barcelona native about to turn sixty, has an energy that would make more than one teenager envious. He's an ear, nose, and throat doctor, but he could pass for an elite athlete. He's just been crowned world tennis champion in his senior category in a grueling tournament held in May in Palm Beach. "I've competed five times and I finally won," he celebrates. This time he wasn't going to try his luck, or even enjoy the trip. "I always enjoy myself, but in Palm Beach I was just going to win. That was the only goal," he emphasizes. And yes, he did it.

The World Championship +60, like all other categories of professional tennis, is organized by the ITF (International Tennis Federation), the same entity that manages the Davis Cup and regulates the four Grand Slams. In previous editions, Costa Bou had played in Miami, Croatia, Lisbon, and also again in Palm Beach. He had reached several semifinals. Now came the big opportunity to play in the final.

This time the opponent was Marcelo Ingaramo, a veteran Argentinian with titles under his belt. The match lasted four hours, under a relentless sun and 90% humidity. "It was over 30 degrees," he said, adding that he had trained with younger players at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona.

Costa Bou began playing tennis at the Premià de Dalt club. He had already excelled as a child, and an acquaintance of the former president of the Catalan Tennis Federation, Josep Ferrer Peris, pulled strings to get him a chance to try it at Barcino. "One day I went to train, they saw me play, and they immediately told me they were interested," he says. The following year, he was already competing in the Spanish Junior Championship, where he lost alongside Jordi Bardou, later Spanish champion.

Although everything seemed to indicate that tennis could be his future, he didn't give it much thought and also wanted to study. However, he had the option to give it a try. He trained with Lluís Bruguera, Sergi's father, Catalan champion at Roland Garros in the mid-90s, and shared the court with Jordi Arrese, who years later would win the silver medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games. Bruguera Sr. suggested they spend a couple of years at his academy to try their luck as professionals.

But right at that crucial moment, at eighteen years old and with the Catalan Championship under his belt, life took an unexpected turn: Costa Bou suffered a serious motorcycle accident: "I broke my tibia and fibula. I spent two years on crutches." He underwent surgery, but his leg remained crooked, with a clear limp. "It was due to pseudoarthrosis," he says.

The diagnosis was devastating: "They had to operate on me again, but they told me they would thicken my knee for six months and that I would be permanently affected." Carlos therefore opted for the Ilizarov method: an external fixator that served to lengthen bones and correct deformities, leaving the knee free. Until then, it had never been used in Spain.

"It was a success, but I had lost two years. I was 21 and I could already forget about becoming a professional," he explains. So, he decided to finish his medical degree and work as an ear, nose, and throat doctor. His father and brother had also been doctors, and this is a specialty he enjoys: "I like otorhinolaryngology because it is almost always based on very visual and rapid diagnoses." This work undoubtedly fits perfectly with his active nature.

Sport and family go hand in hand

The doctor with a sports soul doesn't just live for tennis. He's also passionate about cycling, skiing, climbing, and even paragliding. "I've always been motivated to improve myself and never stop. I'm active, competitive, and sleep little. We must move constantly; being physically fit is extremely important, and I enjoy challenges and difficulties," he explains.

He is married to Lourdes, who shares his passion for sports. She is a Spanish swimming champion, and together they have had unique experiences, such as skiing across the Pyrenees. Now she sails at sea. Carlos was clear: "I wanted a companion who loved sports as much as I do. Sharing these experiences and fitting in so well with someone is the best thing that can happen to you."

"I have two children, Joan and Carla. I also have two restless asses. Joan is another adrenaline and sports fanatic... he now lives in the Netherlands and is a skydiving instructor," concludes the world champion. The Barcelona-born doctor doesn't seem to have any intention of slowing down. Sport is an essential part of his life, and he hasn't ruled out competing in the World Championship again.