Feliciano López spent 15 years playing professional tennis around the globe while keeping his permanent residence in Spain rather than moving to tax havens like Monaco or Andorra, SPORT reported.
The former world number 12 won seven ATP singles titles during a career that included 14 seasons inside the year-end top 50 rankings. He also captured the 2016 Roland Garros doubles title and reached the 2017 US Open doubles final.
Speaking in an interview with Vanity Fair, the Spanish player addressed the financial choices athletes face regarding taxation and residency.
“Tuve la posibilidad, pero no quise, porque pensé en mi familia. Cuando yo empecé a jugar, la mayoría de los jugadores residían en Andorra o Mónaco,” said Feliciano López, SPORT reported.
Now retired from professional competition and working as co-director of the Mutua Madrid Open, the Toledo native reflected on the financial trade-offs of staying in his home country.
“Ahora, cuando está acabando mi carrera, a veces pienso: ‘¿Por qué no lo hice?’. Podría haber residido 15 años fuera y habría ahorrado un montón de dinero, pero también habría perdido cosas importantes, como estar con mi gente y vivir en mi país. No me compensaba,” López told Vanity Fair, as reported by SPORT.
During his playing days, López accumulated five Davis Cup titles representing Spain and competed at the 2012 London Olympics in both singles and doubles alongside David Ferrer.
López also addressed public scrutiny faced by other prominent Spanish athletes who chose to establish residency outside of Spain, pointing to former Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza, who resides in Switzerland.
“No entiendo esas críticas. Cada uno elige su destino. Yo no considero que le deba nada a España. Al final, casi todo mi dinero lo he ganado fuera y lo he traído al país,” López said, according to SPORT.
On April 22, 2026, López attended a match between Rafael Jodar and Jesper de Jong at La Caja Mágica during the Mutua Madrid Open 2026.
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