Dudi Sela facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dudi Sela
דודי סלע

Sela at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships
Country (sports)	Israel
Residence	Tel Aviv, Israel
Born	(1985-04-04) 4 April 1985 (age 40) Kiryat Shmona, Israel
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro	2002
Retired	2022
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Coach	Yoav Ben Zvi
Prize money	US$4,003,831
Singles
Career record	143–195 (42.31% in Grand Slam and ATP World Tour main draw matches, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 29 (20 July 2009)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2009, 2015, 2016)
French Open	2R (2009, 2015)
Wimbledon	4R (2009)
US Open	2R (2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2016)
Doubles
Career record	26–48 (35.14%)
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 122 (22 February 2010)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2010)
French Open	2R (2010, 2012)
Wimbledon	2R (2016)
US Open	3R (2009, 2017)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	SF (2009)

David "Dudi" Sela (Hebrew: דודי סלע; born 4 April 1985) is an Israeli former professional tennis player. He was known for his fast and aggressive style of play. Dudi reached his highest singles ranking of World No. 29 in July 2009.

Sela won a major junior doubles title at the 2003 French Open. He played for Israel in the Davis Cup and helped his team reach the semifinals in 2009. He also had impressive wins against top players like Fernando González (world No. 7) in 2007, David Ferrer (world No. 5) in 2008, and Andy Roddick (world No. 7) in 2010.

Dudi Sela reached the fourth round of the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. He was also a runner-up in two big ATP tournaments in Beijing and Atlanta. In 2015, he won his 24th career ATP Challenger event. This made him second on the list for most Challenger titles ever.

Early Life and Start in Tennis

Dudi Sela was born and grew up in Kiryat Shmona, a city in Israel. His father, Michael, was a bus driver, and his mother, Anca, was a nurse. His family came to Israel from Romania. They changed their last name to Sela so it would be easier to say in Israel.

Dudi first held a tennis racket when he was only two years old. He started playing tennis seriously at age seven. His tennis heroes were his older brother, Ofer Sela, and Israeli player Amos Mansdorf.

Junior Career (2000–2003)

Dudi Sela at the 2003 U.S. Open

Sela played his first junior tennis match in 1999 when he was 14. In 2000, he won doubles titles in Haifa and Corfu, Greece. He continued to win in doubles and reached singles finals in 2001. He won his first junior singles title in the Netherlands.

In 2002, Sela reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open Junior Competition. He also made it to the top eight at the French Open Juniors. In 2003, he won the French Open 2003 junior doubles title with his partner Győrgy Balázs. He also reached the semifinals at the US Open Junior Championships. His highest junior world ranking was No. 9 in singles.

• Junior Grand Slam Results – Singles:
  • Australian Open: Quarterfinals (2002)
  • French Open: Quarterfinals (2002, 2003)
  • Wimbledon: Second Round (2003)
  • US Open: Semifinals (2003)

• Junior Grand Slam Results – Doubles:
  • Australian Open: First Round (2002)
  • French Open: Winner (2003)
  • Wimbledon: First Round (2003)
  • US Open: Semifinals (2002)

Professional Career

Early Years (2004–2006)

Sela started his professional career. In 2005, he won two ATP Challenger tournaments. These wins helped him improve his ranking. In 2006, he won five smaller USTA Pro Circuit singles titles.

Breaking into the Top 100 (2007)

In January 2007, Sela played in the Australian Open. He surprised everyone by beating a higher-ranked player in the first round. He then won a Challenger title in Russia. Later, he qualified for the US Open and won his first match there.

In October, he beat two more top 100 players at the Japan Open. He then won the Seoul Challenger tournament. This win pushed him to a career-high ranking of 73 in the world. He ended 2007 as the first Israeli man in years to be in the top 100.

First ATP Final (2008)

Sela In New York (2008)

Sela continued to do well in 2008. He defeated several top 50 players in different tournaments. He was very disappointed when he couldn't go to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Even though he met the rules, the Israeli Olympic Committee did not let him go.

In September, Sela reached his first-ever ATP Tour final at the China Open. He was ranked 92nd at the time. He beat the world No. 5, David Ferrer, and other strong players. He lost in the final to Andy Roddick. This was a big moment for Sela, showing he could compete with the best.

Reaching the Top 30 (2009)

Sela at the 2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships

At the Australian Open, Sela won three qualifying matches to enter the main tournament. He then beat two higher-ranked players to reach the third round. This was the first time an Israeli man had reached this stage in a Grand Slam since 1994.

In June, Sela reached a new career-high ranking of 46. At Wimbledon, he continued his great run. He beat the 18th seed and then the 15th seed, Tommy Robredo. This win sent Sela to the fourth round, his best Grand Slam result ever. He was the first Israeli man in 20 years to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon. He lost to the world No. 4, Novak Djokovic, in the next round.

After Wimbledon, Sela's ranking rose to a new career high of No. 29 in the world.

Challenger Tour Success (2010–2015)

On 10 June 2010, Sela surprised everyone by beating the world No. 7, Andy Roddick, in straight sets. He also won two more Challenger titles in 2010.

Dudi Sela at the 2013 US Open

Sela at the 2013 Aegon Championships

Between 2012 and 2015, Sela continued to play well on the Challenger tour. He won several Challenger events in places like Busan, Tashkent, and Astana. In 2014, he reached his second ATP final at the Atlanta Open, but lost to John Isner. In 2015, he won the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open for the fourth time. This was a special achievement, as only a few players have won the same Challenger tournament four or more times.

First Doubles Title and Later Career (2016–2022)

In 2016, Sela reached the third round of the 2016 Australian Open. He also won his first ATP doubles title at the Istanbul Open. He represented Israel in men's singles at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

In 2017, Sela won two more Challenger titles. At the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, he reached the third round. He had to stop his quarterfinal match at the 2017 ATP Shenzhen Open because he wanted to observe Yom Kippur, a very important Jewish holiday. He ended 2017 with his highest year-end ranking in eight years, at No. 67.

In 2018, Sela reached the third round of the Indian Wells Masters. He played against world No. 1 Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon but lost. He ended his 2018 season early due to wrist and back injuries.

In 2019, Sela won another Challenger title in Little Rock, USA. He also reached two other Challenger finals. After a quiet 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he played in the Wimbledon qualifying rounds in 2021.

Sela announced his plans to retire after the 2022 season. He played in the qualifying rounds of all four major tournaments in his final year.

Davis Cup Highlights

Sela playing Davis Cup

Dudi Sela joined the Israeli Davis Cup team in late 2005. He has been a key player for his country.

In 2007, Sela had two amazing wins in the Davis Cup. He beat Nicolás Massú in a very long match. Then, he defeated world No. 7 Fernando González in another long match. These wins helped Israel beat Chile and move into the World Group for 2008. Sela said it was "definitely the happiest day of my life." The Prime Minister and President of Israel even called him to congratulate him!

In 2009, Israel faced Sweden in the World Group Playoffs. Sela won both of his singles matches, helping Israel win the tie. This was a huge victory, as Sweden had never lost after being up 2-1 in their Davis Cup history.

Later in 2009, Israel hosted Russia in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. Russia was the top-ranked team, and their player Marat Safin said Israel was "lucky to get to the quarterfinals." But Israel proved them wrong! Sela and his teammates won their matches, beating Russia 3-0 to win the tie. The crowd of 10,500 people was the biggest ever for a tennis match in Israel. Israel then reached the semifinals, a fantastic achievement.

Playing Style

Dudi Sela was known for his very fast and aggressive playing style. He often used a "serve and volley" tactic, where he would hit the ball and then quickly run to the net.

Coaching

Throughout his career, Dudi Sela was coached by many people. These included his brother Ofer Sela, Tomi Schnitzer, Ron Steele, and Israelis Noam Behr, Yoav Shab, Yoram Menahem, and Amos Mansdorf.

Jewish Heritage

Dudi Sela is one of several Jewish tennis players who have achieved high rankings. He has said that it's "very special" to play around the world because Jewish people often come to watch him.

Sela also has a group of fans called the "Hebrew Hammer." They cheer him on by chanting songs in both English and Hebrew. This creates a fun and loud atmosphere, similar to tennis matches in Tel Aviv.

Personal Life

Dudi Sela is married to Marina, and they have three children: a son named Elai, a daughter named Talia, and another son named Roy. His brother, Ofer Sela, was also a professional tennis player.

ATP Career Finals

Singles: 2 (2 runner-ups)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1	Sep 2008	China Open, China	International	Hard	Andy Roddick	4–6, 7–6(8–6), 3–6
Loss	0–2	Jul 2014	Atlanta Open, United States	250 Series	Hard	John Isner	3–6, 4–6

Doubles: 1 (1 title)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0	May 2016	Istanbul Open, Turkey	250 Series	Clay	Flavio Cipolla	Andrés Molteni Diego Schwartzman	6–3, 5–7, [10–7]

Challenger and Futures Finals

Singles: 42 (30–12)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1–0	Mar 2003	Australia F1, Burnie	Futures	Hard	Paul Baccanello	4–3 ret.
Loss	1–1	May 2003	Italy F8, Verona	Futures	Clay	Tomas Tenconi	6–4, 0–6, 2–6
Win	2–1	Jul 2003	Togliatti, Russia	Challenger	Hard	Juan Pablo Brzezicki	6–2, 6–4
Win	3–1	Feb 2005	Australia F2, Gosford	Futures	Hard	Sadik Kadir	6–1, 6–1
Win	4–1	Jul 2005	Lexington, United States	Challenger	Hard	Bobby Reynolds	6–3, 3–6, 6–4
Win	5–1	Aug 2005	Vancouver, Canada	Challenger	Hard	Paul Baccanello	6–2, 6–3
Win	6–1	Sep 2006	USA F22, Claremont	Futures	Hard	Sascha Klör	5–1 ret.
Win	7–1	Sep 2006	USA F23, Costa Mesa	Futures	Hard	Robert Yim	7–5, 6–4
Win	8–1	Oct 2006	USA F27, Baton Rouge	Futures	Hard	Izak Van der Merwe	5–7, 6–4, 6–3
Win	9–1	Nov 2006	USA F28, Waikoloa	Futures	Hard	Lesley Joseph	6–1, 6–4
Win	10–1	Nov 2006	USA F29, Honolulu	Futures	Hard	Fritz Wolmarans	6–3, 6–3
Loss	10–2	Jul 2007	Córdoba, Spain	Challenger	Hard	Adrián Menéndez Maceiras	4–6, 6–0, 5–7
Win	11–2	Jul 2007	Togliatti, Russia	Challenger	Hard	Mikhail Ledovskikh	7–6(7–4), 6–3
Win	12–2	Oct 2007	Seoul, Korea, Rep.	Challenger	Hard	Konstantinos Economidis	6–4, 6–4
Loss	12–3	Nov 2007	Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei	Challenger	Hard	Lu Yen-hsun	3–6, 3–6
Win	13–3	Nov 2007	Yokohama, Japan	Challenger	Hard	Takao Suzuki	6–7(5–7), 6–4, 6–2
Win	14–3	Aug 2008	Vancouver, Canada	Challenger	Hard	Kevin Kim	6–3, 6–0
Win	15–3	May 2010	Rhodes, Greece	Challenger	Hard	Rainer Schüttler	7–6(7–3), 6–3
Win	16–3	Aug 2010	Vancouver, Canada	Challenger	Hard	Ričardas Berankis	7–5, 6–2
Win	17–3	May 2011	Busan, Korea, Rep.	Challenger	Hard	Tatsuma Ito	6–2, 6–7(5–7), 6–3
Win	18–3	May 2011	Fergana, Uzbekistan	Challenger	Hard	Greg Jones	6–2, 6–1
Win	19–3	Jun 2011	Nottingham, Great Britain	Challenger	Grass	Jérémy Chardy	6–4, 3–6, 7–5
Loss	19–4	Nov 2011	São Paulo, Brazil	Challenger Tour Finals	Hard (i)	Cedrik-Marcel Stebe	2–6, 4–6
Win	20–4	Sep 2012	Bangkok, Thailand	Challenger	Hard	Yūichi Sugita	6–1, 7–5
Win	21–4	May 2013	Busan, Korea, Rep.	Challenger	Hard	Alex Bogomolov Jr.	6–1, 6–4
Loss	21–5	Jul 2013	Istanbul, Turkey	Challenger	Hard	Benjamin Becker	1–6, 6–2, 2–3 ret.
Win	22–5	Jul 2013	Astana, Kazakhstan	Challenger	Hard	Mikhail Kukushkin	5–7, 6–2, 7–6(8–6)
Win	23–5	Oct 2013	Taskhent, Uzbekistan	Challenger	Hard	Teymuraz Gabashvili	6–1, 6–2
Loss	23–6	Nov 2014	Helsinki, Finland	Challenger	Hard (i)	Jürgen Zopp	4–6, 7–5, 6–7(6–8)
Win	24–6	Apr 2015	Batman, Turkey	Challenger	Hard	Blaž Kavčič	6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–3
Win	25–6	Aug 2015	Vancouver, Canada	Challenger	Hard	John-Patrick Smith	6–4, 7–5
Win	26–6	Nov 2015	Suzhou, China, P.R.	Challenger	Hard	Matija Pecotić	6–1, 1–0 ret.
Loss	26–7	Jan 2016	Happy Valley, Australia	Challenger	Hard	Taylor Fritz	6–7(7–9), 2–6
Win	27–7	Mar 2016	Shenzhen, China, P.R.	Challenger	Hard	Wu Di	6–4, 6–3
Loss	27–8	May 2016	Karshi, Uzbekistan	Challenger	Hard	Marko Tepavac	6–2, 3–6, 6–7(4–7)
Loss	27–9	Sep 2016	Istanbul, Turkey	Challenger	Hard	Malek Jaziri	6–1, 1–6, 0–6
Win	28–9	Jan 2017	Canberra, Australia	Challenger	Hard	Jan-Lennard Struff	3–6, 6–4, 6–3
Win	29–9	Jun 2017	Nottingham, Great Britain	Challenger	Grass	Thomas Fabbiano	4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Loss	29–10	Feb 2019	Bangkok, Thailand	Challenger	Hard	Henri Laaksonen	2–6, 4–6
Loss	29–11	May 2019	Gwangju, Korea, Rep.	Challenger	Hard	Jason Jung	4–6, 2–6
Win	30–11	Jun 2019	Little Rock, United States	Challenger	Hard	Lee Duck-hee	6–1, 4–3 ret.
Loss	30–12	Sep 2019	Cassis, France	Challenger	Hard	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	1–6, 0–6

Doubles: 12 (6–6)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	0–1	Jul 2003	Recanati, Italy	Challenger	Hard	Rodolphe Cadart	Manuel Jorquera Frank Moser	4–6, 5–7
Loss	0–2	Oct 2004	USA F28, Lubbock	Futures	Hard	Lazar Magdinčev	Julien Cassaigne Philip Gubenco	6–2, 6–7(5–7), 4–6
Win	1–2	Dec 2005	Israel F2, Ramat HaSharon	Futures	Hard	Victor Kolik	Oleksandr Nedovyesov Deniss Pavlovs	6–3, 6–3
Loss	1–3	Mar 2006	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	Challenger	Hard	Jacob Adaktusson	Lee Hyung-taik Cecil Mamiit	4–6, 2–6
Loss	1–4	May 2006	Atlanta, USA	Challenger	Clay	Harel Levy	Hugo Armando André Sá	4–6, 4–6
Loss	1–5	May 2007	Lanzarote, Spain	Challenger	Hard	Noam Okun	Luke Bourgeois Rik de Voest	3–6, 1–6
Win	2–5	Nov 2007	Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei	Challenger	Hard	Stephen Amritraj	Rik de Voest Pierre-Ludovic Duclos	6–4, 7–6(7–4)
Win	3–5	Jul 2012	Binghamton, USA	Challenger	Hard	Harel Srugo	Adrien Bossel Michael McClune	6–2, 3–6, [10–8]
Win	4–5	Mar 2013	Le Gosier, Gouadeloupe	Challenger	Hard	Jimmy Wang	Philipp Marx Florin Mergea	6–1, 6–2
Win	5–5	Oct 2015	Ningbo, China, P.R.	Challenger	Hard	Amir Weintraub	Nikola Mektić Franko Škugor	6–3, 3–6, [10–6]
Loss	5–6	May 2017	Seoul, Korea, Rep.	Challenger	Hard	Thomas Fabbiano	Hsieh Cheng-peng Peng Hsien-yin	1–5 ret.
Win	6–6	Jan 2019	Burnie, Australia	Challenger	Hard	Lloyd Harris	Mirza Bašić Tomislav Brkić	6–3, 6–7(3–7), [10–8]

Junior Grand Slam Finals

Doubles: 1 (1 title)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	2003	French Open	Clay	György Balázs	Lado Chikhladze Kamil Čapkovič	5–7, 6–1, 6–2

Wins Over Top 10 Players

#	Player	Rank	Event	Surface	Rd	Score	DS Rank
2007
1.	Fernando González	6	Davis Cup, Israel	Hard	RR	4–6, 7–6(7–5), 5–7, 7–6(9–7), 6–3	105
2008
2.	David Ferrer	5	Beijing, China	Hard	2R	6–3, 6–3	92
2010
3.	Andy Roddick	7	London, United Kingdom	Grass	3R	6–4, 7–6(10–8)	63

Record vs. No. 1 Ranked Players

•  Safin, MaratMarat Safin (RUS) 0-1
•  Hewitt, LleytonLleyton Hewitt (AUS) 0-4
•  Ferrero, Juan CarlosJuan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 0-4
•  Roddick, AndyAndy Roddick (USA) 1-1
•   Federer, RogerRoger Federer (SUI) 0-2
•  Nadal, RafaelRafael Nadal (ESP) 0-3
•  Djokovic, NovakNovak Djokovic (SRB) 0-2
•  Medvedev, DaniilDaniil Medvedev (RUS) 0-1

See Also

In Spanish: Dudi Sela para niños

• List of select Jewish tennis players

Images for kids

• 

  Sela at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships

• 

  Dudi Sela at the 2003 U.S. Open

• 

  Sela In New York (2008)

• 

  Sela at the 2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships

• 

  Dudi Sela at the 2013 US Open

• 

  Sela at the 2013 Aegon Championships

• 

  Sela playing Davis Cup