Jürgen Melzer facts for kids

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Jürgen Melzer
Singles
Melzer at Wimbledon in 2015
Country (sports)	Austria
Residence	Deutsch-Wagram, Austria
Born	(1981-05-22) 22 May 1981 (age 44) Vienna, Austria
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro	1999
Retired	2021
Plays	Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$10,739,212
Career record	350–334 (51.17% in ATP Tour events)
Career titles	5
Highest ranking	No. 8 (18 April 2011)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2011)
French Open	SF (2010)
Wimbledon	4R (2010, 2013)
US Open	4R (2010)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	QF (2008)
Doubles
Career record	375–297 (55.8% in ATP Tour events)
Career titles	17
Highest ranking	No. 6 (27 November 2010)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2005)
French Open	QF (2005)
Wimbledon	W (2010)
US Open	W (2011)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	F (2020)
Olympic Games	2R (2008, 2012)
Mixed doubles
Career titles	1
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2009)
French Open	2R (2006)
Wimbledon	W (2011)
US Open	1R (2008, 2011, 2012)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	QF (2012)

Jürgen Melzer (born 22 May 1981) is an Austrian tennis coach and a former professional tennis player. He reached a high singles ranking of world No. 8 in April 2011. He also reached a high doubles ranking of world No. 6 in September 2010. Jürgen has a younger brother, Gerald Melzer, who is also a tennis player. They played doubles together in some tournaments.

In 1999, Melzer won the boys' singles title at Wimbledon. For a long time, he was known as a top player who hadn't gone past the third round in a major tournament (called a Grand Slam). He changed this by reaching the semifinals of the 2010 French Open. In that tournament, he famously came back from two sets down to beat Novak Djokovic. As of January 2025, he is still the only player to have beaten Djokovic after being two sets behind.

Melzer had even more success in doubles. He won the men's doubles title at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships and the 2011 US Open. For these wins, his partner was Philipp Petzschner. He also won the mixed doubles title at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships with Iveta Benešová.

Tennis Journey: Jürgen Melzer's Career
Grand Slam Titles
Jürgen Melzer's Wins Over Top 10 Players
Images for kids
See also

Tennis Journey: Jürgen Melzer's Career

Early Life and Junior Success

Jürgen Melzer married Iveta Benešová, who was also a professional tennis player, on 14 September 2012. Interestingly, Melzer plays tennis with his left hand, but he uses his right hand for everyday activities.

He started playing junior tennis when he was 14 years old in September 1995. This was at a tournament in Austria.

In 1999, Melzer won the doubles title at the Australian Open with his partner Kristian Pless. Later that year, he won the singles title at the Wimbledon Championships. He beat Kristian Pless, who was the junior world No. 1 at the time, in the final match.

Melzer finished his junior career after his big win at Wimbledon. He reached a junior world ranking of No. 26 in singles and No. 24 in doubles in 1998.

Starting Professional Tennis

Melzer began his professional career in 1998. He played in smaller tournaments called Futures in Austria. In 1999, he played his first main-draw match at an ATP Tour event in Vienna, Austria. He won his first match there before losing to a top-ranked player.

In 2001, he reached his first Futures final. He then won his first Challenger title in Germany. This was a big step up. He also got his first win against a top-20 player, Fabrice Santoro. In 2002, he reached his first ATP Tour semifinals at the Croatia Open. He also won his first Grand Slam match at the US Open. A big moment was beating Tommy Haas, who was world No. 2, at the Vienna Open.

In 2003, Melzer reached his first ATP Tour final at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. He also got his first win at Wimbledon.

Climbing the Ranks (2004-2006)

In 2004, Melzer reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open. He also started playing in bigger tournaments called Master Series events. He had good wins, including beating Tim Henman, who was world No. 8, at the Miami Masters. He reached the quarterfinals at the Hamburg Masters and the Canada Masters. He also made it to the third round of the US Open.

In 2005, he continued to reach the third round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He reached his second ATP Tour final in Austria. However, he then had a tough period, losing many matches in a row.

In 2006, Melzer had a slow start but then reached his third ATP Tour final at the U.S. Clay Court Championships. He won his first ATP Tour title at the Romanian Open, beating Filippo Volandri. He ended the year with a quarterfinal appearance at the Vienna Open.

Finding His Stride (2007-2009)

The year 2007 was challenging for Melzer. He reached a final in Las Vegas but then had a wrist injury that kept him out for two months.

Melzer at the 2008 US Open

In 2008, Melzer started slowly again. However, he improved and reached the third round of the French Open and Wimbledon. He also made it to the quarterfinals at the Beijing Olympics, where he lost to Rafael Nadal, who went on to win the gold medal. He finished the year back in the top 40 players.

Melzer at the 2009 US Open

In 2009, Melzer had another tough start but then found his form. He reached his first semifinal of the year at the Croatia Open. A big highlight was beating Juan Martín del Potro, who was world No. 5, at the Shanghai Masters. This was his second win against a top-5 player. He ended 2009 by winning his second career title at the Vienna Open.

Big Achievements (2010-2011)

Melzer at the 2010 US Open

In 2010, Melzer had a fantastic year. He reached the semifinals of the French Open. On his way, he made an amazing comeback from two sets down to beat Novak Djokovic. He then reached the fourth round of Wimbledon.

At Wimbledon, he achieved his biggest success yet by winning the men's doubles title with his German partner Philipp Petzschner.

Later in 2010, at the Shanghai Masters, Melzer had one of his most memorable wins. He beat Rafael Nadal, who was the world No. 1 player at the time. This was his first time beating a reigning world No. 1. He then won his third career singles title, defending his Vienna Open title in a thrilling final. Because of his great year, he was named Austrian Sportsman of the Year.

Melzer at Wimbledon in 2011

In 2011, Melzer started the year strong at the Australian Open. He reached the fourth round, and after this, he entered the top 10 singles ranking for the first time in his career.

He continued his great form at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He reached the semifinals and had a surprising win over Roger Federer, who was ranked No. 3.

His biggest success in 2011 came at the US Open men's doubles final. He and Philipp Petzschner won the title.

Later Career and Retirement (2012-2021)

In 2012, Melzer won a singles tournament in Memphis, USA. He also reached the semifinals in doubles at Wimbledon.

In 2013, he reached the quarterfinals in Miami and the fourth round at Wimbledon. He won his only singles tournament of the year in Winston-Salem, USA.

In 2014, Melzer had to miss the Australian Open due to a shoulder injury. He reached the third round at the Rome Masters and the second round at the French Open.

Jürgen Melzer with his brother Gerald in 2015

In 2015, Melzer played against his younger brother Gerald in the Wimbledon qualifying rounds. Jürgen won, but he said it was the "worst tennis day of my life."

In 2016, after a long time away due to injury, Melzer upset Dominic Thiem, who was world No. 9, at the Austrian Open. This was his first win against a top-10 player in over five years.

Melzer at the 2018 US Open

In 2018, Melzer announced he would retire from singles tennis. His last singles tournament was the Vienna Open. He won his 350th and final career singles match there, beating Milos Raonic.

In 2019, Melzer won his first doubles title in five years at the Sofia Open. He won two more doubles titles that year.

In 2020, Melzer reached the final of the ATP Finals in doubles with his partner Édouard Roger-Vasselin. He had announced he would retire from professional tennis after the 2021 Australian Open.

However, due to travel rules, he didn't play the Australian Open in 2021. He played in the doubles events of the other three Grand Slam tournaments. He played his very last tournament on the ATP Tour at the Vienna Open in doubles.

Coaching Career

After retiring from playing tennis, Jürgen Melzer became a coach. He now coaches Joel Schwärzler at a special tennis center in Austria. In October 2023, Schwärzler won an important junior tennis event.

Grand Slam Titles

Jürgen Melzer won three Grand Slam titles during his career:

Men's Doubles:
- 2010 Wimbledon Championships (with Philipp Petzschner)
- 2011 US Open (with Philipp Petzschner)
Mixed Doubles:
- 2011 Wimbledon Championships (with Iveta Benešová)