Marcelo Melo facts for kids
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Melo at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters
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| Country (sports) |  Brazil |
|---|---|
| Residence | Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
| Born | September 23, 1983 Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
| Height | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) |
| Turned pro | 1998 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Daniel Melo |
| Prize money | US$8,121,986 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 1–0 (100% in ATP Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 273 (21 November 2005) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 620–408 (60.31% in ATP Tour and Grand Slam main draw matches, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 38 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (2 November 2015) |
| Current ranking | No. 37 (6 May 2024) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (2015) |
| French Open | W (2015) |
| Wimbledon | W (2017) |
| US Open | F (2018) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | F (2014, 2017) |
| Olympic Games | QF (2012, 2016) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (2010) |
| French Open | F (2009) |
| Wimbledon | SF (2010) |
| US Open | QF (2013) |
Marcelo Pinheiro Davi de Melo (born September 23, 1983) is a professional tennis player from Brazil. He is known for being a doubles specialist, which means he mostly plays in doubles matches. Marcelo was once ranked as the number one doubles player in the world in November 2015. He is the only Brazilian player to ever reach this top spot in the ATP doubles rankings.
Marcelo has won two major Grand Slam titles in doubles. He won the French Open in 2015 with his partner Ivan Dodig. Two years later, he won the Wimbledon Championships in 2017 with Łukasz Kubot. He was the first Brazilian man to win a Grand Slam doubles title. Overall, he has won 38 doubles titles on the ATP Tour, including nine at the important Masters 1000 level. He has also reached the finals of other big tournaments, like the 2013 Wimbledon Championships and the 2018 US Open in men's doubles. He also made it to the final of the 2009 French Open in mixed doubles.
Marcelo has proudly represented Brazil in the Davis Cup since 2008. He often played doubles with André Sá or Bruno Soares. He has also competed in three Summer Olympic Games.
Contents
Marcelo Melo's Tennis Journey
Early Career and Partnerships
Marcelo Melo started his professional tennis career in 1998. He mostly focused on doubles matches.
Playing with André Sá
In 2007, Marcelo had a good period playing with his Brazilian partner, André Sá. They reached the semifinals of Wimbledon and the quarterfinals of the US Open. They also won a tournament title in Estoril, Portugal. In 2008, Melo and Sá won three more ATP titles together. They even played as reserves in the Masters Cup, a big tournament for the top eight doubles teams. They also played in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In 2009, Melo and Sá won another ATP title. Marcelo also reached the final of the Mixed Doubles at the Roland Garros with American player Vania King. This was a big achievement for a Brazilian player. Later that year, Melo decided to partner with Bruno Soares.
Teaming up with Bruno Soares
In 2010, Melo and Soares reached a final in Auckland, New Zealand. They later won a title in Nice, France. At Roland Garros, they beat the famous Bryan brothers, who were the world's top doubles players. They reached the quarterfinal there. They continued to have good results, reaching several semifinals and finals in other tournaments.
In 2011, Melo and Soares won two titles in a row in Chile and Brazil. They also reached several other finals and semifinals. At the end of 2011, Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares decided to end their partnership.
Grand Slam Success and World No. 1 Ranking
Partnering with Ivan Dodig
In 2012, Marcelo started playing with Ivan Dodig. They reached the quarterfinals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Marcelo also played in the 2012 Summer Olympics with Bruno Soares, reaching the quarterfinals. In 2013, Melo won a title in Brisbane, Australia. He also reached the final of Wimbledon for the first time in his career. This helped him reach his best ranking at the time, number 14 in the world.
Later in 2013, Marcelo reached the semifinals of the US Open. He then won his first Masters 1000 title in Shanghai with Dodig. They even beat Roger Federer and the Bryan brothers in that tournament. This win made Marcelo a top 10 player in the world for the first time.
Becoming World No. 1
The year 2015 was a fantastic year for Marcelo. He reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. In June, he won his first-ever Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open with Ivan Dodig. They defeated the Bryan brothers in the final. In October, Marcelo won three tournaments in a row: Tokyo, Shanghai (with Raven Klaasen), and Vienna (with Łukasz Kubot). By reaching the semifinal in Vienna, Marcelo became the number one ranked doubles player in the world!
Winning Wimbledon with Łukasz Kubot
In 2016, Marcelo and Ivan Dodig won two more Masters 1000 titles in Toronto and Cincinnati. In October, Marcelo teamed up with Łukasz Kubot and won the Vienna Open.
In 2017, Marcelo and Łukasz Kubot had an amazing year. They won their first Masters 1000 title together at the 2017 Miami Open. They also won two grass-court titles before Wimbledon. At Wimbledon, they faced tough matches, winning four of them in five sets. They eventually won the men's doubles title, which was Marcelo's second Grand Slam win. Later that year, they won another Masters 1000 title in Paris, and Marcelo became the world's number one player again.
Continued Success and Milestones
In 2018, Marcelo remained a top 10 player. He won his third Shanghai Masters title and reached the final of the US Open, which was his best result there.
In 2019, Marcelo and Łukasz Kubot continued to reach many finals and semifinals. They won the 2019 Winston-Salem Open title in August. They also qualified for the ATP Finals, a tournament for the best eight teams of the year.
In 2020, Marcelo and Łukasz Kubot won two more ATP 500 titles in Acapulco and Vienna. They also reached another final in Cologne.
New Partners and Milestones
In 2021, Marcelo played with new partners, including Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer. He later reunited with Łukasz Kubot at the French Open.
In 2022, Marcelo won his 10th ATP 500 title and 36th overall. He partnered with Mackenzie McDonald to win the Japan Open. This was also his 70th ATP final.
In 2023, Marcelo reached a huge milestone of 600 career wins at the 2023 French Open with John Peers. He also played his 1000th tour-level match at the 2023 Atlanta Open, becoming the only active player to reach this achievement.
In 2024, Marcelo reached his first Masters final in five years at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, partnering with Alexander Zverev. He also won the Stuttgart Open with Rafael Matos.
Personal Life
Marcelo Melo's best friend on the tennis tour is Alexander Zverev. They first met in 2015. Marcelo's older brother, Daniel, was also a tennis player before he retired in 2006.
Career Statistics Summary
Marcelo Melo has had a long and successful career in doubles tennis.
- Total Titles: 38
- Grand Slam Titles: 2 (French Open 2015, Wimbledon 2017)
- Masters 1000 Titles: 9
- Highest Doubles Ranking: World No. 1 (achieved in 2015 and 2017)
- Overall Win-Loss Record: 639 wins and 425 losses
Significant Finals
Grand Slam Finals (Doubles)
Marcelo has played in 4 Grand Slam doubles finals, winning 2 of them.
- 2013 Wimbledon: Lost with Ivan Dodig to Bob and Mike Bryan.
- 2015 French Open: Won with Ivan Dodig against Bob and Mike Bryan.
- 2017 Wimbledon: Won with Łukasz Kubot against Oliver Marach and Mate Pavić.
- 2018 US Open: Lost with Łukasz Kubot to Mike Bryan and Jack Sock.
Mixed Doubles Final
Marcelo reached one Grand Slam mixed doubles final.
- 2009 French Open: Lost with Vania King to Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan.
Year-End Championships Finals (Doubles)
Marcelo has reached the final of the ATP Finals twice.
- 2014 ATP Finals: Lost with Ivan Dodig to Bob and Mike Bryan.
- 2017 ATP Finals: Lost with Łukasz Kubot to Henri Kontinen and John Peers.
Masters 1000 Finals (Doubles)
Marcelo has played in 16 Masters 1000 finals, winning 9 titles. These are very important tournaments, just below Grand Slams.
Images for kids
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Marcelo Melo at Delray Beach in 2009
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Marcelo Melo playing on grass
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Marcelo Melo and Ivan Dodig
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Łukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, 2016 Vienna Open Champions
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Marcelo Melo with Łukasz Kubot at the Citi Open in 2017
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See also
In Spanish: Marcelo Melo para niños
