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Martin Kližan
Klizan RG19 (31) (48199185062).jpg
Kližan at the 2019 French Open
Country (sports)  Slovakia
Residence Bratislava, Slovakia
Born (1989-07-11) 11 July 1989 (age 36)
Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Turned pro 2007
Plays Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach Martin Hromec
Prize money US$ 5,554,264
Singles
Career record 149–154 (49.17%)
Career titles 6
Highest ranking No. 24 (27 April 2015)
Current ranking No. 417 (26 May 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 3R (2014)
French Open 3R (2014, 2019)
Wimbledon 2R (2012)
US Open 4R (2012)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games 1R (2012)
Doubles
Career record 38–58 (39.58%)
Career titles 4
Highest ranking No. 73 (4 May 2015)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open 2R (2013)
French Open 1R (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019)
Wimbledon 2R (2014)
US Open 1R (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon 3R (2014)

Martin Kližan (born July 11, 1989) is a professional tennis player from Slovakia. He is known for his powerful left-handed game. Martin reached his highest singles ranking of world No. 24 in April 2015. He also achieved a doubles ranking of No. 73 in May 2015. As a junior, he won the 2006 French Open boys' singles title.

Martin Kližan's Tennis Journey

Early Career and Junior Success

Martin Kližan showed great talent from a young age. In 2005, he won the European Junior Championship. He won both the singles and doubles titles in the under-16 category. His doubles partner was his fellow Slovakian player, Andrej Martin.

The next year, in 2006, Martin won a very important junior title. He became the champion of the French Open boys' singles competition. This was a big step in his young career. As a junior player, he had a great record, winning many matches. He even became the world's No. 1 junior player on January 1, 2007.

Becoming a Professional Player

Martin Kližan officially became a professional tennis player in 2007. It takes a lot of hard work to move from junior tennis to the professional level.

Breaking into the Top 100

In 2010, Martin played in his first major professional tournament, the US Open. He had to win qualifying matches to get into the main draw. Later that year, he won his first Challenger tournament in his hometown of Bratislava. This win helped him climb the rankings. By September 2011, he entered the top 100 tennis players in the world.

Grand Slam Achievements in 2012

The year 2012 was a big one for Martin. He played at Wimbledon for the first time. He won a tough first-round match that went to five sets. He also played in the 2012 Summer Olympics for Slovakia.

At the US Open in 2012, Martin had his best performance at a Grand Slam event. He reached the fourth round, which means he was one of the last 16 players left. On his way, he surprised everyone by beating the fifth-seeded player, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Ups and Downs: 2013-2014

Facing Challenges in 2013

After his success in 2012, some people thought Martin would reach the top 20. However, 2013 was a bit of a mixed year for him. He had some good results, like reaching the quarterfinals in Rotterdam. This helped him reach his highest ranking of World No. 26. But he also had some tough losses and dealt with a wrist injury.

Strong Comeback in 2014

Martin Klizan 2014 Winston Salem Open
Kližan at the 2014 Winston-Salem Open

Martin started 2014 with some challenges, but he soon found his form. At the Australian Open, he had a great run. He started in the qualifying rounds and made it all the way to the third round of the main tournament. This was his best result there.

He continued to play well, returning to the top 100 rankings. A big highlight of 2014 was when he won the BMW Open in Germany. He beat two top players, Mikhail Youzhny and Tommy Haas, and then won the final against Fabio Fognini. This was his second professional title.

At the French Open, he reached the third round. He even defeated the world No. 11 player, Kei Nishikori, in straight sets. Later in the year, at the China Open, he got a big win against Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.

Winning More Titles: 2015-2016

Reaching the Top 25 in 2015

In 2015, Martin continued his success. He won his third ATP doubles title at the Rio Open with his partner Philipp Oswald. He also played for Slovakia in the 2015 Davis Cup, helping his country win their tie against Slovenia.

In April, Martin won his third singles title in Casablanca. He then reached the semifinals in Barcelona.

Two ATP 500 Titles in 2016

Martin had an amazing year in 2016, winning two big titles. He won his fourth singles title in Rotterdam. In this tournament, he showed incredible fighting spirit, saving eight match points on his way to the final. He then beat Gaël Monfils to win the title.

He followed this up by winning his fifth singles title at the 2016 German Open. This was his second ATP 500 level title, which are very important tournaments. He defeated Pablo Cuevas in the final.

Injuries and Comeback: 2017-2025

Dealing with Injuries in 2017

The year 2017 was tough for Martin due to injuries. He had to retire from some matches because of foot problems. He still reached the quarterfinals in a few tournaments, but his ranking dropped out of the top 100.

Sixth ATP Title in 2018

Despite the challenges, Martin had a strong year in 2018. He won a Challenger tournament in Indian Wells. At the Barcelona Open, he achieved a big win by beating Novak Djokovic for the first time.

Later in 2018, Martin won his sixth ATP singles title at the 2018 Generali Open Kitzbühel. He had a fantastic run, beating top players like Dominic Thiem and saving match points in another match. This win meant he had won six out of seven ATP finals he played in.

French Open Third Round in 2019

In 2019, Martin reached the third round of the French Open again. He also played for Slovakia in the 2019 Davis Cup, winning one singles match and a doubles match.

Retirement and Return to Tennis

Martin Kližan announced his retirement from professional tennis in June 2021. He played his last match at Wimbledon that year.

After retiring, Martin tried new things, like running for mayor in his hometown. However, he started watching his old tennis matches. After seeing his win against Nadal from 2014, he decided he wanted to play again!

In September 2023, he began training for a comeback. He started playing in smaller tournaments in December 2023. In 2024, Martin won four ITF tournaments, which helped his ranking improve a lot. He finished 2024 ranked No. 291 in the world. In February 2025, he even qualified for an ATP tournament in Bucharest.

Career Statistics

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
Tournament 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 SR W–L Win %
Australian Open A A A Q1 A A 1R 3R 2R 1R 1R A 1R Q1 Q1 0 / 6 3–6 33%
French Open Q2 A A Q3 A 2R 2R 3R 2R 1R 2R 2R 3R Q2 Q1 0 / 8 9–8 53%
Wimbledon A A A A Q1 2R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R A 1R NH Q1 0 / 7 1–7 13%
US Open A A A 1R A 4R 1R 2R 2R 1R A A 1R A A 0 / 7 5–7 45%
Win–loss 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–1 0–0 5–3 1–4 5–4 3–4 0–4 1–3 1–1 2–4 0–0 0–0 0 / 28 18–28 40%

Interesting Records

Event Years Record accomplished Players matched
ATP Tour 2012–18 First six tournament finals won Ernests Gulbis
Ugo Humbert

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Martin Kližan para niños

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