Michaël Llodra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michaël Llodra

Country (sports)	France
Residence	Rueil-Malmaison, France
Born	(1980-05-18) 18 May 1980 (age 45) Paris, France
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Turned pro	1999
Retired	2014
Plays	Left-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	$8,533,350
Singles
Career record	187–221
Career titles	5
Highest ranking	No. 21 (9 May 2011)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2012)
French Open	4R (2004, 2008)
Wimbledon	4R (2011)
US Open	4R (2004)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2008)
Doubles
Career record	387–224
Career titles	26
Highest ranking	No. 3 (14 November 2011)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (2003, 2004)
French Open	F (2004, 2013)
Wimbledon	W (2007)
US Open	SF (2003)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	W (2005)
Medal record Olympic Games – Tennis Silver 2012 London Doubles

Michaël Llodra (born 18 May 1980) is a French former professional tennis player. He was known for his exciting style of play, especially at the net. Michaël was ranked as high as world No. 3 in men's doubles. He won 26 doubles titles during his career, including three major championships called Grand Slams. He also earned an Olympic silver medal.

Llodra was also a strong singles player, winning five titles. He achieved victories against famous players like Novak Djokovic and Juan Martín del Potro. Many people called him "the best volleyer on tour" because of his amazing skill at hitting the ball close to the net.

Michaël Llodra's Tennis Journey

Llodra playing at the 2014 US Open

Michaël Llodra was born in Paris, France. His father, Michel, was a football player for Paris Saint-Germain. Michaël played tennis left-handed and used a special "serve-and-volley" style. He looked up to the famous tennis player Stefan Edberg.

Michaël married his wife, Camille, on 9 September 2003. They have two children: a daughter named Manon (born 23 March 2004) and a son named Teo (born 5 September 2007). Michaël is a big fan of the French football team Paris Saint-Germain. He often wore their shirt before his tennis matches.

Early Career Highlights

2002: First Grand Slam Final

In 2002, Michaël Llodra reached his first Grand Slam final in men's doubles at the Australian Open. He teamed up with Fabrice Santoro. They played against Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor but lost the match. During one of his matches, a small bird accidentally flew into the path of a ball hit by Llodra. The match paused briefly before continuing.

2003: First Grand Slam Title

The next year, in 2003, Llodra and Santoro won their first Grand Slam title together. They won the Australian Open men's doubles, beating Knowles and Nestor in the final.

2004: Back-to-Back Wins and a Fun Celebration

Llodra and Santoro won the Australian Open men's doubles again in 2004. After their victory, they famously celebrated by taking off some of their clothes and throwing them to the cheering crowd.

In singles, Llodra reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the French Open. He also won his first singles title at a tournament in 's-Hertogenbosch.

2005: Winning the Masters Cup

On 20 November 2005, Llodra and Santoro won the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. This special tournament brings together the top eight doubles teams from around the world.

2007: Wimbledon Champions

In July 2007, Llodra won his third Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon. He partnered with Arnaud Clément. They defeated the famous Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike Bryan. Llodra and Clément were very excited and Llodra celebrated by throwing his shirt, racket, and towel into the crowd.

2008: More Success in Singles and Doubles

Llodra and Clément reached another Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in 2008, but they lost this time. In singles, Llodra won two tournaments in two months. He won in Adelaide and then in Rotterdam, where he beat Robin Söderling. Llodra and Clément also helped France win a Davis Cup match by beating the Bryan Brothers again. Llodra reached the fourth round of the French Open that year.

2009: Reaching Singles Finals

In 2009, Llodra reached two singles finals, one in Marseille and one in Lyon.

2010: A Strong Year

Llodra had a great year in 2010. He won the Open 13 tournament in Marseille, beating top players like Robin Söderling. He also won the doubles title in Marseille with Julien Benneteau. Llodra then won another singles title in Eastbourne.

Later that year, at a big tournament in Paris, he played some of his best tennis. He defeated the world No. 2 player, Novak Djokovic, and then Nikolay Davydenko. He almost reached the final but lost a very close match.

2011: Doubles Dominance

In 2011, Llodra and his doubles partner, Nenad Zimonjić, had a fantastic year. They reached many finals and semifinals in major tournaments. They won titles in Washington, D.C., and at the Canadian Open. They also won the China Open and the Swiss Indoors tournament. They finished the year by playing in the ATP World Tour Finals in London, which is a tournament for the best players of the year.

In singles, Llodra reached the quarterfinals in Marseille and Madrid.

2012: Reaching Semifinals

At the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris in 2012, Llodra surprised many by reaching the semifinals. He defeated higher-ranked players like John Isner and Juan Martín del Potro.

2013: More Doubles Finals

In 2013, Llodra won doubles titles in Montpellier and Dubai. He also reached the men's doubles final at the French Open with Nicolas Mahut, but they lost to the Bryan brothers.

2014: Retirement Year

In 2014, Llodra played fewer tournaments as he was nearing the end of his career. He won a match at the US Open before retiring from professional tennis.

Michaël Llodra's Playing Style

Michaël Llodra was famous for his amazing skills at the net. He was known for his "serve-and-volley" style, which means he would hit a powerful serve and then quickly run to the net to hit the next shot. This was a unique style in modern tennis.

His left-handed serve helped him create tricky angles for his opponents. Robin Söderling, another top player, said Llodra's serve was "unbelievable" and his volleys were the "best on the tour." Llodra used special strings in his racket called "natural gut strings." These strings helped him have a better "feel" for the ball when he hit his delicate volleys.

Images for kids

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  Michaël Llodra at the 2010 US Open.

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  Llodra at the 2009 French Open.

See also

In Spanish: Michaël Llodra para niños