At what age did the pros start tennis? Data on the ATP and WTA top 100

At what age did Jannik Sinner start tennis?

Jannik Sinner began playing tennis at age 7, inspired by his father, and was a champion junior skier before choosing tennis at 13.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 1 · career high 1

Born

August 16, 2001, San Candido, Italy

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

father[1]

Other sports

alpine skiing (Italian champion skier from ages 8 to 12); soccer (preferred skiing and soccer before committing to tennis at 13)[1]

Academy

Left home to train in Bordighera, Italy, from age 13[1]

Tennis only from

Age 13[1]

Turned pro

2018

He began playing at age 7, inspired by his father's passion for the sport.

Sinner was an Italian junior ski champion from 8 to 12 and only committed fully to tennis at 13, when he left home for Bordighera.

At what age did Alexander Zverev start tennis?

Alexander Zverev began playing tennis at age 5; both his parents are former professional players who have coached him.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 2 · career high 2

Born

April 20, 1997, Hamburg, Germany

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

parents, both former pro players[1]

Turned pro

2013

His father Alexander and mother Irina are former pro tennis players who have coached him.

Zverev was coached from the start by his own parents, both former tour players, after the family moved from Russia to Germany.

At what age did Carlos Alcaraz start tennis?

Carlos Alcaraz began playing tennis at age 4, thanks to his father.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 3 · career high 1

Born

May 5, 2003, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

father[1]

Turned pro

2018

He began playing at age 4 thanks to his dad.

At what age did Ben Shelton start tennis?

Ben Shelton began playing tennis at age 10 with his father Bryan, a coach, after playing quarterback in American football.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 4 · career high 4

Born

October 9, 2002, Atlanta, GA, USA

Started

Age 10

Introduced by

father, a coach[1]

Other sports

American football (played quarterback before focusing on tennis)[1]

Turned pro

2022

He began playing at age 10 with his father and coach, Bryan, whom he calls his biggest inspiration.

Shelton started tennis late, at 10, after playing football as a quarterback, and still reached the world top 5.

At what age did Felix Auger-Aliassime start tennis?

Felix Auger-Aliassime began playing tennis at age 5 with his father, Sam, a tennis coach.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 5 · career high 4

Born

August 8, 2000, Montreal, Canada

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

father, a coach[1]

Turned pro

2017

He began playing at age 5 with his father, Sam Aliassime, a tennis coach originally from Togo.

At what age did Daniil Medvedev start tennis?

Daniil Medvedev's ATP bio says he found tennis at about age 9, when his parents took him to a pool for swimming and he saw a tennis-class notice.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 6 · career high 1

Born

February 11, 1996, Moscow, Russia

Started

Age about 9

Introduced by

parents[1]

Other sports

swimming (his parents wanted him to swim; he switched to tennis classes at the pool)[1]

Turned pro

2014

His parents wanted him to take up swimming at 9, but at the pool he saw an announcement for tennis classes.

Medvedev found tennis by chance through a notice at a swimming pool, not through a tennis family.

Sources differ: ATP bio places the swimming-pool tennis notice at age 9; the Tokyo 2020 Olympics athlete profile and other press say he began at 6. We use the ATP bio.

At what age did Flavio Cobolli start tennis?

Flavio Cobolli started playing tennis at age 3 in Rome and also played youth soccer for AS Roma until he was 13.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 7 · career high 6

Born

May 6, 2002, Florence, Italy

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

father, a former pro[3]

Other sports

soccer (full-back in the AS Roma youth sector at Trigoria until age 13)[3]

Tennis only from

Age 13[3]

Turned pro

2020

He began at age 3 at Tennis Club Parioli in Rome; his father Stefano, a former pro, later became his coach.

Cobolli played both tennis and youth soccer for AS Roma until 13 before choosing tennis.

At what age did Novak Djokovic start tennis?

Novak Djokovic began playing tennis at age 4 and moved to the Niki Pilic Academy in Munich at 12.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 8 · career high 1

Born

May 22, 1987, Belgrade, Serbia

Started

Age 4

Academy

Niki Pilic Academy, Munich, from age 12[1]

Turned pro

2003

He began playing at age 4 and idolised Pete Sampras; his father, uncle and aunt were pro skiers.

Djokovic left Serbia at 12 to train for almost two years at the Niki Pilic Academy in Munich.

At what age did Alex de Minaur start tennis?

Alex de Minaur began playing tennis at age 4 after his mother signed him up for lessons.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 9 · career high 5

Born

February 17, 1999, Sydney, Australia

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

mother[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began at age 4 after his mother signed him up for lessons.

De Minaur moved to Alicante, Spain, at 5 and grew up between Spain and Australia.

At what age did Frances Tiafoe start tennis?

Frances Tiafoe began playing tennis at age 3, hitting against a wall at the Maryland tennis center where his father worked.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 10 · career high 8

Born

January 20, 1998, Hyattsville, MD, USA

Started

Age 3

Academy

Junior Tennis Champions Center, College Park, MD[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began hitting against a wall at age 3 with his twin brother at the Junior Tennis Champions Center, where his father was head of maintenance.

Tiafoe learned the game at the Maryland tennis centre where his father worked in maintenance, often spending whole days there.

At what age did Arthur Fils start tennis?

Arthur Fils began playing tennis at age 5 with his father, who coached him until he joined the French Federation at 12.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 11 · career high 9

Born

June 12, 2004, Bondoufle, France

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

father[1]

Academy

French Tennis Federation coaching, from age 12[1]

Tennis only from

Age 12[1]

Turned pro

2021

He began at 5 with his father, who coached him until age 12.

Fils was coached by his father until 12, then moved into the French Federation's programme.

At what age did Taylor Fritz start tennis?

Taylor Fritz began playing tennis at age 2 because both his parents played; his mother, Kathy May, was a top-10 WTA player.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 12 · career high 4

Born

October 28, 1997, Rancho Santa Fe, CA, USA

Started

Age 2

Introduced by

parents, both tennis players[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began at age 2 because both parents played; his mother Kathy May was a top-10 WTA player and his father Guy is a coach.

At what age did Rafael Jodar start tennis?

Rafael Jodar started playing tennis at home when he was 4 years old.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 13 · career high 11

Born

September 17, 2006, Madrid, Spain

Started

Age 4

He started playing tennis at home when he was 4.

At what age did Valentin Vacherot start tennis?

Valentin Vacherot says he started tennis very early but first remembers it clearly at about 9 or 10; he grew up skiing and played college tennis at Texas A&M.

Ranking

ATP No. 14 · career high 14

Born

November 16, 1998, Monaco

Started

very early

Other sports

skiing (grew up skiing before turning to tennis)[1]

Academy

Monegasque Tennis Federation, from age 15[1]

He grew up skiing, and from age 9 to 15 trained in Monaco with Bernard Balleret before playing college tennis at Texas A&M.

Vacherot grew up skiing and took the US college route at Texas A&M before turning pro, reaching the world top 15.

At what age did Jakub Mensik start tennis?

Jakub Mensik began playing tennis at age 5 on the courts in front of his family's house.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 15 · career high 12

Born

September 1, 2005, Prostejov, Czechia

Started

Age 5

Turned pro

2022

He began at 5 on courts in front of the family house, watching others play, then practised with coach Ivo Muller.

Mensik got into tennis by watching people play on the courts outside his family's house.

At what age did Jiri Lehecka start tennis?

Jiri Lehecka's ATP bio does not give a start age; he started playing with his mother and grandfather and left home to train in Prostejov at 15.

Ranking

ATP No. 16 · career high 12

Born

November 8, 2001, Mlada Boleslav, Czechia

Started

Not published

Introduced by

mother and grandfather[1]

Academy

Left home to train in Prostejov, from age 15[1]

Tennis only from

Age 15[1]

Turned pro

2020

He started playing with his mother and grandfather; his father was a pro swimmer and his mother a track-and-field athlete.

Lehecka's parents were athletes in other sports (swimming and track and field), and he left home at 15 to train.

At what age did Learner Tien start tennis?

Learner Tien first held a racquet at about 18 months old; his parents, both recreational players, introduced him to tennis.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 17 · career high 12

Born

December 2, 2005, Irvine, CA, USA

Started

Age 1½

Introduced by

parents, recreational players[1]

Academy

USTA Player Development, from age 10[1]

Turned pro

2023

He hit with his family on community courts in Irvine and was coached by his father until joining USTA Player Development at about 10-11.

Tien learned on community courts in Irvine with his family and was coached by his father until about 10.

At what age did Tommy Paul start tennis?

Tommy Paul began playing tennis at age 7 after his parents introduced him to the sport.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 18 · career high 8

Born

May 17, 1997, Voorhees, NJ, USA

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

parents[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began at 7 after being introduced by his parents.

At what age did Brandon Nakashima start tennis?

Brandon Nakashima began playing tennis at age 3 with his grandfather, who took him to a local park.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 19 · career high 16

Born

August 3, 2001, San Diego, CA, USA

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

grandfather[1]

Academy

University of Virginia (college), from age 17[1]

Turned pro

2019

He began as a 3-year-old with his grandfather, who took him to a local park.

Nakashima's parents are pharmacists, he started at a local park with his grandfather, and he played a year of college tennis at Virginia.

At what age did Francisco Cerundolo start tennis?

Francisco Cerundolo began playing tennis at age 5 with his parents, who run a tennis academy in Buenos Aires.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 20 · career high 18

Born

August 13, 1998, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

parents, who run an academy[1]

Turned pro

2018

He began at 5 with his parents, who run a tennis academy in Buenos Aires; his father played professionally.

At what age did Luciano Darderi start tennis?

Luciano Darderi started playing tennis at age 4 in Argentina with his father, a former player who is still his coach.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 21 · career high 16

Born

February 14, 2002, Villa Gesell, Argentina

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

father, a former player and coach[1]

He started at 4 in Villa Gesell, Argentina, with his father Luciano Enrique, a former player who is still his coach.

Darderi has been coached by his father his whole career, travelling to many cities and countries to train.

At what age did Alexander Bublik start tennis?

Alexander Bublik began playing tennis at age 2 with his father, Stanislav, who was his coach growing up.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 22 · career high 10

Born

June 17, 1997, Gatchina, Russia

Started

Age 2

Introduced by

father[1]

Turned pro

2016

He began at 2 with his father, Stanislav, who coached him growing up.

At what age did Andrey Rublev start tennis?

Andrey Rublev began playing tennis at age 3; his mother, Marina, is a tennis coach.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 23 · career high 5

Born

October 20, 1997, Moscow, Russia

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

mother, a coach[1]

Turned pro

2014

He began at 3 and sometimes slept with his racquet; his mother Marina is a tennis coach and his father a former boxer.

At what age did Casper Ruud start tennis?

Casper Ruud started playing tennis at age 4 with his father, Christian, a former ATP top-40 player who coaches him.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 24 · career high 2

Born

December 22, 1998, Oslo, Norway

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

father, a former pro[1]

Academy

Rafa Nadal Academy[1]

Turned pro

2015

He started at 4 with his dad, Christian, a former world No. 39 who is his coach.

Ruud was coached by his father, a former tour player, and later trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy.

At what age did Lorenzo Musetti start tennis?

Lorenzo Musetti began playing tennis at age 4 and has worked with the same coach, Simone Tartarini, his whole life.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 25 · career high 5

Born

March 3, 2002, Carrara, Italy

Started

Age 4

Turned pro

2019

He began at 4 and has had the same coach, Simone Tartarini, his whole life.

Musetti's father is a marble producer and his mother a secretary, and he has kept the same coach since childhood.

At what age did Alejandro Davidovich Fokina start tennis?

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina began playing tennis at age 2 and a half with his father, a former boxer.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 26 · career high 14

Born

June 5, 1999, Malaga, Spain

Started

Age 2½

Introduced by

father[1]

Academy

Racket Club Fuengirola, from age 11[1]

Tennis only from

Age 16[1]

Turned pro

2017

He began at 2.5 with his father, a former boxer, first training at La Cala del Moral.

Davidovich Fokina's father was a boxer, not a tennis player, and he left home at 16 to keep developing.

At what age did Karen Khachanov start tennis?

Karen Khachanov started playing tennis at age 3, at kindergarten in Moscow.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 27 · career high 8

Born

May 21, 1996, Moscow, Russia

Started

Age 3

Turned pro

2013

He started playing as a 3-year-old at kindergarten.

Khachanov first played tennis at kindergarten; his father played volleyball at a high level.

At what age did Alexander Blockx start tennis?

Alexander Blockx started playing tennis at age 4.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 28 · career high 27

Born

April 8, 2005, Antwerp, Belgium

Started

Age 4

Blockx's parents came from other sports: his father was a hurdler and his mother a professional swimmer.

At what age did Joao Fonseca start tennis?

Joao Fonseca started playing tennis at age 4 in Rio de Janeiro, where his mother took him to the clay courts near their home.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 29 · career high 24

Born

August 21, 2006, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

mother[1]

His mother took him to play on the clay courts of the Rio de Janeiro Country Club next to their home.

Fonseca played several sports as a child and decided to focus on tennis after watching pros at the Rio ATP event as a fan.

At what age did Alejandro Tabilo start tennis?

Alejandro Tabilo's ATP bio does not give a start age; he took up tennis to copy his brother and left home at 13 to train in Florida.

Ranking

ATP No. 30 · career high 19

Born

June 2, 1997, Toronto, Canada

Started

Not published

Introduced by

brother[1]

Academy

Left home to train in Florida, from age 13[1]

Tennis only from

Age 13[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began playing because he wanted to be like his brother, who played.

Tabilo left home at 13 to train in Florida.

At what age did Tomas Martin Etcheverry start tennis?

Tomas Martin Etcheverry began playing tennis at age 5, asking his parents for lessons after hours of playing with a paddle-ball toy.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 31 · career high 25

Born

July 18, 1999, La Plata, Argentina

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

parents[1]

Turned pro

2017

After his parents gave him a paddle-ball toy he played with it for hours each day, then asked them for tennis lessons.

Etcheverry's parents are both lawyers; he asked for lessons himself after falling in love with a paddle-ball toy.

At what age did Ugo Humbert start tennis?

Ugo Humbert began playing tennis at age 5 after watching his father play, and left home at 12 to train in Paris.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 32 · career high 13

Born

June 26, 1998, Metz, France

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

father[1]

Academy

Left home to train in Paris, from age 12[1]

Tennis only from

Age 12[1]

Turned pro

2016

He watched his father play and wanted to learn.

Humbert's parents run a butcher's shop, and he left home at 12 to train in Paris.

At what age did Arthur Rinderknech start tennis?

Arthur Rinderknech began playing tennis at age 6 with his parents; his mother was a WTA player and his father runs a tennis club.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 33 · career high 24

Born

July 23, 1995, Gassin, France

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

parents, both from tennis[1]

Academy

Texas A&M University (college, 2015-18)[1]

Turned pro

2018

He began at 6 with his parents; his father directs a Paris tennis club and his mother was WTA No. 208.

Rinderknech played four years of college tennis at Texas A&M and earned a business degree before turning pro.

At what age did Hubert Hurkacz start tennis?

Hubert Hurkacz began playing tennis at age 5; his mother was a junior tennis champion in Poland.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 34 · career high 6

Born

February 11, 1997, Wroclaw, Poland

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

mother, a former junior champion[1]

Other sports

gymnastics (as a child); basketball (as a child); football (as a child)[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began at 5 because his mother was a junior tennis champion in Poland.

Hurkacz also did gymnastics, basketball and football as a child.

At what age did Alex Michelsen start tennis?

Alex Michelsen started playing tennis at age 3, hitting backhands in the garage; his mother taught him to play.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 35 · career high 30

Born

August 25, 2004, Laguna Hills, CA, USA

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

mother[1]

Turned pro

2023

He started at 3, hitting backhands in the garage; his mother taught him and hit with him almost daily until he was 15 or 16.

Michelsen's mother, a former college player, was his main hitting partner almost every day until he was 15 or 16.

At what age did Ignacio Buse start tennis?

Ignacio Buse began playing tennis by age 2 or 3 at the Lima club where his father was a coach.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 36 · career high 30

Born

March 25, 2004, Lima, Peru

Started

Age 2 or 3

Introduced by

father, a coach[1]

Academy

Tennis Empowerment Centre Carles Ferrer Salat, Barcelona[1]

He grew up at the Country Club de Villa in Peru, where his father Hans was a coach.

Buse committed to the University of Georgia but turned pro instead and moved to Barcelona to train.

At what age did Arthur Fery start tennis?

Arthur Fery started playing tennis at age 5 at his local club; his mother, Olivia, is a former professional player.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 37 · career high 33

Born

July 12, 2002, Sevres, France

Started

Age 5

Academy

Stanford University (college), from age 18[1]

He picked up a racket for the first time at his local club; his mother is former pro Olivia Fery.

Fery went to Stanford and played college tennis before turning pro.

At what age did Matteo Arnaldi start tennis?

Matteo Arnaldi started playing tennis at age 5 with his grandfather and swam competitively before choosing tennis at 12.[4]

Ranking

ATP No. 38 · career high 30

Born

February 22, 2001, Sanremo, Italy

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

grandfather[4]

Other sports

swimming (followed his father, a swimmer; chose tennis at 12); skiing (until 12); football (until 12); judo (until 12)[3]

Tennis only from

Age 12[3]

Turned pro

2019

He started by hitting against the club wall with his grandfather.

Arnaldi was a multi-sport kid (swimming, skiing, football, judo) and only chose tennis at 12.

At what age did Zizou Bergs start tennis?

Zizou Bergs began playing tennis at age 3 with his father, moving to an academy at 8 and the Flemish Federation centre at 15.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 39 · career high 33

Born

June 3, 1999, Lommel, Belgium

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

father[1]

Academy

LTA Academy (Belgium), from age 8[1]

Turned pro

2018

He began at 3 with his father, joined an academy at 8 and the Flemish Federation training centre at 15.

At what age did Cameron Norrie start tennis?

Cameron Norrie started playing tennis at age 6 in New Zealand, using a squash racquet in his driveway, after his mother introduced him.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 40 · career high 8

Born

August 23, 1995, Johannesburg, South Africa

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

mother[1]

Academy

Texas Christian University (college, 2015-17)[1]

Turned pro

2017

He started with a squash racquet in his driveway in New Zealand after being introduced by his mom.

Norrie moved to London alone, then played three years of college tennis at TCU, finishing as the US college No. 1.

At what age did Botic van de Zandschulp start tennis?

Botic van de Zandschulp started playing tennis at age 4 at a club in Veenendaal, Netherlands, and joined national-level training at 7.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 41 · career high 22

Born

October 4, 1995, Wageningen, Netherlands

Started

Age 4

Turned pro

2016

He started at a club in nearby Veenendaal and qualified for national-level training at 7.

At what age did Denis Shapovalov start tennis?

Denis Shapovalov has been coached by his mother, a former pro, since age 5, at the academy she runs in Vaughan, Canada.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 42 · career high 10

Born

April 15, 1999

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

mother, a former pro and coach[1]

Academy

Tennis academy in Vaughan, Canada, run by his mother, from age 5[1]

Turned pro

2017

His mother, Tessa, a former professional player, has coached him since age 5 and runs a tennis academy in Vaughan, Canada.

Shapovalov's mother built her own academy near Toronto partly to give him a home base to train.

At what age did Stefanos Tsitsipas start tennis?

Stefanos Tsitsipas began playing tennis at age 3; his mother, a former pro, was his first coach.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 43 · career high 3

Born

August 12, 1998, Athens, Greece

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

mother, an ex-pro, and father, a coach[1]

Turned pro

2016

His mother, ex-pro Julia Salnikova, was his first coach and his father Apostolos later coached him.

At what age did Daniel Merida start tennis?

Daniel Merida's ATP bio does not give the age he started tennis, and we found no reliable source for it.

Ranking

ATP No. 44 · career high 39

Born

September 26, 2004, Madrid, Spain

Started

Not published

At what age did Luca Van Assche start tennis?

Luca Van Assche began playing tennis at age 4 at a club next to his house in Aix-en-Provence.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 45 · career high 40

Born

May 11, 2004, Woluwe St Lambert, Belgium

Started

Age 4

Academy

Pole France, Poitiers, from age 12[1]

Tennis only from

Age 12[1]

Turned pro

2021

He began during holidays at a tennis club next to his house in Aix-en-Provence.

Van Assche left home at 12 for a year in the French federation's Poitiers programme and kept studying maths at university while on tour.

At what age did Matteo Berrettini start tennis?

Matteo Berrettini began playing tennis at age 4 and also did swimming, football and judo as a child.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 46 · career high 6

Born

April 12, 1996, Rome, Italy

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

younger brother[1]

Other sports

swimming (as a child); football (as a child); judo (as a child)[1]

Turned pro

2015

At 8, his younger brother Jacopo asked him to play more tennis, which inspired him to pursue it.

Berrettini was a multi-sport child and says his younger brother pushed him to play more tennis at 8.

At what age did Mariano Navone start tennis?

Mariano Navone began playing tennis by age 3 in a family where his parents and sister all played.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 47 · career high 29

Born

February 27, 2001, 9 de Julio, Argentina

Started

Age by 3

Introduced by

family, all tennis players[1]

His parents and sister all played tennis.

At what age did Quentin Halys start tennis?

Quentin Halys began playing tennis at age 5, hitting with his family at their local club.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 48 · career high 46

Born

October 26, 1996, Bondy, France

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

family[1]

Turned pro

2012

He began hitting with his family at their local club.

At what age did Jaume Munar start tennis?

Jaume Munar began playing tennis at age 8, after swimming and playing football and basketball growing up.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 49 · career high 33

Born

May 5, 1997, Santanyi, Mallorca, Spain

Started

Age 8

Other sports

swimming (growing up); football (growing up); basketball (growing up)[1]

Academy

Trained in Barcelona from 14 to 20; now Rafa Nadal Academy, from age 14[1]

Tennis only from

Age 14[1]

Turned pro

2014

He began playing at 8 on hard courts.

Munar started relatively late at 8, played several sports, and left home at 14 to train in Barcelona.

At what age did Raphael Collignon start tennis?

Raphael Collignon began playing tennis at age 4, hitting against a wall while his father played at the local club.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 50 · career high 37

Born

January 13, 2002, Rochester, MN, USA

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

father[1]

He hit against the wall while his father played at the local club.

At what age did Nuno Borges start tennis?

Nuno Borges began playing tennis at age 6 with his family at a club in Maia, Portugal.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 51 · career high 30

Born

February 19, 1997, Maia, Portugal

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

family[1]

Other sports

swimming (also liked to swim but gave more time to tennis)[1]

Academy

Mississippi State University (college, 2016-19)[1]

Turned pro

2019

He began with his family at a club in his hometown of Maia.

Borges played four years of US college tennis at Mississippi State and earned a degree before turning pro.

At what age did Adolfo Daniel Vallejo start tennis?

Adolfo Daniel Vallejo first played tennis at age 6 with his father and two brothers in Asuncion, Paraguay.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 52 · career high 52

Born

April 28, 2004, Asuncion, Paraguay

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

father and brothers[1]

Turned pro

2023

He first played with his dad and two brothers at the Club Internacional de Tenis in Asuncion.

At what age did Sebastian Baez start tennis?

Sebastian Baez hit his first balls at age 2, dragging his father's racket around the family home in Argentina.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 53 · career high 18

Born

December 28, 2000, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Started

Age 2

Turned pro

2018

He dragged his father's racket around the house until his mother bought him a small ball.

Baez comes from a humble, hard-working family, and paying for his early career was a real challenge for his parents.

At what age did Thiago Agustin Tirante start tennis?

Thiago Agustin Tirante began playing tennis at 9 months old, as soon as he could walk, at his grandfather's club in La Plata.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 54 · career high 42

Born

April 10, 2001, La Plata, Argentina

Started

Age 9 months

Introduced by

aunt, his coach[1]

Turned pro

2016

He began at his grandfather's club in La Plata as soon as he could walk, and his aunt Vanesa taught him to play.

At what age did Juan Manuel Cerundolo start tennis?

Juan Manuel Cerundolo began playing tennis at age 3 at his parents' tennis academy in Buenos Aires.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 55 · career high 42

Born

November 15, 2001, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

parents, who run an academy[1]

Academy

His parents' academy, Buenos Aires, from age 3[1]

Turned pro

2018

He began as a 3-year-old at his parents' academy; his father played professionally in the 1980s.

At what age did Arthur Gea start tennis?

Arthur Gea began playing tennis at age 7 in Velleron, France, after playing football; his parents did not play tennis.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 56 · career high 56

Born

January 2, 2005, Carpentras, France

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

parents, not tennis players[1]

Other sports

football (played from a young age before tennis)[1]

Academy

French Tennis Federation, Paris, from age 17[1]

Tennis only from

Age 14[1]

His parents, who did not play tennis, pushed him to try another sport when tennis came to his small town of Velleron.

Gea's parents were not tennis players, he played football first, and he left home at 14 to train.

At what age did Yannick Hanfmann start tennis?

Yannick Hanfmann began playing tennis at age 5 with his parents and later played four years of college tennis at USC.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 57 · career high 45

Born

November 13, 1991, Karlsruhe, Germany

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

parents[1]

Academy

University of Southern California (college, 2012-15)[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began at 5 with his parents.

Hanfmann played four years of US college tennis at USC before turning pro.

At what age did Tallon Griekspoor start tennis?

Tallon Griekspoor began playing tennis at age 5, inspired by his older twin brothers, who also played pro tennis.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 58 · career high 21

Born

July 2, 1996, Haarlem, Netherlands

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

older brothers[1]

Academy

Moved to Belgium to train with Kristof Vliegen, from age 17[1]

Tennis only from

Age 17[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began at 5, inspired by his older twin brothers, practising and travelling with them.

Griekspoor's mother is a tennis instructor, and he followed his older brothers into the sport.

At what age did Jan-Lennard Struff start tennis?

Jan-Lennard Struff began playing tennis at age 6 with his parents, who are both tennis coaches.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 59 · career high 21

Born

April 25, 1990, Warstein, Germany

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

parents, both coaches[1]

Turned pro

2009

He began at 6 with his parents, Dieter and Martina, who are both tennis coaches.

At what age did Jaime Faria start tennis?

Jaime Faria started tennis at age 5 after his father took him to a tennis exhibition, and he was hooked from there.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 60 · career high 60

Born

August 6, 2003, Lisbon, Portugal

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

father[1]

At 5, his father took him and his younger brother to an exhibition, and he was hooked from there.

Faria got hooked on tennis after his father took him to watch an exhibition.

At what age did Miomir Kecmanovic start tennis?

Miomir Kecmanovic began playing tennis at age 6 with his grandfather and moved to IMG Academy in Florida at 13.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 61 · career high 27

Born

August 31, 1999, Belgrade, Serbia

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

grandfather[1]

Academy

IMG Academy, Florida, from age 13[1]

Tennis only from

Age 13[1]

Turned pro

2017

He began at 6 with his grandfather, Jovan.

Kecmanovic's parents are both doctors, and he moved to Florida with his aunt at 13 to train at IMG Academy.

At what age did Roman Andres Burruchaga start tennis?

Roman Andres Burruchaga started playing tennis at age 7 and chose it over football; his father scored the winning goal in the 1986 World Cup final.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 62 · career high 56

Born

January 23, 2002, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

a coach, Marcelo Miguez[1]

Other sports

football (played when younger, then chose tennis)[1]

Coach Marcelo Miguez got him into the sport; he is the only member of his family who plays tennis.

Burruchaga is the only tennis player in his family and picked tennis over football, his famous father's sport.

At what age did Fabian Marozsan start tennis?

Fabian Marozsan began playing tennis at age 5 and credits his father with teaching him everything about the game.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 63 · career high 36

Born

October 8, 1999, Budapest, Hungary

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

father[1]

Turned pro

2017

He began at 5 and credits his father for teaching him everything about the sport.

At what age did James Duckworth start tennis?

James Duckworth started playing tennis at age 7, alongside other sports.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 64 · career high 46

Born

January 21, 1992, Sydney, Australia

Started

Age 7

Other sports

other sports (played several sports alongside tennis from age 7 (not named in the bio))[1]

Turned pro

2010

He started tennis at 7 along with other sports.

Duckworth played several sports alongside tennis as a child.

At what age did Pablo Carreno Busta start tennis?

Pablo Carreno Busta began playing tennis at age 6 and only began taking it more seriously at 15, when he moved to Barcelona.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 65 · career high 10

Born

July 12, 1991, Gijon, Spain

Started

Age 6

Academy

Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, from age 15[1]

Tennis only from

Age 15[1]

Turned pro

2009

Carreno Busta only got serious about tennis at 15, when he moved to train in Barcelona, and still reached the world top 10.

At what age did Ethan Quinn start tennis?

Ethan Quinn started playing tennis at age 3, hitting a ball his parents tied to a string on the patio.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 66 · career high 45

Born

March 12, 2004, Fresno, CA, USA

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

parents[1]

Academy

University of Georgia (college)[1]

Turned pro

2023

At 3, his parents tied a ball to a string hung from the patio, and he would hit it for hours; his mother often hit with him.

Quinn's parents built him a ball-on-a-string on the patio, and he played college tennis at Georgia before turning pro.

At what age did Daniel Altmaier start tennis?

Daniel Altmaier started playing tennis at age 7, encouraged by his parents to play sports.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 67 · career high 44

Born

September 12, 1998, Kempen, Germany

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

parents[1]

Turned pro

2014

He started through his parents' encouragement to play sports.

At what age did Vit Kopriva start tennis?

Vit Kopriva's ATP bio does not give a start age; he grew up in Fulnek, Czechia, where Petra Kvitova's family coached him early on.

Ranking

ATP No. 68 · career high 55

Born

June 15, 1997, Bilovec, Czechia

Started

Not published

Turned pro

2015

He grew up in the small town of Fulnek, and Petra Kvitova's father and brother coached him early on.

At what age did Facundo Diaz Acosta start tennis?

Facundo Diaz Acosta began playing tennis at age 3 with his grandparents.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 69 · career high 47

Born

December 15, 2000, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

grandparents[1]

Turned pro

2018

He began at 3 with his grandparents.

At what age did Kamil Majchrzak start tennis?

Kamil Majchrzak's ATP bio does not give a start age; he began at a family friend's academy, and both his parents were teachers.

Ranking

ATP No. 70 · career high 45

Born

January 13, 1996, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland

Started

Not published

Turned pro

2013

He started at the academy of a family friend; both his parents were teachers.

Majchrzak says money was tight for tennis in his family of teachers, but he made it anyway.

At what age did Corentin Moutet start tennis?

Corentin Moutet began playing tennis at age 3 with his parents.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 71 · career high 30

Born

April 19, 1999, Paris, France

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

parents[1]

Turned pro

2016

He began at 3 with his parents.

At what age did Titouan Droguet start tennis?

Titouan Droguet's ATP bio does not give the age he started tennis, and we found no reliable source for it.

Ranking

ATP No. 72 · career high 72

Born

June 15, 2001, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France

Started

Not published

Turned pro

2018

At what age did Martin Landaluce start tennis?

Martin Landaluce fell for tennis at age 1 watching his parents and siblings play, and started playing tournaments at 9.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 73 · career high 55

Born

January 8, 2006, Madrid, Spain

Started

Age 1

Introduced by

parents and siblings[1]

He became passionate about tennis at 1 watching his parents and siblings play, and began competing at 9.

Landaluce grew up watching his whole family play and did not compete in tournaments until he was 9.

At what age did Sebastian Korda start tennis?

Sebastian Korda started pursuing tennis at age 9 after attending the US Open; before that he played ice hockey from age 3.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 74 · career high 15

Born

July 5, 2000, Bradenton, FL, USA

Started

Age 9

Other sports

ice hockey (played from age 3 and dreamed of the NHL)[1]

Tennis only from

Age 9[1]

Turned pro

2018

He played ice hockey from 3 and only started pursuing tennis at 9 after attending the US Open; both parents were pros.

Even with two pro tennis parents, Korda played ice hockey first and only chose tennis at 9.

At what age did Tomas Machac start tennis?

Tomas Machac started playing tennis at age 5, hitting on a wall while his sister played, and joined TK Sparta Prague at 10.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 75 · career high 20

Born

October 13, 2000, Beroun, Czechia

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

older sister[1]

Academy

TK Sparta Praha, Prague, from age 10[1]

Turned pro

2017

He started at 5, hitting on a wall while his sister played.

At what age did Kyrian Jacquet start tennis?

Kyrian Jacquet's ATP bio does not give the age he started tennis, and we found no reliable source for it.

Ranking

ATP No. 76 · career high 76

Born

May 11, 2001, Lyon, France

Started

Not published

At what age did Camilo Ugo Carabelli start tennis?

Camilo Ugo Carabelli started playing tennis at age 7 with his brother in Buenos Aires, after playing football.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 77 · career high 43

Born

June 17, 1999, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

brother[1]

Other sports

football (played football as a child while his brother played tennis)[1]

Turned pro

2016

He started at 7 with his brother in Buenos Aires; he was playing football while his brother played tennis.

Ugo Carabelli came to tennis from football, following his brother.

At what age did Hamad Medjedovic start tennis?

Hamad Medjedovic began training in tennis at age 6 in Novi Pazar, Serbia, and moved to Belgrade at 10 for better facilities.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 78 · career high 56

Born

July 18, 2003, Novi Pazar, Serbia

Started

Age 6

Academy

Moved to Belgrade for better facilities, from age 10[1]

Tennis only from

Age 10[1]

Turned pro

2021

He began in his hometown of Novi Pazar with coach Edis Fetic, inspired by Novak Djokovic, then moved to Belgrade at 10.

Medjedovic left his hometown at 10 to find better training facilities in Belgrade.

At what age did Roman Safiullin start tennis?

Roman Safiullin started playing tennis at age 4 with his father, who works at a tennis academy.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 79 · career high 36

Born

August 7, 1997, Podolsk, Russia

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

father, who works at an academy[1]

Turned pro

2015

He started at 4 with his father, who works at a tennis academy.

At what age did Marin Cilic start tennis?

Marin Cilic began playing tennis at age 7 with his cousin, on a court his parents built in their backyard.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 80 · career high 3

Born

September 28, 1988, Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

cousin[1]

Turned pro

2005

He began at 7 with his cousin Tanja; his parents built a tennis court in the backyard.

Cilic's parents built him and his brothers a tennis court in their backyard.

At what age did Aleksandar Kovacevic start tennis?

Aleksandar Kovacevic started playing tennis at age 5 in New York's Central Park, tagging along with his parents.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 81 · career high 54

Born

August 29, 1998, New York, NY, USA

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

parents[1]

Academy

University of Illinois (college, five years)[1]

Turned pro

2021

He started in Central Park, tagging along with his parents, who played table tennis.

Kovacevic learned in Central Park, his parents played table tennis, and he spent five years on the University of Illinois team.

At what age did Zachary Svajda start tennis?

Zachary Svajda began playing tennis at age 2; his father, Tom, is a tennis teaching pro.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 82 · career high 62

Born

November 29, 2002, La Jolla, CA, USA

Started

Age 2

Turned pro

2019

His father, Tom, is a tennis teaching pro.

At what age did Adrian Mannarino start tennis?

Adrian Mannarino began playing tennis at age 5; his father, Florent, is a tennis coach.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 83 · career high 17

Born

June 29, 1988, Soisy-sous-Montmorency, France

Started

Age 5

Turned pro

2004

His father, Florent, is a tennis coach.

At what age did Alex Molcan start tennis?

Alex Molcan began playing tennis at age 5 and moved to Bratislava with his mother at 12 for better training.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 84 · career high 38

Born

December 1, 1997, Presov, Slovakia

Started

Age 5

Academy

Moved to Bratislava with his mother for better training, from age 12[1]

Tennis only from

Age 12[1]

Turned pro

2015

Molcan's mother, a physiotherapist, changed her life and moved cities with him at 12 so he could train better.

At what age did Rinky Hijikata start tennis?

Rinky Hijikata started playing tennis in his backyard at age 3 or 4, and also played football, rugby and swimming as a child.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 85 · career high 62

Born

February 23, 2001, Sydney, Australia

Started

Age 3 or 4

Other sports

football (3 years as a child); rugby (5 years as a child); swimming (8 years as a child); surf lifesaving (trained for 2 years)[1]

Academy

University of North Carolina (college, 2020-21)[1]

Turned pro

2021

He started playing in his backyard.

Hijikata was a true multi-sport kid (rugby, football, swimming, surf lifesaving) and played college tennis at North Carolina.

At what age did Mattia Bellucci start tennis?

Mattia Bellucci started playing tennis as a child with his father, Fabrizio, a tennis teacher; no exact age is given.

Ranking

ATP No. 86 · career high 63

Born

June 1, 2001, Busto Arsizio, Italy

Started

as a child

Introduced by

father, a coach[3]

He started as a child with his father, Fabrizio, a tennis teacher, in Castellanza.

At what age did Lorenzo Sonego start tennis?

Lorenzo Sonego started playing tennis at age 11 with coach Gipo Arbino, a late start for a top-25 player.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 87 · career high 21

Born

May 11, 1995, Turin, Italy

Started

Age 11

Introduced by

father (influence); coach Gipo Arbino[1]

Turned pro

2013

He started at 11 with coach Gipo Arbino; his father, Giorgio, was his main influence.

Sonego did not start tennis until 11 and still reached world No. 21.

At what age did Marcos Giron start tennis?

Marcos Giron started playing tennis at age 6 when his mother fed him balls at a local park.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 88 · career high 37

Born

July 24, 1993, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

mother[1]

Academy

UCLA (college, 2012-14)[1]

Turned pro

2014

He started when his mom fed him balls at a local park.

Giron started at a public park with his mom and won the 2014 NCAA singles title at UCLA before turning pro.

At what age did Hugo Gaston start tennis?

Hugo Gaston began playing tennis as a 2-year-old at the club where his father was president.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 89 · career high 58

Born

September 26, 2000, Toulouse, France

Started

Age 2

Introduced by

father, a club president[1]

Turned pro

2018

He began as a 2-year-old at Fonsorbes Tennis Club, where his father was president.

Gaston's family all work for Airbus; he started at his local club, where his father was president.

At what age did Marco Trungelliti start tennis?

Marco Trungelliti's ATP bio does not give a start age; he left home at 14 to train in Chaco and Buenos Aires.

Ranking

ATP No. 90 · career high 76

Born

January 31, 1990, Santiago del Estero, Argentina

Started

Not published

Academy

Left home to train in Chaco and Buenos Aires, from age 14[1]

Tennis only from

Age 14[1]

Turned pro

2008

Trungelliti left home at 14 to train elsewhere in Argentina.

At what age did Jan Choinski start tennis?

Jan Choinski started going to the tennis club with his father at age 2; both his parents were professional ballet dancers.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 91 · career high 74

Born

June 10, 1996, Koblenz, Germany

Started

Age 2

Introduced by

father[3]

Other sports

ballet (attended his parents' ballet school in Germany)[3]

His father, a former ballet dancer who took up tennis to stay fit, took him to the club from age 2.

Choinski's parents were ballet dancers, not tennis players, and he also attended their ballet school.

At what age did Benjamin Bonzi start tennis?

Benjamin Bonzi began playing tennis at age 6 because he wanted to beat his cousin.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 92 · career high 42

Born

June 9, 1996, Nimes, France

Started

Age 6

Academy

French Tennis Federation (Nice, then Paris), from age 14[1]

Tennis only from

Age 14[1]

Turned pro

2015

He began at 6 because he wanted to beat his cousin, and lived 3 minutes from a tennis club.

Bonzi's parents work outside tennis (Renault and accounting), and he joined French Federation training at 14.

At what age did Yunchaokete Bu start tennis?

Yunchaokete Bu's ATP bio does not give a start age; a coach who visited his school class told him to try tennis, and at 14 he chose to go pro.

Ranking

ATP No. 93 · career high 64

Born

January 19, 2002, Xinjiang, China

Started

Not published

Introduced by

a coach who visited his school class[3]

Academy

Trained in Spain (based in Alicante) by 16, from age 16[3]

Tennis only from

Age 14[1]

A coach who led physical activities in his class told him to try tennis.

Bu was spotted at school by a visiting coach, not through a tennis family, and took two years off for school at 18.

At what age did Michael Zheng start tennis?

Michael Zheng's ATP bio does not give the age he started tennis; he is a two-time NCAA singles champion at Columbia University.

Ranking

ATP No. 94 · career high 88

Born

January 27, 2004, Chesapeake, USA

Started

Not published

Academy

Columbia University (college)[1]

Zheng took the college route, winning two NCAA singles titles at Columbia.

At what age did Jesper de Jong start tennis?

Jesper de Jong began playing tennis at age 4, hitting against the wall at the fitness centre where his mother worked.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 95 · career high 71

Born

May 31, 2000, Haarlem, Netherlands

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

mother (indirectly)[1]

His mother worked at a fitness centre with squash courts, where he spent days hitting against the wall before taking lessons.

De Jong taught himself by hitting against a squash-court wall before he ever took lessons.

At what age did Jacob Fearnley start tennis?

Jacob Fearnley was hitting a ball with a table tennis bat at about age 2 and was hitting tennis volleys by 5.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 96 · career high 49

Born

July 15, 2001, Worcester, England

Started

Age about 2

Introduced by

grandparents[1]

Other sports

table tennis (played with a table tennis bat and ball at about 2)[1]

Academy

Texas Christian University (college, five years)[1]

He played with a table tennis bat and ball at about 2 in his grandparents' big back garden, and was hitting volleys by 5.

Fearnley spent five years at TCU and won a national team title before turning pro.

At what age did Dino Prizmic start tennis?

Dino Prizmic's ATP bio does not give a start age; he began in Split, Croatia, inspired by Novak Djokovic, and later moved to Zagreb.

Ranking

ATP No. 97 · career high 70

Born

August 5, 2005, Split, Croatia

Started

Not published

Academy

Moved to Zagreb to train[1]

He began playing in Split, motivated by his idol Novak Djokovic, and moved to Zagreb to improve.

At what age did Adam Walton start tennis?

Adam Walton's ATP bio does not give a start age; he grew up playing with his older brother in Home Hill, Queensland, and played college tennis at Tennessee.

Ranking

ATP No. 98 · career high 74

Born

April 17, 1999, Brisbane, Australia

Started

Not published

Other sports

cricket (played in the afternoons growing up); rugby (played in the afternoons growing up)[3]

Academy

University of Tennessee (college, five years)[1]

Turned pro

2022

He grew up in Home Hill, Queensland, playing tennis alongside his older brother Jack.

Walton came from a small country town, also played cricket and rugby, left for boarding school at 14 and spent five years in US college tennis.

At what age did Terence Atmane start tennis?

Terence Atmane started playing tennis at age 7, after his mother bought him a racquet because he loved tennis video games.[1]

Ranking

ATP No. 99 · career high 41

Born

January 9, 2002, Saint-Martin-Boulogne, France

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

mother[1]

He played tennis video games before his mom bought him a racquet and he tried the sport at a local club.

Atmane came to tennis through video games; his mother works for Eurotunnel and his father owns a renovation company.

At what age did Toby Samuel start tennis?

Toby Samuel started playing tennis at age 3 at a local club near Bournemouth and was in AFC Bournemouth's football academy at 11.[3]

Ranking

ATP No. 100 · career high 95

Born

September 6, 2002, Winchester, England

Started

Age 3

Other sports

football (in the AFC Bournemouth academy at 11 before choosing tennis)[3]

Academy

University of South Carolina (college)[1]

He started at St Leonards and St Ives Tennis Club near Bournemouth, then moved to West Hants Club.

Samuel played academy football at AFC Bournemouth at 11 before choosing tennis, then went to college at South Carolina.

At what age did Elena Rybakina start tennis?

Elena Rybakina started playing tennis at about age 5 or 6 in Moscow, after she was told she was too tall for gymnastics and ice skating.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 1 · career high 1

Born

June 17, 1999, Moscow, Russia

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

father[2]

Other sports

gymnastics (told she was too tall to go professional); ice skating (same reason; switched to tennis)[2]

Academy

Spartak Club, Moscow[1]

She did gymnastics and ice skating with her sister in Moscow until coaches said she was too tall, so her father, who loves tennis, told her to try it.

Rybakina came to tennis only after other sports turned her away for her height, so an early 'no' in one sport can lead to the right one.

Sources differ: WTA bio says she started at age five; the Olympics.com profile (citing WTA, 2020) says six. We use the WTA bio.

At what age did Aryna Sabalenka start tennis?

Aryna Sabalenka started playing tennis at age 6, by accident, when her father drove past tennis courts in Minsk and decided she should try it.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 2 · career high 1

Born

May 5, 1998, Minsk, Belarus

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

father[1]

Her father Sergey drove past some tennis courts in Minsk by chance and decided she should give it a try.

Sabalenka's start was not planned; her father simply wanted her to be active and stopped at a court they happened to pass.

At what age did Mirra Andreeva start tennis?

Mirra Andreeva started playing tennis at age 6 in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, before moving with her sister to Sochi and then Cannes, France, to train.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 3 · career high 3

Born

April 29, 2007, Krasnoyarsk, Siberia

Started

Age 6

Academy

Training base in Cannes, France, with coaches Jean-René Lisnard and Jean-Christophe Faurel[1]

She began in her home city of Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, then moved with her sister Erika to Sochi and later Cannes, France, to train.

Andreeva trained alongside her older sister Erika, also a pro, and the family moved twice, including abroad, to find coaching.

At what age did Jessica Pegula start tennis?

Jessica Pegula started playing tennis at age 7, introduced to the sport by her family in Buffalo, New York.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 4 · career high 3

Born

February 24, 1994, Buffalo, NY, USA

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

family[1]

Her family introduced her to tennis; her sister Laura later played Division I college tennis at Pittsburgh.

Pegula started at 7, later than many pros, and her older sister played college tennis rather than going pro.

At what age did Coco Gauff start tennis?

Coco Gauff started playing tennis at age 6; her father, a former college basketball player with little tennis background, later became her coach.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 5 · career high 2

Born

March 13, 2004, Delray Beach, Fl. USA

Started

Age 6

Academy

Training with Patrick Mouratoglou in France, from age 10[2]

Both parents were college athletes (father basketball, mother track and field); her father, with very limited tennis experience, later became her coach.

Gauff's parents were athletes in other sports, not tennis players, and her father learned to coach her himself.

At what age did Elina Svitolina start tennis?

Elina Svitolina started playing tennis at age 5 in Odesa, Ukraine, inspired by watching her older brother Yulian play.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 6 · career high 3

Born

September 12, 1994, Odesa, Ukraine

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

family, older brother[2]

She took up the game in Odesa after watching her older brother Yulian, now a tennis coach, play.

Svitolina followed an older sibling onto the court, a common path for younger brothers and sisters.

At what age did Karolína Muchová start tennis?

Karolína Muchová started playing tennis at age 7 with her father, a former professional footballer in the Czech Republic.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 7 · career high 6

Born

August 21, 1996, Olomouc, Czech Republic

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

father[1]

She started with her dad, a former professional footballer, in Olomouc.

Muchová started at 7 and stayed in her home city until 2019, moving to train in Prague only as a young pro.

At what age did Linda Nosková start tennis?

Linda Nosková started playing tennis at about age 3, when her parents bought her a small racket and her father began coaching her.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 8 · career high 6

Born

November 17, 2004, Vsetin, Czech Republic

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

parents; father coached her[2]

Academy

Melanie Molitor's tennis academy, Switzerland (briefly)[2]

She toddled around while her parents played until they bought her a small racket; her father Drahoš coached her and she joined a club in Valašské Meziříčí.

Nosková's parents were recreational players who coached her early; the family later split homes so she could train in Přerov.

Sources differ: Her WTA bio gives no start age. Some secondary profiles say 6 or 7; we use her mother's account (3).

At what age did Iga Świątek start tennis?

Iga Świątek started playing tennis at age 5; it was her father's idea, and she wanted to beat her older sister, who already played.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 9 · career high 1

Born

May 31, 2001, Warsaw, Poland

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

father; older sister[2]

Her father, a former Olympic rower, wanted his daughters to play; she started because her older sister Agata played and she wanted to beat her.

Świątek's father was an Olympic rower, not a tennis player, and sibling rivalry with her older sister drove her early on.

At what age did Marta Kostyuk start tennis?

Marta Kostyuk started playing tennis at age 5 in Kyiv, in a tennis family: her mother was a pro and her uncle was an early coach.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 10 · career high 10

Born

June 28, 2002, Kyiv, Ukraine

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

family (mother is a former pro; uncle was an early coach)[1]

Her mother Talina is a former professional, and one of her first coaches was her uncle Taras Beyko, a former USSR and Ukraine player.

Kostyuk still works with her mother, a former pro, showing a parent can stay part of the team at the top level.

At what age did Iva Jovic start tennis?

Iva Jovic started playing tennis at age 5 in Torrance, California, according to her WTA bio.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 11 · career high 11

Born

December 6, 2007, Torrance, CA, USA

Started

Age 5

She was raised in Torrance, California, and grew up idolising Novak Djokovic and Belinda Bencic.

At what age did Belinda Bencic start tennis?

Belinda Bencic started playing tennis at age 3 at the tennis school of Melanie Molitor, mother of Martina Hingis, and trained there daily from age 6.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 12 · career high 4

Born

March 10, 1997, Flawil, Switzerland

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

father[2]

Academy

Melanie Molitor tennis school, Wollerau, Switzerland (daily training from age 6), from age 3[1]

Her father Ivan, who played tennis and later coached her, took her to Melanie Molitor's (Martina Hingis's mother) tennis school, where she stayed until age 19.

Bencic stayed with one coach from age 3 to 19, a rare case of long continuity, and her father still coaches her at times.

Sources differ: WTA bio says she started at Molitor's school at 3; the Olympics.com profile says she began training there at 4. We use the WTA bio.

At what age did Diana Shnaider start tennis?

Diana Shnaider started playing tennis at age 4 in Tolyatti, Russia, and later spent a year playing college tennis at NC State before turning pro.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 13 · career high 11

Born

April 2, 2004, Zhigulevsk, Russia

Started

Age 4

She started in Tolyatti, 40 km from her home in Zhigulevsk, and soon moved to Moscow to train; she later played a season of college tennis at NC State.

Shnaider went to a U.S. college for one season (2022-23) and still reached the top 15, so college and a pro career can mix.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Elise Mertens start tennis?

Elise Mertens started playing tennis at age 4 in Belgium, brought onto the court because her older sister Lauren already played.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 14 · career high 12

Born

November 17, 1995, Leuven, Belgium

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

older sister[1]

Academy

Belgian Federation, then a year at the Mouratoglou Academy, Paris[1]

Her older sister Lauren played, and her mother brought Elise onto the court too: 'If your sister's playing, you can play as well.'

Mertens was home-schooled and trained with the Belgian federation until her early teens before a year at an academy abroad.

At what age did Victoria Mboko start tennis?

Victoria Mboko started playing tennis at age 3 in Toronto, following her three older siblings, who played with her and coached her.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 15 · career high 9

Born

August 26, 2006, Charlotte, NC

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

older siblings[2]

Academy

Ace Tennis, Burlington, Ontario (family moved there in 2010)[2]

The youngest of four tennis-playing siblings, she started in Toronto because she did not want to be left out; her siblings played with her and coached her.

Mboko's father worked night shifts to attend her practices, and the family moved cities so all four children could train at one academy.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Sorana Cîrstea start tennis?

Sorana Cîrstea started playing tennis at age 4 in Bucharest, introduced to the game by her mother, Liliana.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 16 · career high 15

Born

April 7, 1990, Bucharest, Romania

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

mother[1]

Her mother Liliana introduced her to tennis in Bucharest.

At what age did Amanda Anisimova start tennis?

Amanda Anisimova's WTA bio gives no start age; reports range from about 2 to 5, and she followed her older sister Maria into tennis.

Ranking

WTA No. 17 · career high 3

Born

August 31, 2001, Miami Beach, FL, USA

Started

Not published

Introduced by

older sister; father was first coach[1]

Born in New Jersey and moved to Miami at 3, she went to her older sister Maria's practices every day; her father Konstantin was her first coach.

Her mother says no one changed Anisimova's natural technique until she was 7, a reminder that early years can be about play, not drills.

Sources differ: Her mother's account (via Biography.com) says about 2; other profiles say 5. We found no primary source, so we give no age.

At what age did Naomi Osaka start tennis?

Naomi Osaka's start age is not given exactly; she began after her family moved from Japan to the U.S. when she was about 3, coached by her father.

Ranking

WTA No. 18 · career high 1

Born

October 16, 1997, Osaka, Japan

Started

Not published

Introduced by

father[2]

Her family moved from Japan to the U.S. when she was 3 so she and her sister Mari could pursue tennis; her father, inspired by Richard Williams, taught them.

Osaka's father had no tennis background and copied Richard Williams's plan; she skipped most junior events and went straight to pro events.

Sources differ: Hall of Fame says the family moved to the U.S. when she was 3; Tennis365 says New York at 4. No source gives an exact start age.

At what age did Alexandra Eala start tennis?

Alexandra Eala started playing tennis at age 4 in the Philippines and later moved to Spain to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 19 · career high 18

Born

May 23, 2005, Quezon City, Philippines

Started

Age 4

Academy

Rafa Nadal Academy, Mallorca[1]

She grew up in Quezon City in a sporting family (her mother was a national swimmer) and later moved to Spain to train.

Eala moved abroad to a full-time academy as a junior because top-level training was not available at home.

At what age did Madison Keys start tennis?

Madison Keys started playing tennis at age 4, after seeing Venus Williams's dress on TV; her parents said she could have it only if she played.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 20 · career high 5

Born

February 17, 1995, Rock Island, IL, USA

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

watching tennis on TV[1]

She saw Venus Williams's tennis dress on television and her parents said she could have one only if she played the sport.

Keys's start came from a simple bargain with her parents, not a tennis family, which shows how a small hook can start a career.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age; it says she found tennis by watching on TV.

At what age did Anna Kalinskaya start tennis?

Anna Kalinskaya started playing tennis at age 5, after watching her cousin play during a summer at her grandmother's house in Russia.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 21 · career high 11

Born

December 2, 1998, Moscow, Russia

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

cousin[1]

She started after watching her cousin play while spending a summer at her grandmother's house; both her parents were professional badminton players.

Kalinskaya's parents were badminton pros, not tennis players, and her start came from a summer visit, not a plan.

At what age did Maja Chwalińska start tennis?

Maja Chwalińska started playing tennis at age 7 in Poland, according to her WTA bio.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 22 · career high 21

Born

October 11, 2001, Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland

Started

Age 7

Chwalińska started at 7 and has spoken openly about depression that kept her off the court, a reminder to watch young players' mental health.

At what age did Qinwen Zheng start tennis?

Qinwen Zheng's WTA bio gives no start age; her parents had her try several sports, including table tennis, and she moved to Wuhan at 8 for better coaching.

Ranking

WTA No. 23 · career high 4

Born

October 8, 2002, Shiyan, Hubei Province, China

Started

Not published

Introduced by

parents[1]

Other sports

table tennis (tried as a child before choosing tennis)[1]

Tennis only from

Age 8[2]

Her parents encouraged her to try several sports as a child, including table tennis, before she settled on tennis.

Zheng sampled several sports before tennis and left home at 8 to train in Wuhan, then later moved her base to Spain.

Sources differ: Secondary profiles give start ages from 3 to 7; we found no tour or first-hand source, so start age is left blank.

At what age did Ekaterina Alexandrova start tennis?

Ekaterina Alexandrova started playing tennis at age 6, after trying it on a family holiday in Spain and asking her parents to enrol her at home.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 24 · career high 10

Born

November 15, 1994, Chelyabinsk, Russia

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

parents (first tried on holiday)[2]

She first tried tennis on a family holiday in Spain and liked it so much she asked her parents to sign her up back home in Chelyabinsk; her father later coached her.

Alexandrova's start came from a holiday try-out she asked to continue, and her father coached her for years.

At what age did Leylah Fernandez start tennis?

Leylah Fernandez started playing tennis at age 6 in Montréal and has been coached by her father, Jorge, throughout her career.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 25 · career high 13

Born

September 6, 2002, Montreal, Quebec

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

father (her coach)[2]

She grew up in Montréal and later moved to Florida with her family; her father Jorge has coached her, and her younger sister Bianca also plays.

Fernandez is a long-running example of a parent-coach partnership that reached a Grand Slam final.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Anastasia Potapova start tennis?

Anastasia Potapova's WTA bio gives no start age; it says her grandmother, a former Russian national team coach, inspired her to start playing tennis.

Ranking

WTA No. 26 · career high 21

Born

March 30, 2001, Saratov, Russia

Started

Not published

Introduced by

grandmother, a former Russian national team coach[1]

Academy

Alexander Ostrovsky Academy, Khimki[1]

Potapova's first push came from a grandparent with coaching experience, not her parents.

At what age did Emma Navarro start tennis?

Emma Navarro started playing tennis at age 3 'as soon as I could hold a racquet', then played college tennis at Virginia, winning the 2021 NCAA title.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 27 · career high 8

Born

May 18, 2001, New York, NY, USA

Started

Age 3

Introduced by

father[2]

She picked up balls for her older siblings and then her dad threw balls to her; she got serious in fourth grade, practising before school.

Navarro went to college (University of Virginia) and won the NCAA singles title before turning pro and reaching the top 10.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Marie Bouzková start tennis?

Marie Bouzková's WTA bio gives no start age; she began at her parents' tennis club in Prague and moved to Florida at age 10 to train.

Ranking

WTA No. 28 · career high 21

Born

July 21, 1998, Prague, Czech Republic

Started

Not published

Introduced by

parents (owned a tennis club)[1]

Academy

IMG Bollettieri Academy, Florida (two years), then with her father, from age 10[1]

She began playing at a tennis club her parents owned in Prague.

Bouzková moved abroad at 10 for academy training, then went back to working with her father.

At what age did Nikola Bartůňková start tennis?

Nikola Bartůňková's WTA bio gives no start age; she is coached by her father, Pavel Bartůněk, and was a 2023 junior Wimbledon finalist.

Ranking

WTA No. 29 · career high 29

Born

February 25, 2006

Started

Not published

At what age did Sara Bejlek start tennis?

Sara Bejlek's WTA bio gives no start age; her father, a football referee who taught tennis in her village, gave her a first racquet.

Ranking

WTA No. 30

Born

January 31, 2006, Znojmo, Czech Republic

Started

Not published

Introduced by

father[2]

Other sports

football (soccer) (played as a child; 'I played a lot of sports. But I finished at tennis.')[2]

Her father, a football referee who taught tennis in her village, gave her a racquet one day; she also played football and other sports before settling on tennis.

Bejlek played several sports as a child, like her sporty parents, before choosing tennis.

At what age did Ann Li start tennis?

Ann Li started playing tennis at age 5 near Philadelphia; her parents were sporty but knew little about tennis.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 31

Born

June 26, 2000, King of Prussia, PA, USA

Started

Age 5

Her parents, who emigrated from China, played soccer and ran track recreationally but 'didn't know anything about tennis really'.

Li's parents had no tennis background, and she later moved away from home to train at the USTA campus in Orlando.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Diane Parry start tennis?

Diane Parry started playing tennis at about age 4½, after watching her three older brothers, and joined the French federation's national training centre at 14.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 32

Born

September 1, 2002, Nice, France

Started

Age about 4½

Introduced by

older brothers[2]

Academy

French federation's Centre National d'Entraînement (CNE), Paris, from age 14[2]

She picked up a racket at about four and a half after watching her three older brothers play, practising at home against a glass door with a foam ball.

Parry stayed in a normal school with adjusted hours until 14 before joining the national training centre.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Jasmine Paolini start tennis?

Jasmine Paolini started playing tennis at around age 5 in Bagni di Lucca, choosing it over swimming because her uncle played.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 33

Born

January 4, 1996, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Italy

Started

Age about 5

Introduced by

parents and uncle[2]

Other sports

swimming (the other option in her town; listed by CONI as her other sport)[3]

Her parents told her to choose one sport; Bagni di Lucca had only tennis or a swimming pool, and she chose tennis because her uncle Adriano played.

Paolini's parents asked her to pick one sport, and a local club plus an uncle who played decided it.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Jeļena Ostapenko start tennis?

Jeļena Ostapenko started playing tennis at age 5 in Riga, introduced by her mother, who was her first coach; she also did ballroom dancing for seven years.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 34

Born

June 8, 1997, Riga, Latvia

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

mother (her first coach)[1]

Other sports

ballroom dancing (danced for seven years as a child)[2]

Her mother introduced her to tennis and was her first coach; she was also a ballroom dancer for seven years.

Ostapenko did ballroom dancing alongside tennis for years, and she credits it for her footwork.

At what age did Maria Sakkari start tennis?

Maria Sakkari started playing tennis at age 6 in Athens, after ballet and karate did not work out; her mother was a former top-50 WTA player.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 35

Born

July 25, 1995, Athens, Greece

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

parents; first played with her grandfather, a coach[1]

Other sports

ballet (quit as a young child); karate (quit as a young child)[2]

Academy

Moved to Barcelona to train, from age 18[1]

She was dropped from ballet and karate, then started at a club three minutes from home, first hitting with her grandfather, a coach; her mother was a top-50 WTA player.

Sakkari stayed home in Athens until 18 before moving to Barcelona, a later move than many pros.

Sources differ: WTA bio says her parents introduced her; in a 2016 quote she says she started playing with her grandfather, a coach.

At what age did Donna Vekić start tennis?

Donna Vekić started playing tennis at age 6 in Osijek, Croatia, after an ankle injury ended her gymnastics.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 36

Born

June 28, 1996, Osijek, Croatia

Started

Age 6

Other sports

gymnastics (stopped after an ankle injury, then switched to tennis)[2]

She tried gymnastics first but had to stop after an ankle injury, then asked her parents, both former athletes, to let her try tennis.

Vekić came to tennis from gymnastics, and both her parents were professional athletes.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Peyton Stearns start tennis?

Peyton Stearns started playing tennis at age 8 after trying soccer, gymnastics and basketball, then won the NCAA title at Texas before turning pro.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 37

Born

October 8, 2001, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Started

Age 8

Other sports

soccer (played as a child); gymnastics ('very structured. I didn't like that so much.'); basketball (played as a child)[2]

Tennis only from

Age 11[2]

She played soccer, gymnastics and basketball, began private tennis lessons at 8 and chose to focus on tennis three or four years later.

Stearns is a late-start, multi-sport example: lessons at 8, focus at about 11 or 12, then college tennis before the pros.

Sources differ: AP says she decided to focus 'about three or four years' after starting at 8; we record 11.

At what age did Cristina Bucsa start tennis?

Cristina Bucsa's WTA bio gives no start age; she moved from Moldova to Cantabria, Spain, at 3 and has been coached by her father.

Ranking

WTA No. 38

Born

January 1, 1998, Chisinau, Moldova

Started

Not published

Introduced by

father (her coach)[1]

Born in Moldova, she has lived in Cantabria, Spain, since age 3 and trains there under her father, Ion.

Bucsa trained mostly with her father at home in Cantabria rather than at a big academy.

At what age did Xinyu Wang start tennis?

Xinyu Wang started playing tennis at age 6 in Shenzhen with her father, a former Chinese national team coach.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 39

Born

September 26, 2001, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

father[1]

She started with her father, Wang Peng, a former Shenzhen team coach and China Fed Cup captain.

At what age did Kimberly Birrell start tennis?

Kimberly Birrell started playing tennis at age 4 on Australia's Gold Coast, where her coach father and her mother ran a tennis club.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 40

Born

April 29, 1998, Düsseldorf, Germany

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

father, a tennis coach[2]

Her father was a coach and her parents ran a tennis club on the Gold Coast; she joked that the first thing her dad did when she was born was put a racquet in her hand.

Birrell says she first competed in tennis at around the 9-and-under level, years after she first picked up a racquet.

At what age did Talia Gibson start tennis?

Talia Gibson started playing tennis at age 5 at Blue Gum Park Tennis Club in Perth, after her mother took her to a lesson.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 41

Born

June 18, 2004, Perth, Australia

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

mother[2]

Her mum took her to a first lesson at Blue Gum Park Tennis Club in Perth, thinking tennis would suit her.

Gibson started with an ordinary club lesson in Perth, far from Australia's main tennis centres.

At what age did Daria Snigur start tennis?

Daria Snigur started playing tennis at age 7 in Kyiv, Ukraine, and is coached by her father, Sergiy.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 42

Born

March 27, 2002, Kyiv, Ukraine

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

father (her coach)[1]

She is coached by her father, Sergiy; her Kyiv training base was destroyed in the war and she now lives in Warsaw.

Snigur started at 7 and has kept her father as coach, even after the war forced her to move to Poland.

Sources differ: Her father is named as her coach; we found no source that says he first introduced her to tennis.

At what age did Liudmila Samsonova start tennis?

Liudmila Samsonova's WTA bio gives no start age; she grew up in Italy from age one, and her mother found her a tennis club online.

Ranking

WTA No. 43

Born

November 11, 1998, Olenegorsk, Russia

Started

Not published

Introduced by

mother (found a club online)[2]

Born in Russia, she grew up in Italy from age one; her mother found a tennis club online for her.

Samsonova's family moved abroad when she was a baby, and she learned the game in Italy, not Russia.

Sources differ: Some secondary profiles say she started at 6; we found no tour or first-hand source for that.

At what age did Yuliia Starodubtseva start tennis?

Yuliia Starodubtseva started playing tennis at age 5 in Kakhovka, Ukraine, according to her WTA bio.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 44

Born

February 17, 2000, Kakhovka, Ukraine

Started

Age 5

A native of Kakhovka in southern Ukraine, she started playing there at age 5.

Sources differ: The WTA profile's birthplace field is blank; Kakhovka comes from a WTA news story.

At what age did Hailey Baptiste start tennis?

Hailey Baptiste started playing tennis at age 4 in an after-school program at a public tennis center in Washington, D.C.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 45

Born

November 3, 2001, Washington, DC, USA

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

parents (after-school program)[2]

Academy

Junior Tennis Champions Center, College Park, MD[3]

Her parents put her in an after-school program at the William Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C.; she later trained at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland.

Baptiste began in a low-cost community after-school program, and her family stretched its finances to fund her training.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age; the age comes from her mother's fundraising page.

At what age did Barbora Krejčíková start tennis?

Barbora Krejčíková started playing tennis by age 6 (her own site says about 3), tagging along to her older brother's practices in Ivančice.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 46

Born

December 18, 1995, Brno, Czech Republic

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

mother and older brother[2]

She went with her mother to her older brother Petr's practices in Ivančice and hit against a wall for years before her first coach; she was later mentored by Jana Novotná.

Krejčíková says she hit against a wall in summer and in a school gym in winter for her first years, before ever reaching a clay court.

Sources differ: WTA bio says she started at 6; her own website (via Olympics.com) says 'about three'. We use the WTA bio.

At what age did Janice Tjen start tennis?

Janice Tjen's WTA bio gives no start age; a friend, top Indonesian junior Priska Nugroho, talked her into the sport, and she later played U.S. college tennis.

Ranking

WTA No. 47

Born

May 6, 2002, Jakarta, Indonesia

Started

Not published

Introduced by

a friend (junior Priska Nugroho)[2]

Her friend Priska Nugroho, then one of Indonesia's top juniors, persuaded her to try tennis; she later played college tennis at Oregon and Pepperdine.

Tjen took the college route (Oregon, then Pepperdine) and won her first WTA title soon after turning pro.

At what age did Anhelina Kalinina start tennis?

Anhelina Kalinina started playing tennis at age 6 in Ukraine, according to her WTA bio.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 48

Born

February 7, 1997, Nova Kakhovka, Ukraine

Started

Age 6

At what age did Karolína Plíšková start tennis?

Karolína Plíšková started playing tennis at age 4 in Louny, Czech Republic, alongside her twin sister Kristýna, who also became a pro.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 49

Born

March 21, 1992, Louny, Czech Republic

Started

Age 4

She took up the sport in Louny alongside her twin sister Kristýna, who also became a WTA pro.

Plíšková and her twin trained together as children, and both reached the pro tour.

At what age did Tamara Korpatsch start tennis?

Tamara Korpatsch started playing tennis at age 5 in Hamburg and is coached by her father, Thomas.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 50

Born

May 12, 1995, Hamburg, Germany

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

father (her coach)[1]

She is coached by her father, Thomas, and won her home-town Hamburg title in 2026.

Korpatsch broke into the top 50 for the first time at 31, a reminder that some careers peak late.

Sources differ: Her father is named as her coach; the bio does not say he first introduced her.

At what age did Oleksandra Oliynykova start tennis?

Oleksandra Oliynykova's WTA bio gives no start age; she is coached by her father, Denis, and grew up partly in Croatia after her family fled Ukraine.

Ranking

WTA No. 51

Born

January 3, 2001, Kyiv, Ukraine

Started

Not published

Introduced by

father (her main coach)[1]

She trains in Kyiv with her father Denis as main coach; her family fled to Croatia as political refugees when she was about 10, and she represented Croatia as a junior.

Oliynykova's family moved countries when she was about 10, and her father has stayed her main coach.

Sources differ: A WTA feature says the family fled to Croatia when she was 10; another source says 11. A fan bio says she started at 5; not used.

At what age did Mayar Sherif start tennis?

Mayar Sherif started playing tennis at age 4 in Cairo, introduced by her sister and parents, and played badminton at national level before choosing tennis.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 52

Born

May 5, 1996, Cairo, Egypt

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

sister and parents[1]

Other sports

badminton (ranked among Egypt's top five with her sisters before choosing tennis)[2]

She and her two sisters played both badminton and tennis (her aunt was a top African badminton player); all three sisters eventually chose tennis.

Sherif and her two sisters played badminton and tennis side by side as children, and all three chose tennis in the end.

Sources differ: WTA bio says 4; the Olympics.com profile (citing ITF) says 5. We use the WTA bio.

At what age did Clara Tauson start tennis?

Clara Tauson started playing tennis at age 6 in Denmark, and tennis is the only sport she has ever played.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 53

Born

December 21, 2002, Copenhagen, Denmark

Started

Age 6

Her WTA bio notes tennis is the only sport she has played.

Tauson is an early single-sport player, the opposite of the multi-sport path many pros took.

At what age did Katie Boulter start tennis?

Katie Boulter started playing tennis at age 5 in Leicester, England; her mother is a former tennis coach.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 54

Born

August 1, 1996, Leicester, Great Britain

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

mother, a former tennis coach[1]

Her mother, Sue, is a former tennis coach.

Sources differ: The WTA bio says her mother was a tennis coach; it does not say directly that she introduced Katie to the game.

At what age did Lilli Tagger start tennis?

Lilli Tagger's WTA bio gives no start age; she grew up skiing in the Austrian Alps and moved to Italy at about 13 to train full-time.

Ranking

WTA No. 55

Born

February 17, 2008, Lienz, Austria

Started

Not published

Other sports

skiing (grew up skiing; 'maybe on the mountains skiing' when she started tennis); ice hockey (plays at home in winter)[1]

Academy

Full-time training in Italy, coached by Francesca Schiavone, from age 13[2]

From Lienz in East Tyrol, she spent her early years skiing in the mountains and still skis and plays ice hockey at home in winter; she switched to a one-handed backhand at 12.

Tagger kept skiing and ice hockey in her life and only moved away to train full-time at about 13.

At what age did Magdalena Fręch start tennis?

Magdalena Fręch started playing tennis at age 6 in Łódź, Poland, according to her WTA bio.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 56

Born

December 15, 1997, Łódź, Poland

Started

Age 6

At what age did Elena-Gabriela Ruse start tennis?

Elena-Gabriela Ruse started playing tennis at age 4 in Bucharest and became a junior world No. 7 and Wimbledon girls' semifinalist.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 57

Born

November 6, 1997, Bucharest, Romania

Started

Age 4

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Paula Badosa start tennis?

Paula Badosa started playing tennis at age 7 in Platja d'Aro, Spain, after moving there from New York, where she was born.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 58

Born

November 15, 1997, New York City, USA

Started

Age 7

Born in New York, she grew up on the Costa Brava and took up the sport in Platja d'Aro, Spain; she won the 2015 Roland Garros girls' title.

Badosa started at 7, a little later than most of the top 10, and still won a junior Grand Slam.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Zeynep Sönmez start tennis?

Zeynep Sönmez started playing tennis at age 6 at a summer school in Istanbul, after first trying basketball and swimming.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 59

Born

April 30, 2002, Istanbul, Türkiye

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

parents (summer tennis school)[3]

Other sports

basketball (tried first, before tennis); swimming (tried first, before tennis)[3]

Her family signed her up for a summer tennis school; she played her first tournament at 8.

Sönmez found tennis at a holiday tennis school after trying other sports, and played her first event at 8.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Lanlana Tararudee start tennis?

Lanlana Tararudee's WTA bio gives no start age; it says she played her first ITF event in 2019 and began her pro career in 2022.

Ranking

WTA No. 60

Born

July 7, 2004

Started

Not published

At what age did Jaqueline Cristian start tennis?

Jaqueline Cristian's WTA bio gives no start age; she says she took up tennis because her father was Maria Sharapova's biggest fan.

Ranking

WTA No. 61

Born

June 5, 1998, Bucharest, Romania

Started

Not published

Introduced by

father[2]

She says she started tennis 'because of' Maria Sharapova, since her father was Sharapova's number one fan.

Cristian's start came from a parent's love of a tennis star, not from a tennis family.

At what age did Tereza Valentová start tennis?

Tereza Valentová's WTA bio gives no start age; she trains at TK Sparta Praha in Prague and won the 2024 Roland Garros junior singles title.

Ranking

WTA No. 62

Born

February 20, 2007, Prague, Czech Republic

Started

Not published

Academy

TK Sparta Praha, Prague[1]

Valentová has combined school exams with a pro schedule as a teenager.

At what age did Maria Timofeeva start tennis?

Maria Timofeeva started playing tennis at age 6 in Moscow and now represents Uzbekistan, training in Koper, Slovenia.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 63

Born

November 18, 2003, Moscow, Russia

Started

Age 6

Academy

Training base in Koper, Slovenia[1]

At what age did Alycia Parks start tennis?

Alycia Parks started playing tennis at age 7 in Atlanta, coached by her father, and moved to Florida at 10 for better training.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 64

Born

December 31, 2000, Atlanta, GA, USA

Started

Age 7

Introduced by

father (her coach since childhood)[1]

Tennis only from

Age 10[1]

Her father has coached her since childhood; at 10 she moved to Florida with her older sister for better training.

Parks moved away from home at 10 with her older sister to train, while her father stayed her coach.

At what age did Elisabetta Cocciaretto start tennis?

Elisabetta Cocciaretto started playing tennis at age 6, introduced by her parents in Ancona, Italy; she trains at the Italian federation centre in Formia.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 65

Born

January 25, 2001, Ancona, Italy

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

parents[1]

Academy

Italian Tennis Federation centre, Formia[1]

At what age did Anna Bondár start tennis?

Anna Bondár's WTA bio gives no start age; it says she made her pro debut on the ITF circuit in 2014 and won a title in her second event.

Ranking

WTA No. 66

Born

May 27, 1997, Szeghalom, Hungary

Started

Not published

Sources differ: A low-quality blog says she started at 5 with her father; not used.

At what age did Camila Osorio start tennis?

Camila Osorio started playing tennis at age 6 in Cúcuta, Colombia, and left home at 11 to train at an academy in Florida.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 67

Born

December 22, 2001, Cúcuta, Colombia

Started

Age 6

Academy

Club Med academy, Florida, from age 11[1]

She comes from a sporting family: her grandfather played at the 1962 World Cup, her father played pro football and her mother played basketball for Colombia.

Osorio's family were footballers and basketball players, not tennis players, and she moved abroad at 11 to train.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Ashlyn Krueger start tennis?

Ashlyn Krueger's WTA bio gives no start age; she grew up in the Dallas area and still works with her childhood coach, Dave Anderson, at times.

Ranking

WTA No. 68

Born

May 7, 2004, Springfield, MO, USA

Started

Not published

Her mother Franchel and childhood coach Dave Anderson supported her at Wimbledon 2026.

Sources differ: WTA profile lists birthplace Springfield, Missouri; a WTA match-notes sheet lists Orlando, Florida.

At what age did Kamilla Rakhimova start tennis?

Kamilla Rakhimova started playing tennis at age 5 in Russia, according to her WTA bio; she now represents Uzbekistan.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 69

Born

August 28, 2001, Yekaterinburg, Russia

Started

Age 5

At what age did Caty McNally start tennis?

Caty McNally's WTA bio gives no start age; her mother, a former touring pro, developed her game in Cincinnati and still coaches her.

Ranking

WTA No. 70

Born

November 20, 2001, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Started

Not published

Introduced by

mother, a former touring pro (her coach)[1]

Her mother, Lynn Nabors-McNally, a former touring pro, developed her game and still coaches her in Cincinnati.

McNally has stayed home in Cincinnati with her mother as coach, and won junior Grand Slam doubles titles with Świątek and Gauff.

Sources differ: Career high differs across WTA pages (50, 53, 54); we use the profile figure.

At what age did Tatjana Maria start tennis?

Tatjana Maria started playing tennis at age 4, introduced by her parents in Germany, and won Queen's Club as a mother of two at 37.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 71

Born

August 8, 1987, Bad Saulgau, Germany

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

parents[1]

Her parents introduced her to the game; she is now coached by her husband and travels the tour with her two daughters.

Maria reached a Wimbledon semifinal at 34 and her career-high ranking at 37, proof that development can continue for decades.

At what age did Viktorija Golubic start tennis?

Viktorija Golubic started playing tennis at age 5 in Zürich, in a family where her sister already played.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 72

Born

October 16, 1992, Zürich, Switzerland

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

family (older sister played)[1]

Her sister played and her family followed the sport.

Golubic followed an older sister into tennis, a common path for younger siblings.

At what age did Anna Blinkova start tennis?

Anna Blinkova's WTA bio gives no start age; she was a junior world No. 3 and 2015 Wimbledon girls' finalist before reaching the WTA top 40.

Ranking

WTA No. 73

Born

September 10, 1998, Moscow, Russia

Started

Not published

At what age did Alina Korneeva start tennis?

Alina Korneeva's WTA bio gives no start age; she says she only fell in love with tennis at about 10, then became junior world No. 1.

Ranking

WTA No. 74

Born

June 23, 2007

Started

Not published

She says she did not fall in love with tennis until she was about 10; she went on to win two junior Grand Slam titles in 2023.

Korneeva says she did not love tennis until about age 10, yet still became junior No. 1, so early enthusiasm is not required.

Sources differ: WTA pages give different career highs (67, 90, 128); we use the current profile figure.

At what age did Sinja Kraus start tennis?

Sinja Kraus's WTA bio gives no start age; it says she took up tennis through her family, especially her sister and mother.

Ranking

WTA No. 75

Born

April 29, 2002, Vienna, Austria

Started

Not published

Introduced by

sister and mother[1]

At what age did Kaitlin Quevedo start tennis?

Kaitlin Quevedo's WTA bio gives no start age; she was born in Florida and has trained at the Spanish federation centre in Barcelona since age 17.

Ranking

WTA No. 76

Born

February 13, 2006

Started

Not published

Academy

TEC Carles Ferrer Salat (Spanish federation centre), Barcelona, from age 17[2]

Born in Florida to an American mother and a Spanish father from the Canary Islands, she switched to the Spanish flag in 2024.

Quevedo moved to a national federation centre at 17, later than many juniors, and still won a WTA title at 20.

Sources differ: The WTA profile birthplace field is blank.

At what age did Magda Linette start tennis?

Magda Linette started playing tennis at about age 5 or 6 in Poznań, introduced by her father, a tennis coach.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 77

Born

February 12, 1992, Poznań, Poland

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

father, a tennis coach[2]

Her father Tomasz, a tennis coach, introduced her to the sport in Poznań.

Linette reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at 30, a late peak after many years on tour.

Sources differ: WTA bio says 6; her own website (via Olympics.com) says 5. We use the WTA bio.

At what age did Petra Marcinko start tennis?

Petra Marcinko's WTA bio gives no start age; she was junior world No. 1 and 2022 Australian Open girls' champion at 16.

Ranking

WTA No. 78

Born

December 4, 2005, Zagreb, Croatia

Started

Not published

Marcinko lost two seasons to injuries after junior success and fell outside the top 300 before her WTA breakthrough.

At what age did Yulia Putintseva start tennis?

Yulia Putintseva's WTA bio gives no start age; her father introduced her to tennis at Moscow's Spartak Club, and she moved to a Paris academy as a young teen.

Ranking

WTA No. 79

Born

January 7, 1995, Moscow, Russia

Started

Not published

Introduced by

father[1]

Academy

Mouratoglou Academy, Paris[1]

Her father introduced her to tennis and she trained at the Spartak Club in Moscow, then moved to the Mouratoglou Academy near Paris after winning a big under-14 event.

Putintseva moved abroad to an academy after an under-14 title and has trained there ever since.

At what age did Panna Udvardy start tennis?

Panna Udvardy's WTA bio gives no start age; it says she played her first ITF event in 2016 and reached her first WTA final in 2026.

Ranking

WTA No. 80

Born

September 28, 1998, Balatonboglár, Hungary

Started

Not published

At what age did Zhang Shuai start tennis?

Zhang Shuai started playing tennis at age 5, when her parents took her to a local club in Tianjin, and joined the national program at 12.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 81

Born

January 21, 1989, Tianjin, China

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

parents[1]

Academy

Chinese Tennis Association national program, from age 12[1]

Her parents took her to a local club in Tianjin; she began working with the Chinese Tennis Association at 12.

Zhang was still competing in her late 30s and now mentors young Chinese players.

At what age did Daria Kasatkina start tennis?

Daria Kasatkina started playing tennis at age 6 in Togliatti, Russia, introduced by her older brother, who later became her fitness trainer.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 82

Born

May 7, 1997, Togliatti, Russia

Started

Age 6

Introduced by

older brother[1]

Her older brother introduced her to tennis and now works as her fitness trainer.

Kasatkina followed an older sibling into the sport, and he stayed part of her team as a pro.

At what age did Mananchaya Sawangkaew start tennis?

Mananchaya Sawangkaew started playing tennis at age 4, inspired by her older sister, but only took it seriously as a career at 15 or 16.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 83

Born

July 10, 2002

Started

Age 4

Introduced by

older sister[1]

Tennis only from

Age 15[1]

She began at 4, inspired by her older sister, and only started taking tennis seriously as a career at 15 or 16.

Sawangkaew played for years before treating tennis as a career at about 15, then became one of three Thai women ever in the top 100.

Sources differ: WTA profile birthplace is blank; profile career high (83) conflicts with some WTA news figures.

At what age did Hanne Vandewinkel start tennis?

Hanne Vandewinkel's WTA bio gives no start age; she made her pro debut in 2021 and studies medicine at the University of Leuven alongside the tour.

Ranking

WTA No. 84

Born

May 21, 2004, Bree, Belgium

Started

Not published

She combines the tour with studying for a medical degree at the University of Leuven.

Vandewinkel shows it is possible to keep serious studies going while climbing the pro rankings.

At what age did Renata Zarazúa start tennis?

Renata Zarazúa started playing tennis at age 6 in Mexico City, in a tennis family; her older brother Patricio is her coach.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 85

Born

September 30, 1997, Mexico City, Mexico

Started

Age 6

Tennis runs in her family: her great-uncle Vicente Zarazúa won Olympic demonstration gold in 1968, and her older brother Patricio is her coach.

Zarazúa has kept a family member, her brother, as coach throughout her pro career.

Sources differ: WTA bio gives no start age.

At what age did Taylah Preston start tennis?

Taylah Preston's WTA bio gives no start age; it says she made her ITF debut in Perth at 14 and was a top-10 junior.

Ranking

WTA No. 86

Born

October 27, 2005

Started

Not published

Sources differ: WTA reported a new career high of No. 91 during Beijing (late Sept 2026); she is No. 86 in the Oct 5 list, so we record 86.

At what age did Kateřina Siniaková start tennis?

Kateřina Siniaková started playing tennis at age 5 in the Czech Republic and became a doubles world No. 1 with multiple Grand Slam titles.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 87

Born

May 10, 1996, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

Started

Age 5

Sources differ: Singles career high is listed as 27 on the WTA profile; one WTA article gives 46.

At what age did Katie Volynets start tennis?

Katie Volynets started playing tennis at age 5 in Walnut Creek, California, hitting with her Ukrainian immigrant parents and older brother.[2]

Ranking

WTA No. 88

Born

December 31, 2001, Walnut Creek, CA, USA

Started

Age 5

Introduced by

parents and older brother[2]

Her parents emigrated from Ukraine and got a racquet in California; her older brother played with them, and she hit her first ball at 5.

Volynets's parents were new to tennis; the family picked it up together after emigrating.

At what age did Taylor Townsend start tennis?

Taylor Townsend's WTA bio gives no start age; she played right-handed for two years before switching to lefty, coached as a junior by Donald Young's parents.

Ranking

WTA No. 89

Born

April 16, 1996, Chicago, IL, USA

Started

Not published

She played right-handed for about two years before switching to left-handed; Donald Young's parents coached her as a junior.

Townsend switched her playing hand after two years, a reminder that early technique can change, and later became doubles No. 1 as a mother.

Sources differ: WTA pages give singles career highs of 46 and 61; we use the profile figure.

At what age did Darja Vidmanová start tennis?

Darja Vidmanová's WTA bio gives no start age; she played college tennis at Georgia, winning NCAA singles and doubles titles, before her pro rise.

Ranking

WTA No. 90

Born

January 9, 2003

Started

Not published

She played college tennis at the University of Georgia and won both the NCAA singles and doubles titles.

Vidmanová is another top-100 player who went the U.S. college route first.

At what age did Wang Xiyu start tennis?

Wang Xiyu started playing tennis at age 8 in China, according to her WTA bio, and now trains in Beijing.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 91

Born

March 28, 2001, Taixing, Jiangsu Province, China

Started

Age 8

Wang started at 8, later than most of her peers, and still reached the top 50.

At what age did Maya Joint start tennis?

Maya Joint started playing tennis in kindergarten, hitting with squash rackets alongside her father, a former pro squash player, on courts by her playground.

Ranking

WTA No. 92

Born

April 16, 2006, Detroit, MI, USA

Started

in kindergarten

Introduced by

father, a former pro squash player[1]

Her local playground was next to tennis courts, and her father Michael, a former pro squash player, took squash rackets to hit with her on the courts.

Joint's first tennis was informal play with a parent from another racket sport, on courts next to a playground.

Sources differ: The WTA profile 'career high' field shows 28 (her doubles high); WTA news gives her singles career high as No. 32.

At what age did Antonia Ružić start tennis?

Antonia Ružić's WTA bio gives no start age; she was a two-time Croatian karate champion at 12-13 before choosing tennis.

Ranking

WTA No. 93

Born

January 20, 2003, Čakovec, Croatia

Started

Not published

Other sports

karate (two-time Croatian national champion at 12-13; chose tennis over karate)[1]

Ružić competed at national level in karate into her early teens, then picked tennis, a strong multi-sport example.

Sources differ: WTA profile says she chose between karate and tennis as a teenager; a WTA article says as a child.

At what age did Léolia Jeanjean start tennis?

Léolia Jeanjean's WTA bio gives no start age; she trained at a Montpellier academy as a junior and later played U.S. college tennis.

Ranking

WTA No. 94

Born

August 14, 1995, Montpellier, France

Started

Not published

Academy

Academy of Montpellier[1]

A top junior signed by Nike, she trained at the Academy of Montpellier, then played U.S. college tennis at Baylor, Lynn and Arkansas.

Jeanjean was a hyped junior, then rebuilt through U.S. college tennis and reached the top 100 at almost 30.

At what age did McCartney Kessler start tennis?

McCartney Kessler's WTA bio gives no start age; she played college tennis at the University of Florida and won her first WTA title in 2024.

Ranking

WTA No. 95

Born

July 8, 1999, Lawrenceville, GA, USA

Started

Not published

She played college tennis at the University of Florida before turning pro.

Kessler took the college route and won her first WTA title at 25, a late but solid rise.

At what age did Claire Liu start tennis?

Claire Liu's WTA bio gives no start age; she grew up training at the USTA centre in Carson, California, and won the Wimbledon girls' title.

Ranking

WTA No. 96

Born

May 25, 2000, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA

Started

Not published

Academy

USTA training centre, Carson, CA[2]

She grew up training on clay at the USTA centre in Carson, California, and won the Wimbledon girls' title.

Sources differ: WTA profile dates her Wimbledon girls' title to 2017; a WTA article says 2016.

At what age did Julia Grabher start tennis?

Julia Grabher started playing tennis at age 6 in Dornbirn, Austria, and is coached by Günter Bresnik.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 97

Born

July 2, 1996, Dornbirn, Austria

Started

Age 6

At what age did Alina Charaeva start tennis?

Alina Charaeva's WTA bio gives no start age; she was a 2020 Roland Garros junior finalist and became the second Armenian woman in the top 100.

Ranking

WTA No. 98

Born

May 27, 2002

Started

Not published

At what age did Jessica Bouzas Maneiro start tennis?

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro started playing tennis at age 5 in Galicia, Spain, after choosing it over football.[1]

Ranking

WTA No. 99

Born

September 24, 2002, Vilagarcía de Arousa, Galicia, Spain

Started

Age 5

Other sports

football (soccer) (chose tennis over football as a young child)[1]