Elise Mertens

HISTORY OF ELISE MERTENS: FROM LEUVEN TO THE TOP OF WORLD TENNIS

Early life and introduction to tennis (1995–2015)

Elise Mertens was born on 17 November 1995 in Leuven, Belgium. Her parents are Liliane Barbe, who teaches languages and history, and Guido Mertens, who makes furniture for churches. She began playing tennis at the age of four after being introduced to the sport by her older sister, Lauren, who later became an airline pilot with KLM. Mertens has recalled watching Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters play live as one of her earliest tennis memories.

Growing up in Belgium meant that Mertens developed her game in a country with an established tennis tradition. Clijsters and Justine Henin had helped put Belgian women’s tennis on the international map, creating prominent examples of what players from the country could achieve. Mertens eventually developed her own route into the professional game, initially receiving training through the Belgian tennis federation before spending a year at the Mouratoglou Academy in Paris.

She was home-schooled and developed an interest in languages, later becoming fluent in English, Dutch or Flemish, and French. This multilingual background is a practical advantage on an international circuit where players, coaches, officials and media frequently work across different languages. Away from tennis, she is an animal lover and has spoken about having numerous pets.

Mertens began competing in ITF Circuit events in Belgium in 2010, gaining experience through the lower levels of professional tennis. These tournaments are an important proving ground for emerging players, offering opportunities to develop match experience, build rankings and learn to handle the pressures of competition without the attention surrounding the sport’s biggest stages.

In 2015, she played at the Antwerp tournament, her first event at WTA Tour level, although she did not progress through qualifying. The result was not a breakthrough, but it represented an important step towards competing regularly against established professionals.

First professional breakthroughs (2016–2017)

The 2016 season marked Mertens’ first significant progress on the WTA Tour. She made her WTA singles main-draw debut at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, reaching the quarter-finals as a qualifier before losing to Kristina Mladenovic. That run demonstrated that she could compete effectively at a higher level when given the opportunity.

She also secured her first WTA doubles title in Auckland in 2016, partnering compatriot An-Sophie Mestach. This achievement was an early indication of her potential in doubles, although her eventual success would extend far beyond that first trophy. She continued collecting experience on the ITF Circuit, where she won singles and doubles titles that helped establish her professional foundations.

Her breakthrough in singles arrived in January 2017 at the Hobart International in Australia. Mertens entered the tournament through qualifying and went on to win the main-draw title, defeating Monica Niculescu in the final. Winning a WTA singles title as a qualifier is a significant achievement because it requires a player to navigate additional matches before reaching the main draw, increasing both the physical workload and the number of opponents to overcome.

The Hobart victory helped propel Mertens up the rankings. She finished 2016 at No. 120 in singles and ended 2017 at No. 35, achieving her first year-end finish inside the world’s top 50. She also reached the final in Istanbul and recorded her first victory over a top-10 opponent when she defeated Dominika Cibulkova in Beijing.

In doubles, Mertens won the Guangzhou title with Demi Schuurs in 2017. The season therefore provided two important developments: she had established herself as a singles player capable of winning WTA tournaments, and she was beginning to build the doubles credentials that would eventually take her to the top of the world rankings.

A remarkable rise in 2018

The 2018 season was a defining period in Mertens’ career. She opened the year by successfully defending her Hobart International singles title, confirming that her breakthrough twelve months earlier had not been a one-off achievement. She subsequently won titles in Lugano and Rabat, finishing the season with three singles trophies.

Her most notable Grand Slam performance came at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Mertens reached the semi-finals, her first appearance in the last four of a major singles championship. Her run ended against eventual champion Caroline Wozniacki, but reaching the semi-finals marked a major milestone and demonstrated her ability to compete deep into one of tennis’ biggest tournaments.

Mertens also enjoyed considerable success in doubles during 2018. Partnering Demi Schuurs, she won titles at Hobart, ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Wuhan, while she captured the Lugano doubles title with Kirsten Flipkens. Her singles results were equally impressive: she recorded 46 main-draw match victories during the season, finishing the year ranked No. 13 in singles. On 26 November 2018, she reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 12.

This combination of results established Mertens as a genuine force in both disciplines. Rather than choosing between singles and doubles, she continued developing both, giving herself more opportunities to compete for titles and refine different aspects of her game.

The 2019 season: A first Grand Slam doubles title

Mertens continued her singles progress in 2019 by winning the Qatar Total Open in Doha. In the final, she defeated Romania’s Simona Halep, then ranked world No. 3. The victory was one of the most significant singles wins of her career and underlined her ability to defeat elite opposition on a major stage.

She also reached the quarter-finals of the US Open singles draw for the first time. Her run ended against Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, who went on to win the championship. Reaching the last eight in New York was another important Grand Slam achievement, reinforcing the quality of Mertens’ singles game.

However, 2019 was especially memorable for her doubles partnership with Aryna Sabalenka. The pair won the Indian Wells and Miami doubles titles in consecutive tournaments, completing the celebrated Sunshine Double. They then captured the US Open women’s doubles championship, defeating Victoria Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty in the final. It was Mertens’ first Grand Slam doubles title and a major milestone in her career.

The success in the United States confirmed that Mertens could combine with a powerful partner and compete against the strongest doubles teams in the world. Her consistency, court coverage and tactical awareness complemented Sabalenka’s aggressive game, producing a highly effective partnership.

Building momentum through 2020 and 2021

The 2020 season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the suspension and rescheduling of professional tennis. Despite the unusual circumstances, Mertens produced strong results. She won 34 singles matches on the WTA Tour, the highest total on the tour that year, and reached the finals in Prague and Linz. She also reached the US Open singles quarter-finals for the second consecutive year.

In doubles, she continued working with Sabalenka and won the Ostrava title in 2020. The partnership had already proved successful in 2019, and their ability to maintain a high level after the disrupted season helped establish Mertens as one of the leading doubles players of her era.

In 2021, Mertens began the year by winning the Gippsland Trophy in Melbourne, defeating Kaia Kanepi in the final. She then partnered Sabalenka to win the Australian Open women’s doubles title, beating Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in the final.

Later that year, Mertens teamed up with Hsieh Su-wei to win the Wimbledon women’s doubles championship. The victory added another major title to her record and highlighted her adaptability: Hsieh’s distinctive shot-making and tactical creativity worked effectively alongside Mertens’ reliable baseline play and court coverage.

On 10 May 2021, Mertens reached world No. 1 in the WTA doubles rankings. Achieving the top ranking was a landmark moment, confirming that her doubles success extended well beyond a handful of successful tournaments. She had become the leading player in a discipline that demands a combination of technical precision, anticipation, teamwork and mental composure.

Continued success and the WTA Finals title (2022–2023)

Mertens continued to collect titles in 2022. In singles, she won the Monastir tournament in Tunisia, defeating Alizé Cornet in the final. It was another reminder that her individual game remained competitive even as she continued to excel in doubles.

Her partnership with Veronika Kudermetova proved particularly successful. The pair won the Dubai doubles title and the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2022. Winning the WTA Finals is a major achievement because the season-ending tournament brings together the leading teams of the year. The format and quality of the opposition leave little room for error, making the title a strong measure of consistency across a season.

Mertens and Kudermetova reached the Wimbledon doubles final in 2022 as well. Although they did not win the championship, their performances demonstrated that they had developed into one of the tour’s most effective partnerships.

In 2023, Mertens won the Monastir singles title for a second consecutive year. She also captured doubles titles in Rome and Guadalajara with Storm Hunter. The Rome victory was particularly notable because it came at a major clay-court event, a surface that demands patience, movement and the ability to construct points carefully.

She finished the 2023 season ranked No. 29 in singles and No. 2 in doubles. The doubles ranking reflected another year of elite-level consistency, while her singles results kept her among the world’s top 30 players. Her ability to remain competitive in both disciplines continued to distinguish her from players who focus primarily on one format.

Grand Slam victories and a new chapter (2024–2026)

The 2024 season opened with a major doubles triumph at the Australian Open, where Mertens partnered Hsieh Su-wei to win the women’s doubles title. The pair continued their successful campaign by winning Indian Wells and Birmingham later in the season. These results demonstrated that their partnership could deliver strong performances across different surfaces and tournament environments.

In 2025, Mertens enjoyed further success in both disciplines. She won two singles titles, at Singapore and ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and reached the Hobart final. In doubles, she partnered Veronika Kudermetova to win Wimbledon, adding another major championship to her collection. The pair subsequently captured the WTA Finals title, securing their second year-end championship together after their 2022 triumph.

Those victories highlighted Mertens’ continued ability to perform at the highest level years after her initial breakthrough. The Wimbledon title was particularly significant because it represented another major doubles success on one of the sport’s most historic stages.

In 2026, Mertens continued adding to her Grand Slam record. Partnering Zhang Shuai, she won the Australian Open women’s doubles championship. The victory provided another demonstration of her ability to adapt to a different partner and maintain her competitive edge at a major tournament.

Her career illustrates how a player can build a lasting legacy through a combination of individual success and exceptional teamwork. From her first WTA title in Hobart in 2017 to her Grand Slam doubles victories in the 2020s, Mertens has consistently demonstrated the value of tactical intelligence, adaptability and determination.