Michael Llodra

Michaël Llodra is a French former professional tennis player celebrated for his serve-and-volley artistry and doubles mastery. Known as one of the last great volleyers on tour, Llodra captured 26 doubles titles—including three Grand Slam crowns and an Olympic silver medal. He reached a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 3. In singles in November 2011.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Michaël Llodra was born on May 18, 1980, in Paris, France, and later resided in Rueil-Malmaison. Standing 191 cm tall and weighing 80 kg, Michaël Llodra played left-handed with a one-handed backhand, modeling his serve-and-volley game after his idol Stefan Edberg.

His father, Michel Llorda, played football for Paris Saint-Germain. Llodra is a lifelong supporter of the PSG football club and is known for his playful and sometimes eccentric personality. He is married to Camille, with whom he has two children, Manon and Teo.

Career

Llodra turned professional in 1999 and quickly established himself as a doubles specialist, winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2003 with Fabrice Santoro. The pair repeated the feat in 2004 and won the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005.

Llodra later partnered with Arnaud Clément to win the Wimbledon doubles title in 2007 and reached additional Grand Slam finals at the French Open and Australian Open.

In singles, Llodra won five ATP titles, including victories on grass and hard courts.

He reached the fourth round at three Grand Slams—Roland Garros (2004, 2008), Wimbledon (2011), and the US Open (2004)—and achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 21 in 2011.

Llodra was known for his ability to upset higher-ranked opponents, including wins over Novak Djokovic, Juan Martín del Potro, and Tomáš Berdych.

Llodra’s doubles career was exceptional: he amassed 26 ATP doubles titles, three Grand Slam crowns, and an Olympic silver medal in 2012 alongside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He also won the year-end ATP Tour Finals in 2005 and reached the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments in men’s doubles.

Notable moments in Llodra’s career include the infamous incident at the 2002 Australian Open, where he accidentally killed a bird with a volley, and his playful antics, such as hiding nude in Ivan Ljubicic’s locker to “absorb positive energy.”

Llodra’s career was not without controversy. He was fined for making inappropriate remarks at the 2012 BNP Paribas Open and faced criticism for other off-court comments. Llodra retired from professional tennis in 2014, leaving a legacy as one of the last true serve-and-volleyers and a doubles legend.

Career Record

Singles

• Career Titles: 5
• Highest Singles Ranking: No. 21 (May 9, 2011)
• Final Singles Ranking: Unranked (at retirement, July 6, 2025)
• Career Record: 187–221

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Australian Open – 3rd Round (2012)
• French Open – 4th Round (2004, 2008)
• Wimbledon – 4th Round (2011)
• US Open – 4th Round (2004)

Other Tournaments

• Olympic Games – 2nd Round (2008)

Doubles

• Career Titles: 26
• Highest Doubles Ranking: No. 3 (November 14, 2011)
• Final Doubles Ranking: Unranked (at retirement, July 6, 2025)
• Career Record: 387–224

Best Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• Australian Open – Winner (2003, 2004)
• French Open – Finalist (2004, 2013)
• Wimbledon – Winner (2007)
• US Open – Semifinals (2003)

Other Tournaments

• Tour Finals – Winner (2005)
• Olympic Games – Silver Medal (2012, Doubles)