Jan Mertl
Czech tennis star Marketa Vondrousova and coach Jan Mertl have been working together since 2019.
Jan Mertl is a former Czech tennis player and the current coach of WTA star Marketa Vondrousova. During his playing career, Mertl primarily competed in singles matches and had a career spanning over two decades. Mertl turned professional in 2001 and started playing on the ITF Futures circuit.
He gradually made his way up the rankings and began participating in ATP Challenger Tour events. While he did not achieve significant success on the ATP World Tour, Mertl established himself as a consistent performer on the Challenger circuit.
Throughout his career, Mertl displayed a versatile playing style with a strong baseline game. He is known for his solid groundstrokes, especially his powerful forehand. Mertl demonstrated good court coverage and the ability to adapt to different playing conditions.
Although he did not win any ATP titles, Mertl claimed numerous titles on the ITF Futures circuit. These victories contributed to his ranking and allowed him to compete in higher-level tournaments. He also participated in the qualifying rounds of Grand Slam tournaments on multiple occasions. Mertl’s best ranking in singles came in April 2015 when he reached a career-high of World No. 154. Despite not reaching the top 100, he maintained a respectable position in the rankings for an extended period. Mertl represented the Czech Republic in various international team competitions, such as the Davis Cup.
Jan Mertl has been associated with Marketa Vondrousova since 2019 and has helped the Czech take her game to the next level. Vondroušová’s breakthrough year came in 2019 when she reached the final of the French Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
She defeated several top-ranked players on her way to the final, including Petra Martić, Anastasija Sevastova, Carla Suárez Navarro, and Johanna Konta. Although she finished as the runner-up in the final, losing to Ashleigh Barty, her performance propelled her to a career-high ranking of No. 14 in the world.
Vondroušová is known for her versatile playing style, characterized by her powerful groundstrokes, effective shot placement, and excellent court coverage.
She has a strong defensive game and is capable of hitting winners from both wings. Her ability to adapt to different playing surfaces has made her a competitive player on all court types. In addition to her success at the French Open, Vondroušová has also had other notable achievements in her career.
She reached the quarterfinals of the 2020 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open. She has also won multiple titles on the ITF Circuit and has represented the Czech Republic in Fed Cup competitions.
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