Tallon Griekspoor is approaching the top five of the best tennis players from the Netherlands, based on ATP titles. After his victory on Mallorca on Saturday, the North Hollander has one title less than Jacco Eltingh and Jan Siemerink. Tom Okker, Richard Krajicek, and Sjeng Schalken are still far away.
The 28-year-old Griekspoor provided a boost for Dutch tennis by winning on Mallorca on Saturday. It marked his second title on grass and his third victory on the ATP Tour.
In the final, Griekspoor was too strong for the Frenchman Corentin Moutet with 7-5 and 7-6 (3). He had previously held up the trophy in Pune and Rosmalen, both times in 2023.
With his third title, Griekspoor surpassed Robin Haase and Martin Verkerk. Haase was twice the strongest in Kitzbühel, Austria (2011 and 2012), Verkerk won the tournaments of Milan (2003) and Amersfoort (2004). His biggest success he celebrated 22 years ago at Roland Garros, but there he lost in the final against the Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Dutch players with ATP titles
Two Dutch players once reached the top 10
Eltingh and Siemerink both won four ATP titles in their careers. Eltingh reached the nineteenth place on the world ranking, Siemerink was once fourteenth in the global ranking.
Griekspoor’s highest ranking is place 21, in June 2023. Due to his victory on Mallorca, he rises from 34th to 29th place on Monday.
The three most successful Dutch players in singles, based on tournament victories, are still far away for Griekspoor. Schalken came to nine ATP titles, Krajicek to seventeen and Okker to 35.
Okker (3) and Krajicek (3) reached the world top ten, Schalken (11) just didn’t make it.
Highest ranking
Griekspoor can’t match Schalken on Grand Slams either
Also in terms of results at the Grand Slams, Griekspoor, with a fourth round at Roland Garros as his best result, cannot yet match Schalken and Siemerink.
Schalken reached the semi-finals of the US Open in 2002 and reached the last eight at Wimbledon three times. Siemerink was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 1998 and reached the fourth round at both the Australian Open and the US Open.
The Grand Slam results of Okker and Krajicek are much better. Okker lost in the final of the US Open to Arthur Ashe in 1968, Krajicek made history in 1996 with the title at Wimbledon.
Fourth Dutchman with two grass titles
Griekspoor is the fourth Dutchman with at least two ATP titles on grass. Schalken won the Rosmalen tournament twice and Wimbledon champion Krajicek has three grass titles. Okker leads the ranking with even four tournament victories on grass.