Mark Lajal
Mark Lajal (born 12 May 2003) is an Estonian tennis player. He has a career high ATP singles ranking of world No. 191, achieved on 20 November 2023. He also has a career high ATP doubles ranking of No. 875, achieved on 24 June 2024. He is currently the No. 1 Estonian player.[1]
Lajal at the 2023 US Open | |
| Country (sports) | Estonia |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 May 2003 Tallinn, Estonia |
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $148,301 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 2–3 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 191 (20 November 2023) |
| Current ranking | No. 262 (24 June 2024) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | Q1 (2024) |
| French Open | Q1 (2024) |
| Wimbledon | Q3 (2024) |
| US Open | Q1 (2023) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 0–0 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 875 (24 June 2024) |
| Current ranking | No. 875 (24 June 2024) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | 1–3 |
| Last updated on: 20 January 2024. | |
He has won three ITF singles titles and a Challenger title.[2]
On the junior tour, he had a career high ITF combined ranking of No. 13, achieved on 30 August 2021.
Lajal represents Estonia at the Davis Cup, where he has a W/L record of 1–2.[3]
Career
2023: Maiden Challenger title, ATP debut and first win, top 200
He won his first Challenger title in Little Rock, Arkansas. He became the first Estonian to win a Challenger title before his 21st birthday and Estonia’s second ever Challenger champion.[4][5][6]
Ranked No. 229 on his ATP debut, he received a wildcard for the main draw of the 2023 European Open and defeated Jaume Munar for his first ATP win.[7]
As a lucky loser at the Bergamo Challenger, Lajal beat Jelle Sels, Ugo Blanchet and the opponent he lost to in qualifying, Pierre-Hugues Herbert to reach the semifinals, where he lost to David Goffin in 3 sets. As a result, he made his debut in the top 200.
ATP Performance Timelines
Singles
Current through the 2023 Rolex Paris Masters.
| Tournament | 2023 | 2024 | SR | W–L | Win% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||
| Australian Open | A | Q1 | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | |
| French Open | A | Q1 | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 0% | |
| Wimbledon | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| US Open | Q1 | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 50% | ||
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | |
| ATP Masters 1000 | ||||||
| Indian Wells Masters | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| Miami Open | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| Monte-Carlo Masters | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| Madrid Open | A | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0% | ||
| Italian Open | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| Canadian Open | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| Cincinnati Masters | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| Shanghai Masters | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| Paris Masters | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | ||
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0% | |
| Career statistics | ||||||
| 2023 | 2024 | Career | ||||
| Tournaments | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Titles | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Finals | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Overall win–loss | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–3 | |||
| Year-end ranking | 206 | 40% | ||||
ATP Challenger Tour finals
Singles: 1 (1 title)
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Jun 2023 | Little Rock, USA | Challenger | Hard | Beibit Zhukayev | 6–4, 7–5 |
ITF World Tennis Tour finals
Singles: 5 (3 titles, 2 runner-ups)
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | May 2022 | M15 Heraklion, Greece | WTT | Hard | Dominik Palan | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 2–0 | Aug 2022 | M15 Monastir, Tunisia | WTT | Hard | Constantin Bittuon Kouzmine | 6–2, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Loss | 2–1 | Aug 2022 | M15 Monastir, Tunisia | WTT | Hard | Te Rigele | 3–6, 6–3, 5–7 |
| Loss | 2–2 | Sep 2022 | M25 Bagnères-de-Bigorre, France | WTT | Hard | Joris De Loore | 3–6, 0–6 |
| Win | 3–2 | Dec 2022 | M25 Monastir, Tunisia | WTT | Hard | Bu Yunchaokete | 6–4, 6–1 |
References
- "ATP Rankings | PIF ATP Rankings (Singles) | ATP Tour | Tennis | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
- "Mark Lajal: 'I Wasn't Supposed To Be A Tennis Player' | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- "Pacific Oceania loses to Estonia in return to Group 2". www.saipantribune.com.
- "Lajal takes Little Rock Open title | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette". www.nwaonline.com. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- Kust, Damian (2023-06-05). "Challenger Tour Weekly Recap: Mark Lajal Becomes Estonia's Second-Ever Challenger Champion". Last Word On Tennis. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- "Mark Lajal, 20, Wins Maiden Challenger Title In Just 6th Outing | ATP Tour | Tennis". ATP Tour. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
- "European Open: 20-year-old Lajal makes dream debut, defeating Munar in first match". Tennis Majors. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2024-02-20.