Joran Vliegen (born 7 July 1993) is a Belgian professional tennis player who specializes in doubles. He has a career high ATP doubles ranking of World No. 17 achieved on 7 August 2023.[1] He also has a career high singles ranking of World No. 508 achieved on 1 August 2016. Vliegen has won eight ATP Tour doubles titles with partner Sander Gillé,[2] including an ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.
Early life and background
Vliegen was born in Maaseik, Belgium to parents Ivo Vliegen and Annick Desender. He has a brother named Warre. He started playing tennis at the age of five.[3] In 2011 he moved to the United States to play college tennis at East Carolina University. He was named 2014 Conference USA Player of the Year.[4] He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in business.[3]
He is not related to fellow Belgian tennis player Kristof Vliegen.[5]
Career
2018: Davis Cup debut
Vliegen made his debut with the Belgium Davis Cup team in 2018. In the quarterfinals against the United States, he and fellow Belgian Sander Gillé lost against Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock.[6]
2019: Grand Slam debut and first quarterfinal, Three ATP doubles titles
In 2019 he and Gillé managed to pull off a surprise win over Brazil's Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares in the Belgium-Brazil Davis cup tie contributing to Belgium qualifying for the 2019 Davis Cup Finals held in November.[7]
Vliegen made his Grand Slam debut in the 2019 French Open. Partnering Mikhail Kukushkin from Kazakhstan he managed to reach the quarterfinals.[4] At Wimbledon 2019, Vliegen made his debut in a mixed doubles event, and reached the third round with Zheng Saisai from China.[8]
Vliegen won his first ATP Tour doubles title at the 2019 Swedish Open with fellow Belgian Sander Gillé.[9] One week later, again partnering with Gillé, he also won the title at the Swiss Open.[10] The duo continued their winning streak by reaching the final of the Austrian Open, losing to Philipp Oswald and Filip Polášek.[11] Two months later, Vliegen and Gillé picked up their third title of 2019 at the Zhuhai Championships.[2]
2020–2021: Two titles, Second Major quarterfinal, first Masters semifinal, Olympics & top 30 debut
Vliegen won two more titles with his partner Sander Gillé at the 2020 Astana Open and at the 2021 Singapore Open.
They also reached the quarterfinals at the 2020 US Open (tennis) losing to the eventual runners-up Mektic/Koolhof, their best showing at the Grand Slam thus far.
The pair made their first Masters 1000 semifinal at the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open losing to the 2nd seeded pair of Pavic/Mektic. As a result, Vliegen reached a career-high of No. 31 on 10 May 2021.
2022: First Grand Slam mixed doubles final
At the 2022 French Open, Vliegen and Gillé caused an upset by eliminating the defending champions and home favorites Pierre Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in three tight sets without dropping one service game. In the second round they saw off the Australian pairing of Luke Saville and Jordan Thompson before falling to the unseeded pairing of Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernández in a third super match tie-break.
He also entered the mixed doubles event for the first time, partnering Norwegian Ulrikke Eikeri. In the first round they won against the Kazakh pairing of Anna Danilina and Andrey Golubev in three sets. In the second round they progressed past the home team of Clara Burel and Hugo Gaston in straight sets. In the third round they faced 2021 Wimbledon champions Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski and lost the first set comprehensively before bouncing back to win the second set in the tie-break and the third set match tie-break.[12] Their semifinal followed a similar pattern, this time against 2018 Wimbledon champion Nicole Melichar and twice French Open Men's doubles champion Kevin Krawietz, with them again bouncing back from a poor first set to win the second in the tie-break and the third set match tie-break to reach their first Grand Slam final. They lost in the final to Ena Shibahara and Wesley Koolhof.[13][14] This made Vliegen the first Belgian man to reach the final of a mixed doubles event of a Grand Slam tournament.
2023: First Grand Slam men's doubles final, second mixed doubles final, top 20 debut
At the 2023 French Open, Vliegen having never get passed the quarterfinals at this Major, partnering Gillé as an unseeded pair, they reached their first Major semifinal defeating fourth seeds Croatians Nikola Mektić/Mate Pavić, Roman Jebavý/Luis David Martínez, ninth seeds Santiago González/Édouard Roger-Vasselin, 14th seed Argentines Andrés Molteni/Máximo González[15] and 12th seeds Andreas Mies/Matwé Middelkoop.[16][17] In the final they lost to Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in straight sets.[18] At Wimbledon, he and Gillé lost in the third round of the men's doubles event, while Vliegen paired with Xu Yifan in mixed doubles to reach his second career final. This made him the first Belgian man in a Wimbledon mixed doubles final. He made his top 20 debut on 7 August 2023 at world No. 17.
2024–2025: First Masters 1000 title, new partnership
At the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters with Gille, they defeated wildcard pair of Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Sonego, defending champions and second seeds Austin Krajicek and Ivan Dodig in the second round, and sixth seeds Tim Pütz and Kevin Krawietz to reach the semifinals.[19] They reached their first Masters 1000 final upsetting third seeds Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers.[20] They won their first Masters title defeating alternate pair of Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo. They became just the second and third Belgians to win a Masters 1000 doubles title after Xavier Malisse won in Indian Wells in 2010.[21]
Significant finals
Grand slam finals
Doubles: 1 (runner-up)
Mixed doubles: 2 (2 runner-ups)
Masters 1000 finals
Doubles: 1 (title)
ATP career finals
Doubles: 15 (8 titles, 7 runner-ups)
Legend
|
Grand Slam tournaments (0–1)
|
ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
|
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (1–0)
|
ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–1)
|
ATP World Tour 250 Series (7–5)
|
|
Titles by surface
|
Hard (4–1)
|
Clay (4–5)
|
Grass (0–1)
|
|
Titles by setting
|
Outdoor (6–7)
|
Indoor (2–0)
|
|
Result
|
W–L
|
Date
|
Tournament
|
Tier
|
Surface
|
Partner
|
Opponents
|
Score
|
Win
|
1–0
|
Jul 2019
|
Swedish Open, Sweden
|
250 Series
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Federico Delbonis
Horacio Zeballos
|
6–7(5–7), 7–5, [10–5]
|
Win
|
2–0
|
Jul 2019
|
Swiss Open, Switzerland
|
250 Series
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Philipp Oswald
Filip Polášek
|
6–4, 6–3
|
Loss
|
2–1
|
Aug 2019
|
Austrian Open, Austria
|
250 Series
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Philipp Oswald
Filip Polášek
|
4–6, 4–6
|
Win
|
3–1
|
Sep 2019
|
Zhuhai Championships, China
|
250 Series
|
Hard
|
Sander Gillé
|
Marcelo Demoliner
Matwé Middelkoop
|
7–6(7–2), 7–6(7–4)
|
Win
|
4–1
|
Nov 2020
|
Astana Open, Kazakhstan
|
250 Series
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Max Purcell
Luke Saville
|
7–5, 6–3
|
Win
|
5–1
|
Feb 2021
|
Singapore Open, Singapore
|
250 Series
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Matthew Ebden
John-Patrick Smith
|
6–2, 6–3
|
Loss
|
5–2
|
May 2021
|
Bavarian Championships, Germany
|
250 Series
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Wesley Koolhof
Kevin Krawietz
|
6–4, 4–6, [5–10]
|
Win
|
6–2
|
Jan 2023
|
Maharashtra Open, India
|
250 Series
|
Hard
|
Sander Gillé
|
Sriram Balaji
Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan
|
6–4, 6–4
|
Win
|
7–2
|
Apr 2023
|
Estoril Open, Portugal
|
250 Series
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Nikola Ćaćić
Miomir Kecmanović
|
6–3, 6–4
|
Loss
|
7–3
|
Jun 2023
|
French Open, France
|
Grand Slam
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Ivan Dodig
Austin Krajicek
|
3–6, 1–6
|
Loss
|
7–4
|
Jul 2023
|
Hamburg European Open, Germany
|
500 Series
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Kevin Krawietz
Tim Pütz
|
6–7(4–7), 3–6
|
Loss
|
7–5
|
Jan 2024
|
Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong
|
250 Series
|
Hard
|
Sander Gillé
|
Marcelo Arévalo
Mate Pavić
|
6–7(3–7), 4–6
|
Win
|
8–5
|
Apr 2024
|
Monte-Carlo Masters, Monaco
|
Masters 1000
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Marcelo Melo Alexander Zverev
|
5–7, 6–3, [10–5]
|
Loss
|
8–6
|
May 2025
|
Geneva Open, Switzerland
|
250 Series
|
Clay
|
Ariel Behar
|
Sadio Doumbia
Fabien Reboul
|
7–6(7–4), 4–6, [9–11]
|
Loss
|
8–7
|
Jun 2025
|
Eastbourne International, United Kingdom
|
250 Series
|
Grass
|
Ariel Behar
|
Julian Cash
Lloyd Glasspool
|
1−6, 6−1, [13−15]
|
Challenger and Futures Finals
Singles: 3 (2–1)
Legend (singles)
|
ATP Challenger Tour (0–0)
|
ITF Futures Tour (2–1)
|
|
Titles by surface
|
Hard (1–0)
|
Clay (1–1)
|
Grass (0–0)
|
Carpet (0–0)
|
|
Result
|
W–L
|
Date
|
Tournament
|
Tier
|
Surface
|
Opponent
|
Score
|
Win
|
1–0
|
Aug 2015
|
Belgium F8, Middelkerke
|
Futures
|
Hard
|
Julien Cagnina
|
4–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–2)
|
Loss
|
1–1
|
Sep 2015
|
Belgium F14, Middelkerke
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Jeremy Jahn
|
3–6, 4–6
|
Win
|
2–1
|
Aug 2016
|
Belgium F11, Huy
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Romain Barbosa
|
6–4, 6–4
|
Doubles: 51 (37–14)
Legend (doubles)
|
ATP Challenger Tour (14–7)
|
ITF Futures Tour (23–7)
|
|
Titles by surface
|
Hard (10–3)
|
Clay (25–10)
|
Grass (0–0)
|
Carpet (2–1)
|
|
Result
|
W–L
|
Date
|
Tournament
|
Tier
|
Surface
|
Partner
|
Opponents
|
Score
|
Win
|
1–0
|
Jul 2013
|
Belgium F6, Heist
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Cedric De Zutter
|
Bobbie De Goeijen
Scott Griekspoor
|
7–5, 6–2
|
Win
|
2–0
|
Aug 2013
|
Belgium F8, Eupen
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Gustavo Gómez Buyatti
Antoine Hoang
|
6–3, 6–3
|
Win
|
3–0
|
Aug 2014
|
Belgium F11, Koksijde
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Jake Eames
David Pérez Sanz
|
3–6, 6–3, [12–10]
|
Win
|
4–0
|
Jun 2015
|
Belgium F2, Damme
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Antoine Hoang
Ugo Nastasi
|
6–2, 6–3
|
Loss
|
4–1
|
Jun 2015
|
Belgium F3, Havré
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Deiton Baughman
Fabrício Neis
|
6–2, 4–6, [2–10]
|
Win
|
5–1
|
Jul 2015
|
Belgium F7, Duinbergen
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Julien Cagnina
Jonas Merckx
|
6–7(5–7), 6–4, [10–6]
|
Loss
|
5–2
|
Aug 2015
|
Belgium F8, Middelkerke
|
Futures
|
Hard
|
Sander Gillé
|
Sander Arends
Ariel Behar
|
7–6(7–1), 4–6, [7–10]
|
Loss
|
5–3
|
Aug 2015
|
Belgium F9, Eupen
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Billy Harris
Evan Hoyt
|
6–7(5–7), 3–6
|
Win
|
6–3
|
Aug 2015
|
Belgium F10, Koksijde
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Evan Hoyt
Toby Martin
|
6–2, 6–1
|
Win
|
7–3
|
Aug 2015
|
Belgium F11, Jupille-sur-Meuse
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Evan Hoyt
Toby Martin
|
6–1, 6–4
|
Win
|
8–3
|
Aug 2015
|
Belgium F12, Ostend
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Antoine Hoang
|
Kevin Benning
Jonas Merckx
|
6–2, 7–5
|
Win
|
9–3
|
Sep 2015
|
Belgium F14, Middelkerke
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Gonçalo Oliveira
|
Timon Reichelt
George von Massow
|
6–3, 3–6, [10–4]
|
Win
|
10–3
|
Oct 2015
|
Norway F2, Oslo
|
Futures
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Ivan Sabanov
Matej Sabanov
|
6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–5), [10–8]
|
Win
|
11–3
|
Nov 2015
|
Norway F3, Oslo
|
Futures
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Ivan Sabanov
Matej Sabanov
|
7–6(7–3), 6–1
|
Win
|
12–3
|
Jan 2016
|
France F2, Bressuire
|
Futures
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Benjamin Bonzi
Grégoire Jacq
|
7–6(7–1), 7–5
|
Win
|
13–3
|
Jan 2016
|
France F3, Veigy-Foncenex
|
Futures
|
Carpet (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Scott Clayton
Richard Gabb
|
6–7(4–7), 7–6(8–6), [10–7]
|
Loss
|
13–4
|
Mar 2016
|
Egypt F7, Sharm El Sheikh
|
Futures
|
Hard
|
Sander Gillé
|
Dominik Kellovský
Jaroslav Pospíšil
|
6–3, 3–6, [11–13]
|
Win
|
14–4
|
Mar 2016
|
Egypt F8, Sharm El Sheikh
|
Futures
|
Hard
|
Sander Gillé
|
Tom Schönenberg
Matthias Wunner
|
6–3, 7–6(7–2)
|
Win
|
15–4
|
Apr 2016
|
Uzbekistan F2, Bukhara
|
Futures
|
Hard
|
Sander Gillé
|
Evgeny Elistratov
Vitaly Kozyukov
|
6–4, 6–3
|
Win
|
16–4
|
May 2016
|
Ukraine F1, Cherkasy
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Antoine Bellier
Vladyslav Manafov
|
6–3, 4–6, [11–9]
|
Win
|
17–4
|
Jun 2016
|
Belgium F2, Havré
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Adam Taylor Jason Taylor
|
6–2, 6–4
|
Win
|
18–4
|
Jul 2016
|
Belgium F3, Nieuwpoort
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Stijn Meulemans
Laurens Verboven
|
6–2, 6–3
|
Win
|
19–4
|
Jul 2016
|
Belgium F6, Knokke
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Hunter Johnson Yates Johnson
|
6–4, 6–4
|
Win
|
20–4
|
Jul 2016
|
Belgium F7, Duinbergen
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Michael Geerts
Jeroen Vanneste
|
6–7(4–7), 6–3, [10–4]
|
Win
|
21–4
|
Aug 2016
|
Trnava, Slovakia
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Tomasz Bednarek
Roman Jebavý
|
6–2, 7–5
|
Loss
|
21–5
|
Aug 2016
|
Meerbusch, Germany
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Mikhail Elgin
Andrei Vasilevski
|
6–7(6–8), 4–6
|
Loss
|
21–6
|
Aug 2016
|
Belgium F11, Huy
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Jarryd Bant
Tom Farquharson
|
3–6, 2–6
|
Loss
|
21–7
|
Jan 2017
|
Germany F2, Kaarst
|
Futures
|
Carpet (i)
|
David Pel
|
Jannis Kahlke
Oscar Otte
|
3–6, 7–5, [8–10]
|
Win
|
22–7
|
Jan 2017
|
France F3, Veigy-Foncenex
|
Futures
|
Carpet (i)
|
Julien Dubail
|
Antal van der Duim
Tim van Terheijden
|
4–6, 6–4, [10–4]
|
Loss
|
22–8
|
Mar 2017
|
Turkey F10, Antalya
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Tuna Altuna
Cem İlkel
|
6–0, 2–6, [8–10]
|
Win
|
23–8
|
May 2017
|
Italy F12, Naples
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Antal van der Duim
Boy Westerhof
|
6–4, 6–2
|
Win
|
24–8
|
May 2017
|
Romania F1, Bucharest
|
Futures
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Andrei Ștefan Apostol
Nicolae Frunză
|
7–6(7–5), 6–2
|
Win
|
25–8
|
Jun 2017
|
Lyon, France
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Gero Kretschmer
Alexander Satschko
|
6–7(2–7), 7–6(7–2), [14–12]
|
Win
|
26–8
|
Jun 2017
|
Blois, France
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Máximo González
Fabrício Neis
|
3–6, 6–3, [10–7]
|
Win
|
27–8
|
Jul 2017
|
Scheveningen, Netherlands
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Jozef Kovalík
Stefanos Tsitsipas
|
6–2, 4–6, [12–10]
|
Win
|
28–8
|
Jul 2017
|
Tampere, Finland
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Lucas Gómez
Juan Ignacio Londero
|
6–2, 6–7(5–7), [10–3]
|
Loss
|
28–9
|
Sep 2017
|
Sibiu, Romania
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Marco Cecchinato
Matteo Donati
|
3–6, 1–6
|
Loss
|
28–10
|
Sep 2017
|
Rome, Italy
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Martin Kližan
Jozef Kovalík
|
3–6, 6–7(5–7)
|
Win
|
29–10
|
Jan 2018
|
Rennes, France
|
Challenger
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Sander Arends
Antonio Šančić
|
6–3, 6–7(1–7), [10–7]
|
Loss
|
29–11
|
Feb 2018
|
Quimper, France
|
Challenger
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Ken Skupski
Neal Skupski
|
3–6, 6–3, [7–10]
|
Loss
|
29–12
|
May 2018
|
Rome, Italy
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Kevin Krawietz
Andreas Mies
|
3–6, 6–2, [4–10]
|
Win
|
30–12
|
Jul 2018
|
Prague, Czech Republic
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Fernando Romboli
David Vega Hernández
|
6–4, 6–2
|
Win
|
31–12
|
Aug 2018
|
Liberec, Czech Republic
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Filip Polášek
Patrik Rikl
|
6–3, 6–4
|
Win
|
32–12
|
Aug 2018
|
Pullach, Germany
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Daniele Bracciali
Simone Bolelli
|
6–2, 6–2
|
Win
|
33–12
|
Oct 2018
|
Ortisei, Italy
|
Challenger
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Purav Raja
Antonio Šančić
|
3–6, 6–3, [10–3]
|
Win
|
34–12
|
Oct 2018
|
Brest, France
|
Challenger
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Leander Paes
Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela
|
3–6, 6–4, [10–2]
|
Win
|
35–12
|
Nov 2018
|
Mouilleron-le-Captif, France
|
Challenger
|
Hard (i)
|
Sander Gillé
|
Romain Arneodo
Quentin Halys
|
6–3, 4–6, [10–2]
|
Loss
|
35–13
|
Jan 2019
|
Punta del Este, Uruguay
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Guido Andreozzi
Guillermo Durán
|
2–6, 7–6(8–6), [8–10]
|
Loss
|
35–14
|
Mar 2019
|
Marbella, Spain
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Kevin Krawietz
Andreas Mies
|
6–7(6–8), 6–2, [6–10]
|
Win
|
36–14
|
Jun 2019
|
Bratislava, Slovakia
|
Challenger
|
Clay
|
Sander Gillé
|
Lukáš Klein
Alex Molčan
|
6–2, 7–5
|
Win
|
37–14
|
Sep 2022
|
Cassis, France
|
Challenger
|
Hard
|
Michael Geerts
|
Romain Arneodo
Albano Olivetti
|
6–4, 7–6(8–6)
|
Key
W
|
F
|
SF
|
QF
|
#R
|
RR |
Q#
|
DNQ
|
A
|
NH
|
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
Doubles
Current through the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.
Mixed doubles
Current through the 2024 US Open.
Notes
- ^ Withdraw during the tournament. Not counted as a loss.
References
External links