Martin Emmrich Bio
Martin Emmrich is a retired German professional tennis player and a current professional pickleball player competing on the PPA Tour, where he specializes in doubles and mixed events. Over the course of his tennis career, he built his reputation on the ATP Challenger Tour, collecting 15 Challenger titles and reaching as high as No. 35 in the world in doubles. Standing 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) tall and playing left-handed with a two-handed backhand, Emmrich has transitioned his racquet-sport pedigree into the rapidly growing sport of pickleball.
Early Life and Background
Martin Emmrich was born on 17 December 1984 in Magdeburg, which at the time of his birth was part of the German Democratic Republic. He grew up in a household steeped in racquet sports, as his father, Thomas Emmrich, was a former German tennis player who represented East Germany and remains the only player from that country to have ever held an ATP ranking. That family connection to the professional game gave Martin an early and consistent exposure to competitive tennis and shaped his path toward the sport.
After the reunification of Germany, Emmrich continued developing his game and entered the professional ranks in 2001. He is a left-handed player who hits a two-handed backhand, and his training in the years following his debut laid the foundation for a career built primarily around doubles play. Today he resides in Solingen, Germany.
Path to Professional Tennis
Emmrich turned professional in 2001 and began working his way up through the sport’s development circuits. His primary avenue to the ATP Tour came via the ATP Challenger Tour, the level just below the top-tier tour, where he logged the bulk of his match experience and built his resume. Across his Challenger career, he reached 23 doubles finals, winning 15 of them and finishing as runner-up on 8 occasions, an indication of consistent performance at that level.
As he gained confidence and ranking points on the Challenger circuit, Emmrich began earning opportunities at ATP Tour events. He worked his way into the main draws of Grand Slam tournaments and posted his first ATP-level wins, eventually breaking into the top 40 in doubles. His progress was steady rather than sudden, built on durable doubles partnerships and a left-handed serve that troubled opponents across surfaces.
Martin Emmrich Career
Early Career (2001–2009)
Emmrich’s first years as a professional were spent largely on the ATP Challenger Tour, where he developed the doubles skills that would come to define his career. He strung together Challenger-level results that gradually pushed his ranking upward and gave him a foothold in qualifying draws at ATP events. The early period of his career was characterized by patience, as he worked to convert promising junior and Futures-level form into reliable wins against seasoned professionals.
His first major singles milestone arrived on 12 October 2009, when he reached his career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 604. While he never advanced deep into singles draws at the top level, that ranking reflected the steady improvement he had made since turning pro. His career ATP singles record stood at 0–1, but the experience he gained during these years proved valuable once he turned his full attention to doubles.
ATP Doubles Breakthrough (2010–2013)
Beginning around 2010, Emmrich began to focus more intently on doubles, and the results followed. He qualified for the main draws of all four Grand Slam tournaments and put together his best seasons on the ATP Tour during this stretch. In 2011, he reached the second round of the US Open in men’s doubles, and in 2012 he advanced to the second round at Wimbledon, both career-firsts at those events.
The peak of his doubles career came in 2013, when he won three ATP Tour doubles titles and climbed to his career-high doubles ranking of world No. 35 on 5 August 2013. That same year he also reached the second round of the French Open and the US Open, and returned to the second round at Wimbledon. Across his career, he compiled a 54–61 doubles record at the tour level to go along with his 15 Challenger crowns.
Later Career and Grand Slam Appearances (2013–2015)
Emmrich continued competing in Grand Slam doubles into 2014, when he returned to the Australian Open and the US Open main draws, again reaching the second round at the US Open. By this point he had become a respected doubles specialist, valued for his left-handed serve and his comfort at the net. His three ATP Tour doubles titles remained the headline results of his time on the main tour.
Emmrich retired from professional tennis in 2015, finishing his career with $386,441 in prize money earned. His combined record across Challenger and tour-level doubles left him as one of the more successful German doubles players of his generation, and his experience at the highest levels of the game positioned him well for the next phase of his athletic career.
Pickleball Career on the PPA Tour
Following his retirement from tennis, Martin Emmrich transitioned to professional pickleball, joining the PPA Tour and competing in the doubles and mixed doubles categories. His racquet-sport background, particularly his doubles instincts and net play, translated naturally to the pickleball court. He has since established himself as a recognizable presence on the tour in his new discipline.
Driving Style and Strengths
Emmrich’s pickleball game draws heavily on his tennis pedigree. He relies on patient point construction, steady hands at the kitchen line, and the doubles positioning instincts he refined during more than a decade on the ATP Tour. His left-handed orientation remains a notable feature of his play and continues to influence the angles he creates for partners and opponents alike.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his three ATP Tour doubles titles and his career-high No. 35 doubles ranking, Emmrich’s milestone moments include his Grand Slam main-draw appearances at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, all in men’s doubles. His 15 ATP Challenger doubles titles represent the deepest body of work in his career and the foundation on which his tour-level success was built.
Martin Emmrich Career Wins
Across all levels of professional tennis, Martin Emmrich has accumulated a substantial collection of doubles titles. He is a three-time ATP Tour doubles champion, a 15-time ATP Challenger Tour doubles titlist, and has reached the second round of all four Grand Slams in men’s doubles. His combined success at Challenger and tour level marks him as a consistently effective doubles competitor throughout his career.
ATP Tour Doubles Highlights
Emmrich won three ATP Tour doubles titles, with his most prolific season coming in 2013, the same year he reached his career-high doubles ranking of world No. 35. His tour-level doubles career record stands at 54–61, including runs to the second round of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open across multiple seasons between 2011 and 2014.
Challenger Tour Highlights
On the ATP Challenger Tour, Emmrich was a dominant doubles presence, reaching 23 finals and winning 15 of them. His Challenger success spanned the bulk of his professional years and served as the launching pad for his eventual ATP Tour breakthroughs in the early 2010s.
Martin Emmrich Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Martin Emmrich is the son of Thomas Emmrich, a former German tennis player who competed for East Germany and remains the only player from that country to have ever held an ATP ranking. That direct family connection to the professional game shaped Martin’s early development and reinforced the central role tennis has played across his life and career.
Personal Life
In July 2015, Emmrich married Dutch tennis player Michaëlla Krajicek. The couple later separated in 2018. He has since remarried and is now married to Tamaryn Hendler. He continues to make his home in Solingen, Germany, where he balances his professional pickleball career with his family life.
2025 Season Performance
Martin Emmrich’s 2025 season centers on his continued play on the PPA Tour, where he competes in doubles and mixed doubles events. Building on the racquet-sport instincts refined during his ATP career, he remains a regular presence on tour and continues to pursue results against a growing field of dedicated pickleball professionals. His experience at the highest levels of doubles tennis gives him a foundation that few of his pickleball peers can match.
As the PPA Tour has expanded its calendar and prize money in recent years, Emmrich’s veteran profile and tournament pedigree have positioned him as a recognizable name in the sport’s doubles draws. He continues to pair his left-handed game with varied partners, leaning on his net skills and patience developed over more than a decade of professional tennis. His 2025 schedule reflects the same steady, methodical approach that defined his rise through the ranks of professional doubles tennis.
