Niels McDonald
| Country (sports) |  Germany |
|---|---|
| Residence | Schwerin, Germany |
| Born | 26 January 2008 Cardiff, Wales |
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US $1,199 |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open Junior | 1R (2025) |
| French Open Junior | W (2025) |
| US Open Junior | Q1 (2024) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open Junior | QF (2025) |
| French Open Junior | 1R (2025) |
| Last updated on: 26 May 2025. | |
Niels McDonald (born 26 January 2008) is a German tennis player. He has a career-high ITF junior combined ranking of No. 4, achieved on 9 June 2025. He won the boys' singles title at the 2025 French Open.[1]
Early life
[edit]
McDonald was born in Cardiff to a German mother and a Scottish father; he himself has dual German and British citizenship.[2][3] He lived near London until the age of four, when his family moved to Schwerin, Germany.[4][5] He trains at Good to Great Tennis Academy and plays for Oldenburger TeV in the 2. Tennis-Bundesliga.[2][6]
Junior career
[edit]
In May 2024, McDonald won both the singles and doubles titles at the J200 tournament in Hanover.[7][8] The following month, he and compatriot Diego Dedura-Palomero won the doubles title at the J300 tournament in Bamberg.[9] He also won the singles title and reached the semifinals in doubles at the J200 Babolat Cup in Plzeň.[10] That September, he attempted to make his Junior Grand Slam debut at the US Open, but retired during his first-round singles qualifying match against Rethin Pranav Senthil Kumar.[11][12]
In January 2025, he and compatriot Jamie Mackenzie reached the boys' doubles quarterfinals of the Australian Open.[13] The following month, at the J200 Bavarian Junior Winter Championships in Oberhaching, he reached the quarterfinals in singles and won the doubles title with compatriot Max Schönhaus.[14] That March, he and Mackenzie won back-to-back J200 doubles titles in Valencia and Benicarló.[15] In June, he won the boys' singles title at the French Open, upsetting top seed Andrés Santamarta Roig in the process and defeating Schönhaus in the final.[16][17] He was the first German to win the boys' singles title at the French Open since Daniel Elsner in 1997, and the first to win the boys' singles title at any major since Alexander Zverev in 2014.[18][19]
Professional career
[edit]In July 2024, McDonald made his ATP Challenger Tour debut with a wildcard into the doubles main draw of the Brawo Open, partnering compatriot Nicola Kuhn; they reached the quarterfinals.[20][21]
Junior Grand Slam finals
[edit]Singles: 1 (1 title)
[edit]| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2025 | French Open | Clay | Max Schönhaus
|
6–7(5), 6–0, 6–3 |
References
[edit]- ^ Sharp, Alex (7 June 2025). "Tagger and McDonald land junior silverware". Roland-Garros. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ a b Kayser, Sebastian (6 June 2025). "French Open: Max Schönhaus und Niels McDonald im Junioren-Finale". Bild (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ Rilke, Lukas (6 June 2025). "Max Schönhaus und Niels McDonald bei den French Open: Zusammen in der Eistonne, gegeneinander im Finale". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ Walsh, Courtney (6 June 2025). "McDonald v Schoenhaus: Roland Garros set for all-German boys' final". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Ehlers, Stefan (6 June 2025). "Schweriner Tennis-Talent Niels McDonald stürmt in Paris ins Finale". Ostsee-Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ Sandin, Carl (29 October 2021). "Interview with tournament director Joe Beaton". Kungens Kanna. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ^ Becker, Rolf (13 May 2024). "McDonald feiert Doppelsieg in Hannover und hat Grand-Slam-Turnier im Blick". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Becker, Rolf (21 May 2024). "Riesensprung für Niels McDonald in der Junioren-Weltrangliste". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Becker, Rolf (17 June 2024). "McDonald holt sich die nächsten Punkte für die Junioren-Weltrangliste". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Becker, Rolf (2 July 2024). "McDonald jetzt unter den Top 100 der Junioren-Weltrangliste". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Taken, Hans-Georg (26 August 2024). "Juniorspieler Niels McDonald ist bei den US Open am Start". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Becker, Rolf (3 September 2024). "Bittere Pille für Junior-Spieler Niels McDonald bei den US Open". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Becker, Rolf (4 February 2025). "Erfolgreiche Grand-Slam-Premiere für Niels McDonald in Australien". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Becker, Rolf (9 February 2025). "Nachwuchstalent Niels McDonald gewinnt in München die Doppelkonkurrenz". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Becker, Rolf (19 March 2025). "Niels McDonald eilt in Spanien von Turniersieg zu Turniersieg". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Walsh, Courtney (7 June 2025). "McDonald becomes first German boy this century to win Roland Garros". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ Breuer, Fabian (7 June 2025). "Niels McDonald schafft das Comeback gegen Max Schönhaus und gewinnt French Open der Junioren". Olympics (in German). Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Kayser, Sebastian (7 June 2025). "French Junior Open: Niels McDonald triumphiert in Paris". Bild (in German). Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Reinefeld, Lars (8 June 2025). "Erster seit Zverev: Deutscher Junior-Champion in Paris". Volksstimme (in German). Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ Berndt, Ute (11 July 2024). "Braunschweiger ATP-Viertelfinale wird zum Tag der Routiniers". Braunschweiger Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Gaida, Marleen (14 July 2024). "Braunschweig: Furioses Finale der Brawo Open mit Culcha Candela". Braunschweiger Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
