Athens, August 2004
Eighteen and unseeded
In the second round of the Olympic tournament the unseeded 18-year-old beat Roger Federer, the world No. 1 and Wimbledon champion, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.
Source: Radio PragueThe 21st century
Tomáš Berdych
Czech Republic · born Valašské Meziříčí, 1985 · right-handed · Halle champion in 2007 and Wimbledon finalist in 2010
All playersBack to the rankings
2010
Wimbledon final, the first by a Czech man since Ivan Lendl in 1987
3
Wimbledon semi-finals: 2010, 2016 and 2017
42-15
Wimbledon singles record, 2004 to 2019
4
Career-high ranking, May 2015
13
ATP singles titles
Playing career
Tomáš Berdych was born in Valašské Meziříčí, Moravia, in 1985 and started playing at five. He turned professional in 2002 and announced himself at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where at 18 and unseeded he beat the world No. 1, Roger Federer. A year later, ranked 50, he won the Paris Masters.
His best years came from 2010, when he reached the French Open semi-finals and the Wimbledon final. He finished seven straight seasons in the top 10, from 2010 to 2016, reached a career high of No. 4 in May 2015 and won 13 singles titles, but no major. With Radek Štěpánek he led the Czech Republic to the Davis Cup in 2012 and 2013. A back injury from June 2018 ended his career; he confirmed his retirement in November 2019, at 34, and was later appointed Czech Davis Cup captain.
On grass
| Halle finals | 2006: lost to Roger Federer 6-0, 6-7, 6-2. 2007: beat Marcos Baghdatis 7-5, 6-4 in 80 minutes as fourth seed, without dropping a set all week, for his first grass title |
|---|---|
| Wimbledon 2010 | Quarter-final: beat Federer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, ending his run of seven straight Wimbledon finals. Semi-final: beat Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-6, 6-3; Djokovic saved four set points in a row in the second-set tiebreak, which Berdych won 11-9. Final: lost to Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 |
| Wimbledon semi-finals | 2016: lost to Andy Murray 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. 2017: lost to Federer 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 |
| Late finish | His 2014 third-round defeat by Marin Čilić, 7-6, 6-4, 7-6, ended at 9.39pm on No.3 Court after a transfer from No.1 Court, one of the latest finishes recorded away from Centre Court |
Every grass title: 1
Show every title, tournament by tournament
| Halle | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Men's singles | |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. † single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"Wimbledon is the tough one. It's definitely the biggest tournament for me. It couldn't be better."
Anecdotes
The person behind the player.
Halle, June 2007
Spoiling a birthday
Federer, the champion of the previous four years and Berdych's conqueror in the 2006 final, withdrew citing fatigue. Berdych met Marcos Baghdatis in the final on Baghdatis's 22nd birthday and beat him in straight sets for his first grass-court title.
Source: Reuters via China DailyWimbledon, July 2010
The toughest game
After beating Federer he said serving it out had been the toughest game of his career. His parents then flew in from the Czech Republic for the semi-final against Djokovic, which he won in straight sets.
Source: RTÉ2010
The hockey fan
Tennis.com's year-end review described the 6 ft 5 in Czech, a hockey fan, as a player with a "sledgehammer serve and slap-shot forehand". He finished 2010 at a career-high No. 6.
Source: Tennis.comLondon, November 2019
Farewell with Baghdatis
He said goodbye at a ceremony at the ATP Finals at the O2 Arena on 16 November 2019, alongside other retiring players, among them David Ferrer and Marcos Baghdatis, the man he had beaten for the Halle title twelve years earlier.
Source: Tennis.comMonaco, after 2019
At peace
Looking back on an era of four great champions, he said they had got the maximum out of him. "I ended up with zero Slams, but it's all right; I'm at peace with myself."
Source: Tennis MajorsJoin Grass Tennis Club
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Where they won on grass
- Gerry Weber Stadion, Halle
- Find a grass court near you
Rivals and partners
- Roger Federer
- Rafael Nadal
- Novak Djokovic
- Andy Murray
- Marcos Baghdatis
- Tommy Haas
On Grass Tennis Club
Elsewhere online
Sources
- Tomas Berdych, ATP Tour player data
- Wimbledon Compendium 2025, AELTC
- Wimbledon 2016 gentlemen's singles draw, AELTC
- "Berdych too strong for birthday boy Baghdatis", Reuters via China Daily, 18 June 2007
- "Federer stunned by Berdych", RTÉ, 30 June 2010
- "Berdych into Wimbledon final", RTÉ, 2 July 2010
- "The Last Word: ATP No. 6, Tomas Berdych", Tennis.com, December 2010
- "Federer outclasses Berdych to reach Wimbledon final", The Week, July 2017
- "Berdych win brightens disappointing day", Radio Prague, August 2004
- "Berdych calls time on professional career", ITF, 16 November 2019
- "2019 retirees send Berdych off in style at ATP Finals", Tennis.com
- "The Big 4 managed to get the maximum out of me", Tennis Majors
- Halle Open, Wikipedia
- Tomáš Berdych, Wikipedia
- GTC roll of grass champions, checked against a second source where one exists
Page updated 4 November 2026. Spotted an error? Send a correction.
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