Niels McDonald

Niels McDonald
Country (sports) Germany
ResidenceSchwerin, Germany
Born (2008-01-26) 26 January 2008
Cardiff, Wales
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS $11,820
Singles
Career record0–0 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 1,036 (4 August 2025)
Current rankingNo. 1,063 (9 February 2026)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open Junior1R (2025)
French Open JuniorW (2025)
Wimbledon Junior2R (2025)
US Open Junior1R (2025)
Doubles
Career record0–0 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 874 (9 February 2026)
Current rankingNo. 874 (9 February 2026)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open JuniorQF (2025)
French Open Junior1R (2025)
Wimbledon Junior1R (2025)
US Open JuniorQF (2025)
Last updated on: 9 February 2026.

Niels McDonald (born 26 January 2008) is a German tennis player. He has a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 1,036 achieved on 4 August 2025 and a doubles ranking of No. 874 reached on 9 February 2026.

McDonald won the boys' singles title at the 2025 French Open.[1]

Early life

McDonald was born in Cardiff, Wales to a German mother and a Scottish father.[2][3] He lived near London until the age of four, when his family moved to Schwerin, Germany.[4][5]

Juniors

McDonald had significant results on ITF junior circuit. In May 2024, he won both the singles and doubles titles at the J200 tournament in Hanover.[6][7] The following month, he and compatriot Diego Dedura-Palomero won the doubles title at the J300 tournament in Bamberg.[8] The German also won the singles title and reached the semifinals in doubles at the J200 Babolat Cup in Plzeň.[9]

In January 2025, McDonald and compatriot Jamie Mackenzie reached the boys' doubles quarterfinals of the Australian Open.[10] 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.[11] That March, he and Mackenzie won back-to-back J200 doubles titles in Valencia and Benicarló, Spain.[12]

In June of that season, McDonald won the boys' singles title at the French Open, upsetting top seed Andrés Santamarta Roig in the process and defeating Schönhaus in the final.[13][14] He was the first German boy to win a French Open singles title since Daniel Elsner in 1997, and the first to lift a major jr. title in singles since Alexander Zverev in 2014.[15][16] In September 2025, he defeated Yannick Alexandrescou in the singles final of the U18 European Junior Championships.[17]

He reached an ITF junior combined ranking of world No. 4 on 9 June 2025.[18]

Professional career

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.[19][20]

Personal life

McDonald has dual German and British citizenship.

He currently trains at Good to Great Tennis Academy and plays for Oldenburger TeV in the 2. Tennis-Bundesliga.[21]

Junior Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1 (title)

Result Year Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 2025 French Open Clay Germany Max Schönhaus 6–7(5–7), 6–0, 6–3

References

  1. ^ Sharp, Alex (7 June 2025). "Tagger and McDonald land junior silverware". French Open. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  2. ^ Kayser, Sebastian (6 June 2025). "French Open: Max Schönhaus und Niels McDonald im Junioren-Finale". Bild (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Walsh, Courtney (6 June 2025). "McDonald v Schoenhaus: Roland Garros set for all-German boys' final". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  5. ^ Ehlers, Stefan (6 June 2025). "Schweriner Tennis-Talent Niels McDonald stürmt in Paris ins Finale". Ostsee-Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  6. ^ Becker, Rolf (13 May 2024). "McDonald feiert Doppelsieg in Hannover und hat Grand-Slam-Turnier im Blick". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  7. ^ Becker, Rolf (21 May 2024). "Riesensprung für Niels McDonald in der Junioren-Weltrangliste". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  8. ^ Becker, Rolf (17 June 2024). "McDonald holt sich die nächsten Punkte für die Junioren-Weltrangliste". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  9. ^ Becker, Rolf (2 July 2024). "McDonald jetzt unter den Top 100 der Junioren-Weltrangliste". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  10. ^ Becker, Rolf (4 February 2025). "Erfolgreiche Grand-Slam-Premiere für Niels McDonald in Australien". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  11. ^ Becker, Rolf (9 February 2025). "Nachwuchstalent Niels McDonald gewinnt in München die Doppelkonkurrenz". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  12. ^ Becker, Rolf (19 March 2025). "Niels McDonald eilt in Spanien von Turniersieg zu Turniersieg". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  13. ^ Walsh, Courtney (7 June 2025). "McDonald becomes first German boy this century to win Roland Garros". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Kayser, Sebastian (7 June 2025). "French Junior Open: Niels McDonald triumphiert in Paris". Bild (in German). Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  16. ^ Reinefeld, Lars (8 June 2025). "Erster seit Zverev: Deutscher Junior-Champion in Paris". Volksstimme (in German). Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  17. ^ "TARABA WALLBERG MAKES HISTORY FOR SWEDEN". Tennis Europe. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Niels McDonald Junior Results". www.itftennis.com. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  19. ^ Berndt, Ute (11 July 2024). "Braunschweiger ATP-Viertelfinale wird zum Tag der Routiniers". Braunschweiger Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  20. ^ Gaida, Marleen (14 July 2024). "Braunschweig: Furioses Finale der Brawo Open mit Culcha Candela". Braunschweiger Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  21. ^ Sandin, Carl (29 October 2021). "Interview with tournament director Joe Beaton". Kungens Kanna. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
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