Mirnyi Joins Elite Company With Milestone Win In Shenzhen

In his 22^nd season on tour, Belarusian Max Mirnyi is still celebrating career milestones. On Tuesday, the 40-year-old ATP World Tour legend became the fourth active player in the Open Era (since April 1968) to record 750 doubles match wins.

Mirnyi partnered with Philipp Oswald of Austria to beat Chinese wild cards Mao-Xin Gong and Ze Zhang 7-6(5), 6-1 and advance to the second round of the Shenzhen Open.

“I am thrilled that I have come to this stage of my career. It is something that I couldn’t have imagined at the beginning of the road,” said Mirnyi, who turned professional in 1996. “Just playing on the ATP World Tour was already a dream come true and I am so glad that this dream for me still lives on. I want to take this opportunity to thank my family, my coaches and every one of my doubles partners who helped me achieve this feat.”

Open Era Doubles Match Wins List

Mirnyi, who earned the nickname “The Beast” years ago for his 6’5” stature and fearless play, has had success with a number of partners throughout his career.

In 2004, he won three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles with Mahesh Bhupathi and one with a certain Swiss player by the name of Roger Federer. Three years later, Mirnyi partnered with Jonas Bjorkman, who now coaches Croatian Marin Cilic, and captured seven titles, including three Masters 1000 crowns, the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals and Roland Garros.

Just last year, Mirnyi and Treat Huey of the Philippines won the Acapulco doubles title and qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in London, the 10^th time Mirnyi has competed at the prestigious event. For his career, the right-hander has won 49 tour-level doubles titles, including 16 Masters 1000 crowns and six Grand Slam titles, with 18 different partners.