Salvadoran Marcelo Arévalo was proclaimed Roland Garros champion in doubles [Video]

Salvadoran tennis player Marcelo Arévalo made history this Saturday by becoming Roland Garros champion in doubles for the second time in his career.

On this occasion Arévalo partnered with the Croatian Mate Pavic.

Together they defeated the Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-5 and 6-3. Arévalo, it should be remembered, had already won the Parisian Grand Slam doubles tournament in 2022 with the Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer.

The victory this Saturday makes him rise from the current No. 13 to No. 7 ATP (Pavic reaches No. 8). In addition, they are champions for the third time this year (also in Geneva and Hong Kong).

Thus Arévalo joined the exclusive list of Latin Americans who have won at least two Grand Slam titles in doubles in the Open Era (since 1968).

It is also made up of: the Mexican Raúl Ramírez (3), the Colombians Robert Farah (2) and Juan Sebastián Cabal (2), and the Ecuadorian Andrés Gómez (2).

Arévalo the triumph to his parents

“I dedicate everything to my parents. In 2022, my first Grand Slam here was immensely special, but when we started seeing flights the day before the final, the flights did not work, leaving El Salvador was not easy, so the decision was made not to come,” Arévalo recalled in dialogue with ESPN Tennis.

“They saw it from home, obviously we won and they were very happy but it was something that stayed with me,” he added, referring to the edition he won with the Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer.

“This year I took advantage of having them come from the beginning, so we are confident that ending up winning the tournament and having them be here all week is something that makes it much more special because they are the ones who have given me everything, the ones who took me to the first tennis class, those who got up early to take me to all the training sessions. We lived 70 kilometers from where the fields were so we could train. It is a huge sacrifice that they made and this is the only payment as a son that I can give them.”

“It is a dream to win a Grand Slam at Roland Garros. I have always said it, not because I have won, but for me Roland Garros is the most difficult tournament to win because there are many situations that arise: the weather changes from one day to the next, they are very long and exhausting matches. “Very happy to repeat the feat of 2022 with a great friend and teammate,” he said to Croatian Mate Pavic.

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