Ellen Perez Bio
Ellen Perez is an Australian professional tennis player born on 10 October 1995 in Shellharbour, New South Wales. She has built her reputation primarily as a doubles specialist, reaching a career-high doubles ranking of No. 7 in April 2024, while also posting a career-high singles ranking of No. 162 in August 2019. Across her career, she has won eight doubles titles on the WTA Tour, three doubles titles on the WTA Challenger Tour, and 19 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit, along with two singles titles at the ITF level.
Standing at 169 cm and based in Melbourne, Australia, Ellen Perez represents the next generation of Australian tennis talent. She has competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments and at the Olympic Games, reaching the women’s doubles quarterfinals at Tokyo 2020 and a Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open in 2022.
Early Life and Background
Ellen Perez was raised in Shellharbour, a coastal city in New South Wales. She is the daughter of John Perez and Milića Perez, and she carries a rich cultural background: Spanish heritage from her father’s side and Macedonian heritage from her mother’s side. Growing up in a sporting household helped shape her competitive drive from an early age.
Perez first picked up a tennis racket at the age of three after receiving a totem tennis pole as a Christmas gift. She began regular coaching at the age of seven and quickly showed promise in junior tennis. In 2012, she captured the Gallipoli Youth Cup held in Ipswich, Queensland, a victory that signaled her arrival on the national junior scene.
Path to Professional Tennis
After her junior success, Ellen Perez made her debut on the ITF Women’s Circuit in March 2012 in Bundaberg, where she lost in three sets to Jennifer Elie. By September 2013, she had recorded her first main-draw singles win in Toowoomba, and in December of that year she lifted her first ITF doubles title in Hong Kong alongside Abbie Myers.
In 2014, Perez reached the quarterfinals at the Burnie International and in Melbourne before heading to the United States to play three seasons of college tennis at the University of Georgia from 2014 to 2017. During her college career, she was named an All-American five times across singles and doubles, gaining experience that prepared her for the WTA Tour.
Ellen Perez Career
Early Career (2015–2018)
Perez returned to competitive tennis in 2015, qualifying for events in Bethany Beach and Charlotte, where she reached the doubles final in both. In July 2016, she qualified for and won her first singles ITF title in Brussels without dropping a set, and she also won four doubles titles in five weeks. Later that year, she won the Australian Wildcard Play-off to make her major singles debut at the US Open, where she lost to Zhang Shuai in straight sets.
The 2017 and 2018 seasons marked her first WTA Tour match win. In January 2018, she received a wildcard into the Sydney International and upset world No. 11 Kristina Mladenovic in the first round, earning her maiden WTA Tour victory when Mladenovic retired at 4–6, 2–4. She went on to lose to Ashleigh Barty in the second round.
WTA Tour Breakthrough (2019–2021)
Perez commenced 2021 retiring in the first round of the Grampians Trophy, but she quickly turned her season around. In March, she won the Abierto Zapopan in doubles with Astra Sharma, capturing her second WTA Tour title. Later that year, she qualified for Wimbledon, though she lost in the first round to Clara Burel.
In July 2021, Perez partnered Australian great Samantha Stosur in women’s doubles at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where the pair reached the quarterfinals. She then won her third WTA Tour title at the 2021 Tenerife Ladies Open with Ulrikke Eikeri, closing the year with a singles ranking of 196 and a doubles ranking of 42.
Major Tournament Success (2022)
The 2022 season was the breakthrough year of Ellen Perez’s career. She reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon without having previously won a match at the Championships, then advanced to back-to-back WTA 1000 finals at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open with Nicole Melichar.
At the US Open, Perez and Melichar reached the semifinals for the first time, the deepest run of her career at a Grand Slam. They fell to the third-seeded Czech duo of Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková. By the end of the year, Perez had climbed into the top 30 in doubles.
WTA Finals Era (2023–2025)
At the 2023 French Open, Perez and Nicole Melichar-Martinez reached the quarterfinals, becoming the 21st Australian woman to advance to a Roland Garros semifinal in doubles in the Open Era. Later in 2023, they qualified for the WTA Finals and reached the championship match, losing to Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva.
The pair continued their success in 2024, reaching the final at the Dubai Tennis Championships and winning the Bad Homburg Open as top seeds. They qualified again for the 2024 WTA Finals and reached the semifinals. In 2025, Perez partnered Jelena Ostapenko to win the Abu Dhabi title, returning to the top 10 in doubles on 10 February 2025.
Playing Style and Strengths
Ellen Perez is widely regarded as a tactically sharp doubles player with excellent court coverage and strong net instincts. Her game is built on consistent returning, reliable volleys, and the ability to read patterns developed over years of high-level doubles competition with partners such as Nicole Melichar-Martinez, Samantha Stosur, and Astra Sharma.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Ellen Perez’s signature achievements are her 2022 US Open semifinal run, her 2021 Olympic quarterfinal with Samantha Stosur, and her appearance in the 2023 WTA Finals championship match. She is also one of only 21 Australian women to reach a Roland Garros doubles semifinal in the Open Era.
Ellen Perez Career Wins
Ellen Perez has compiled an impressive collection of doubles titles throughout her career, with eight WTA Tour doubles titles, three WTA Challenger doubles titles, and 19 ITF Circuit doubles titles to her name. She has also captured two ITF singles titles and reached numerous finals across all three circuits.
WTA Tour Highlights
Perez’s first WTA Tour title came in 2021, and she has since added several more, including wins at the Abierto Zapopan and the Tenerife Ladies Open. Her partnership with Nicole Melichar-Martinez produced multiple deep runs at Grand Slams and WTA 1000 events, including finals at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open in 2022.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the WTA Tour, Perez has won 19 doubles titles and two singles titles on the ITF Circuit, along with three doubles titles at the WTA Challenger level. Her 2012 Gallipoli Youth Cup win marked her earliest recorded title in organized competition.
| Circuit | Titles |
|---|---|
| WTA Tour (Doubles) | 8 |
| WTA Challenger Tour (Doubles) | 3 |
| ITF Circuit (Doubles) | 19 |
| ITF Circuit (Singles) | 2 |
Ellen Perez Family
Family Background and Heritage
Ellen Perez is the daughter of John Perez and Milića Perez. Through her father, she has Spanish heritage, and through her mother, she has Macedonian heritage. This multicultural background has been a part of her identity throughout her upbringing in Shellharbour, New South Wales.
Personal Life
Ellen Perez currently resides in Melbourne, Australia. She began playing tennis at age three after receiving a totem tennis pole as a Christmas gift, and she started regular coaching at age seven. Her parents have been a steady influence on her career.
2025 Season Performance
Ellen Perez began the 2025 season strongly by winning the Abu Dhabi doubles title with Jelena Ostapenko during the Middle East swing. The victory returned her to the top 10 in the doubles rankings on 10 February 2025, capping a productive start to the year.
With her established partnership alongside Nicole Melichar-Martinez and her proven ability to perform at WTA 1000 events and Grand Slams, Perez is positioned to make deeper runs at the majors in 2025. Her combination of tactical sharpness and big-match experience makes her a consistent threat in the doubles draw.