Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau were named the 2015 ITF Men’s Doubles World Champions. The Dutch-Romanian duo finished as the world’s top doubles team last year thanks to their brilliant finish to the season, going 5-0 at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Brilliant 2015

2015 was a year to remember for the Dutch-Romanian duo. Last year, the went 48-21, moving up five spots in the doubles rankings from six to one to end their respective season. The duo captured their first Grand Slam title together last year with a Wimbledon title over home favorite Jamie Murray and his former partner, John Peers. They also finished a remarkable 5-0 in the ATP World Tour Finals to clinch the world number one team ranking

Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of France lift the trophy following their victory during the men's doubles final against Rohan Bopanna of India and Florin Mergea of Romania on day eight of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena on November 22, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of France lift the trophy following their victory during the men's doubles final against Rohan Bopanna of India and Florin Mergea of Romania on day eight of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena on November 22, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Not so Hot in 2016

Coming off the hot finish in 2016, the team has struggled to get it going so far since the turn of the year. The team crashed out earlier than they expected in both Brisbane and Sydney, leaving them in a bit of a pickle headed to Melbourne. The team got all the way to the quarterfinals but crashed out to the all-French team of Adrian Mannarino and Lucas Pouille.

The team continued during the run of Masters 1000s in the spring, falling in their first or second match in every event. Their best result at this point were two semifinal showings, one in Brisbane and the other in Rotterdam. The team finally won their first title of the year at the Mutua Madrid Open. The duo crashed out in the second round of the French Open, compounding on their disastrous start to the season so far.

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About the author
Noel John Alberto
Filipino-American sports journalist from Toms River, NJ. UMBC Graduate and aspiring physical therapist. Tennis editor and multi-sport coordinator for VAVEL USA. Writer for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Serie A sections of VAVEL UK. Sports aficionado. Host of the On The Line tennis podcast.