GSDF recipient Dellien flying flag for Bolivia

With the dust long since settled on his second-round exit at Roland Garros, where he took a set from rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas, Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien has a holistic stance on his tournament experience. 

“I feel very happy because Bolivian tennis needs a player in the Top 100 who can compete against the best in the world,” he said.

“We need players who can come to tournaments like this and play a good match against the best. Hopefully the people who support tennis in Bolivia can also make the most of it.”

Dellien did more than just compete: he made history. By defeating India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran in the first round, the 25-year-old became the first Bolivian since Mario Martinez at 1984 Roland Garros to win a Grand Slam match.

The right-hander seemingly has a penchant for raising the bar. In July 2018, Dellien became the first Bolivian since Martinez to break into the Top 100, and currently occupies the world No. 86 slot.

Earlier this year, he assumed the status of the first player from his nation since, inevitably, Martinez to win a tour-level match as he made his way to the quarter-final at ATP Rio De Janeiro-500. Two further tour-level quarter-final finishes followed.

It has been quite a resurgence for Dellien, who three years ago briefly walked away from tennis after returning home to Bolivia to train only to find little in the way of support. His hunger returned, however, and he is now thriving.

Allied to this rejuvenation is the financial assistance he received in January 2018 through the International Player Grand Slam Grants, which are financed by the Grand Slam Development Fund.

Dellien was one of six players – along with Darian King, Daniela Seguel, Chanel Simmonds, Abigail Tere-Apisah and Renata Zarazua – to be handed a $12,500 grant by virtue of being the highest-ranked player in his region.

“It really helped me a lot because it came at a time when I didn’t have a lot of support in Bolivia,” said Dellien. “It was a really important moment in my career and it was during the first year after my return to the game.

“It helped me a lot to be able to plan with my coach, which was really important and not something I was able to do previously. I was able to make the most of travelling with my coach and start doing things more professionally.

“It served as a springboard, allowing me to jump quickly to compete at ITF Futures events and also go to Challengers. That year I made it to the Top 100 and that support is very much appreciated.”

Now hopefully back in tennis for the long haul, Dellien has reassessed his goals and plans to make an even greater impact on the world rankings to ensure showdowns with the likes of Tsitsipas are the rule and not the exception.

“I am proud to fulfil my dream; I have always dreamt about being in the world’s Top 100 but now I want to get as close as possible to the Top 50,” said Dellien.

“Achieving Top 100 so quickly after a difficult year in my life gives me a lot of satisfaction and makes me realise that all the sacrifices have been worth it.

“This year has been good in terms of tournaments and wins and I have enjoyed it a lot, although perhaps the achievement I have most pride in is that all of Bolivia is being represented.”