# Ariel Behar

Ariel Behar (Spanish pronunciation:; born November 12, 1989) is a Uruguayan professional tennis player who specializes in doubles. His career-high doubles ranking is World No. 34 achieved on 6 May 2024. He has won three ATP titles with Ecuadorian partner Gonzalo Escobar. He has taken part of the Uruguay Davis Cup team since 2009.

## Personal life

Behar played tennis for the first time at 3 years old and began playing seriously aged 10. Growing up, he admired Roger Federer and Andre Agassi. He is from a Jewish family but is "not a big fan" of religion.

## Professional career
### 2012–2017: ATP and Grand Slam singles debut

Since the mid 2010s till 2017, Behar competed primarily on the ATP Challenger Tour, where he won 7 doubles titles.
Partnering with Aliaksandr Bury, he was a semifinalist at the 2017 Estoril Open.
He entered the main draw at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, his first appearance at a Grand Slam.

### 2018–2022: Three doubles titles, 15 Challenger titles, top 40

Partnering with Ecuadorian Gonzalo Escobar, Behar won two ATP titles at the 2021 Delray Beach Open and the 2021 Andalucía Open and reached three other finals on the ATP tour in 2021 after winning two ATP Challenger Tour titles together in 2020. The pair won a total of eight Challenger titles between 2018 and 2020. Behar entered the top 50 following the final at the 2021 Serbia Open on 26 April 2021. He finished the year 2021 ranked No. 41, a career-high year-end doubles ranking and reached his career-high doubles ranking of No. 39 on 31 January 2022 following the 2022 Australian Open. Also in 2022, he reached a fourth final and won his third ATP 250 title with Escobar at the 2022 Serbia Open defeating top seeds Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić.

### 2023: Wimbledon quarterfinal, two ATP finals, back to top 50

At the 2023 Córdoba Open he reached the quarterfinals with Nicolas Barrientos. At the next Golden swing tournament he reached the final at the 2023 Argentina Open also with Barrientos where they lost to Simone Bolelli/Fabio Fognini.
At the 2023 French Open he won his first round match with new partner Adam Pavlásek over Albert Ramos Viñolas and Bernabe Zapata Miralles. At the 2023 Wimbledon Championships he reached the quarterfinals of a Major for the first time with Adam Pavlásek defeating former Wimbledon champions, ninth seeded pair of Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić before losing to eventual champions Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski. As a result he returned to the top 50 on 17 July 2023.
He reached his tenth ATP final and second of the season with Pavlasek at the 2023 European Open but lost to the Tsitsipas brothers.

### 2024: Australian Open quarterfinal and Madrid final, top 35

At the 2024 Australian Open he made the quarterfinals with Pavlasek. The Uruguayan-Czech team upset fifth seeds Santiago González and Neal Skupski in three sets to advance and face next, first time doubles quarterfinalists newly formed Chinese-Czech duo of Zhang Zhizhen and Tomáš Macháč. As a result he returned the top 40 in the rankings on 29 January 2024.
Ranked No. 39 at the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open, he reached his first Masters final with Pavlasek, defeating tenth seeds Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić, third seeds Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski, 15th seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow and second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos by walkover. As a result he reached the top 35 in the rankings on 6 May 2024. They lost in the final to Sebastian Korda and Jordan Thompson.
Partnering with Robert Galloway, he was runner-up at the Japan Open, losing to British duo, Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, in the final.

## Significant finals
### Masters 1000 Finals
#### Doubles: (1 runner-up)

| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Loss | 2024 | Madrid Open | Clay | Adam Pavlásek | Sebastian Korda Jordan Thompson | 3–6, 6–7$^{(7–9)}$ |

## ATP career finals
### Doubles: 13 (3 titles, 10 runner-ups)

* Legend
* Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
* ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)
* ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–1)
* ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–2)
* ATP World Tour 250 Series (3–7)
* Titles by surface
* Hard (1–4)
* Clay (2–4)
* Grass (0–2)
* Titles by setting
* Outdoor (3–7)
* Indoor (0–2)
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Win | 1–0 | Jan 2021 | Delray Beach Open, United States | 250 Series | Hard | Gonzalo Escobar | Christian Harrison Ryan Harrison | 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, [10–4] |
| Loss | 1–1 | Mar 2021 | Argentina Open, Argentina | 250 Series | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Tomislav Brkić Nikola Ćaćić | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 2–1 | Apr 2021 | Andalucía Open, Spain | 250 Series | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Tomislav Brkić Nikola Ćaćić | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2–2 | Apr 2021 | Serbia Open, Serbia | 250 Series | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Ivan Sabanov Matej Sabanov | 3–6, 6–7$^{(5–7)}$ |
| Loss | 2–3 | Jun 2021 | Stuttgart Open, Germany | 250 Series | Grass | Gonzalo Escobar | Marcelo Demoliner Santiago González | 6–4, 3–6, [8–10] |
| Loss | 2–4 | Jan 2022 | Adelaide International, Australia | 250 Series | Hard | Gonzalo Escobar | Wesley Koolhof Neal Skupski | 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 4–6 |
| Win | 3–4 | Apr 2022 | Serbia Open, Serbia | 250 Series | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Nikola Mektić Mate Pavić | 6–2, 3–6, [10–7] |
| Loss | 3–5 | Jun 2022 | Mallorca Championships, Spain | 250 Series | Grass | Gonzalo Escobar | Rafael Matos David Vega Hernández | 6–7$^{5–7}$, 7–6$^{8–6}$, [1–10] |
| Loss | 3–6 | Feb 2023 | Argentina Open, Argentina | 250 Series | Clay | Nicolás Barrientos | Simone Bolelli Fabio Fognini | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 3–7 | Oct 2023 | European Open, Belgium | 250 Series | Hard (i) | Adam Pavlásek | Petros Tsitsipas Stefanos Tsitsipas | 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 4–6, [8–10] |
| Loss | 3–8 | Apr 2024 | Madrid Open, Spain | Masters 1000 | Clay | Adam Pavlásek | Sebastian Korda Jordan Thompson | 3–6, 6–7$^{(7–9)}$ |
| Loss | 3–9 | Oct 2024 | Japan Open, Japan | 500 Series | Hard | Robert Galloway | Julian Cash Lloyd Glasspool | 4–6, 6–4, [10–12] |
| Loss | 3–10 | Feb 2025 | Dallas Open, United States | 500 Series | Hard (i) | Robert Galloway | Christian Harrison Evan King | 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 6–7$^{(4–7)}$ |

## Challenger and Futures finals
### Doubles: 56 (27–29)

* Legend (doubles)
* ATP Challenger Tour (23–23)
* ITF Futures Tour (4–6)
* Titles by surface
* Hard (6–5)
* Clay (21–24)
* Grass (0–0)
* Carpet (0–0)
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Loss | 0–1 | Oct 2009 | Venezuela F7, Barquisimeto | Futures | Clay | Mauricio Echazú | Francisco Carbajal Eduardo Struvay | 5–7, 6–1, [4–10] |
| Loss | 0–2 | Oct 2009 | Venezuela F8, Caracas | Futures | Hard | Francisco Carbajal | Piero Luisi Román Recarte | 4–6, 6–3, [9–11] |
| Loss | 0–3 | Oct 2009 | Venezuela F9, Caracas | Futures | Hard | Mauricio Echazú | Luis David Martínez Yohny Romero | 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 5–7 |
| Win | 1–3 | Jan 2011 | Brazil F2, Salvador | Futures | Clay | Matteo Volante | José Benítez Daniel Alejandro López Cassaccia | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1–4 | Jan 2011 | Brazil F5, João Pessoa | Futures | Clay | Luis David Martínez | Marcelo Demoliner Morgan Phillips | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 2–4 | Aug 2011 | Ecuador F5, Guayaquil | Futures | Hard | Guido Andreozzi | Alejandro González Felipe Mantilla | 7–6$^{(11–9)}$, 4–6, [10–8] |
| Win | 3–4 | Jan 2012 | Bucaramanga, Colombia | Challenger | Clay | Horacio Zeballos | Miguel Ángel López Jaén Paolo Lorenzi | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$ |
| Loss | 3–5 | Mar 2012 | Salinas, Ecuador | Challenger | Clay | Carlos Salamanca | Martín Alund Horacio Zeballos | 3–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 4–5 | Aug 2012 | Colombia F2, Medellín | Futures | Clay | Duilio Beretta | Nicolás Barrientos Michael Quintero | 2–1 ret. |
| Loss | 4–6 | Oct 2012 | Villa Allende, Argentina | Challenger | Clay | Guillermo Durán | Facundo Bagnis Diego Junqueira | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 4–7 | Nov 2012 | São Leopoldo, Brazil | Challenger | Clay | Horacio Zeballos | Fabiano de Paula Júlio Silva | 1–6, 6–7$^{(5–7)}$ |
| Loss | 4–8 | Jul 2013 | France F12, Bourg-en-Bresse | Futures | Clay | Carlos Poch Gradin | Germain Gigounon Yannik Reuter | 4–6, 6–3, [4–10] |
| Win | 5–8 | Jun 2014 | Košice, Slovakia | Challenger | Clay | Facundo Argüello | Andriej Kapaś Błażej Koniusz | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$ |
| Loss | 5–9 | Dec 2014 | Chile F12, Santiago | Futures | Clay | Gonzalo Lama | Julio Peralta Hans Podlipnik Castillo | 6–7$^{(3–7)}$, 2–6 |
| Win | 6–9 | Jul 2015 | Scheveningen, Netherlands | Challenger | Clay | Eduardo Dischinger | Aslan Karatsev Andrey Kuznetsov | ret. |
| Win | 7–9 | Jul 2015 | Belgium F8, Middelkerke | Futures | Hard | Sander Arends | Sander Gillé Joran Vliegen | 6–7$^{(1–7)}$, 6–4, [10–7] |
| Win | 8–9 | Feb 2016 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Challenger | Clay | Giovanni Lapentti | Jonathan Eysseric Franko Škugor | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Win | 9–9 | Jun 2016 | Poprad-Tatry, Slovakia | Challenger | Clay | Andrey Golubev | Lukáš Dlouhý Andrej Martin | 6–2, 5–7, [10–5] |
| Loss | 9–10 | Aug 2016 | Liberec, Czech Republic | Challenger | Clay | Dino Marcan | Jonathan Eysseric André Ghem | 0–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 9–11 | Sep 2016 | Seville, Spain | Challenger | Clay | Enrique López Pérez | Íñigo Cervantes Huegun Oriol Roca Batalla | 2–6, 5–6 ret. |
| Loss | 9–12 | Oct 2016 | Orléans, France | Challenger | Hard (i) | Andrei Vasilevski | Nikola Mektić Franko Škugor | 2–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 9–13 | Oct 2016 | Lima, Peru | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Lama | Sergio Galdós Leonardo Mayer | 2–6, 6–7$^{(7–9)}$ |
| Win | 10–13 | Nov 2016 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | Challenger | Clay | Fabiano de Paula | Marcelo Arévalo Sergio Galdós | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Loss | 10–14 | Nov 2016 | Bogotá, Colombia | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Marcelo Arévalo Sergio Galdós | 4–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 10–15 | Sep 2017 | Genova, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Guido Andreozzi | Tim Pütz Jan-Lennard Struff | 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 6–7$^{(8–10)}$ |
| Win | 11–15 | Oct 2017 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Challenger | Clay | Fabiano de Paula | Máximo González Fabrício Neis | 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 5–7, [10–8] |
| Loss | 11–16 | Nov 2017 | Montevideo, Uruguay | Challenger | Clay | Fabiano de Paula | Romain Arneodo Fernando Romboli | 6–2, 4–6, [8–10] |
| Win | 12–16 | Mar 2018 | Punta del Este, Uruguay | Challenger | Clay | Facundo Bagnis | Simone Bolelli Alessandro Giannessi | 6–2, 7–6$^{(9–7)}$ |
| Win | 13–16 | Mar 2018 | Marbella, Spain | Challenger | Clay | Guido Andreozzi | Martin Kližan Jozef Kovalík | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 13–17 | Apr 2018 | Alicante, Spain | Challenger | Clay | Guido Andreozzi | Wesley Koolhof Artem Sitak | 3–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 13–18 | Apr 2018 | Barletta, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Máximo González | Denys Molchanov Igor Zelenay | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 13–19 | Apr 2018 | Francavilla, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Máximo González | Julian Ocleppo Andrea Vavassori | 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 6–7$^{(3–7)}$ |
| Loss | 13–20 | May 2018 | Braga, Portugal | Challenger | Clay | Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela | Sander Arends Adil Shamasdin | 2–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 14–20 | Jun 2018 | Vicenza, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Enrique López Pérez | Facundo Bagnis Fabrício Neis | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Win | 15–20 | Sep 2018 | Mallorca, Spain | Challenger | Hard | Enrique López Pérez | Daniel Evans Gerard Granollers Pujol | w/o |
| Loss | 15–21 | Oct 2018 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Challenger | Clay | Roberto Quiroz | Leander Paes Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela | 6–4, 3–6, [5–10] |
| Loss | 15–22 | Oct 2018 | Lima, Peru | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Guido Andreozzi Guillermo Durán | 6–2, 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, [5–10] |
| Loss | 15–23 | Jan 2019 | Playford, Australia | Challenger | Hard | Enrique López Pérez | Max Purcell Luke Saville | 4–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 15–24 | Apr 2019 | San Luis Potosi, Mexico | Challenger | Clay | Roberto Quiroz | Marcelo Arevalo Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela | 6–1, 4–6, [10–12] |
| Win | 16–24 | May 2019 | Jerusalem, Israel | Challenger | Hard | Gonzalo Escobar | Evan King Julian Ocleppo | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$ |
| Loss | 16–25 | Jun 2019 | Parma, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Laurynas Grigelis Andrea Pellegrino | 6–1, 3–6, [7–10] |
| Win | 17–25 | Jul 2019 | Prague, Czech Republic | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Andrey Golubev Aleksandr Nedovyesov | 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 7–5, [10–8] |
| Win | 18–25 | Sep 2019 | Genoa, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Guido Andreozzi Andrés Molteni | 3–6, 6–4, [10–3] |
| Loss | 18–26 | Sep 2019 | Biella, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Andrey Golubev | Tomislav Brkić Ante Pavić | 6–7$^{(2–7)}$, 4–6 |
| Win | 19–26 | Oct 2019 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Orlando Luz Luis David Martínez | 6–7$^{(5–7)}$, 6–4, [12–10] |
| Win | 20–26 | Oct 2019 | Lima, Peru | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Felipe Meligeni Alves Luis David Martínez | 6–2, 2–6, [10–3] |
| Win | 21–26 | Nov 2019 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Thiago Seyboth Wild Pedro Sakamoto | 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$ |
| Loss | 21–27 | Nov 2019 | Houston, USA | Challenger | Hard | Gonzalo Escobar | Jonathan Erlich Santiago González | 3–6, 6–7$^{(4–7)}$ |
| Win | 22–27 | Jan 2020 | Newport Beach, USA | Challenger | Hard | Gonzalo Escobar | Antonio Šančić Tristan-Samuel Weissborn | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Win | 23–27 | Aug 2020 | Todi, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Andrey Golubev | Elliot Benchetrit Hugo Gaston | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 24–27 | Aug 2020 | Trieste, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Andrey Golubev | Tristan Lamasine Hugo Gaston | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 25–27 | Sep 2020 | Cordenons, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Andrey Golubev | Hugo Nys Andrés Molteni | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Loss | 25–28 | Sep 2020 | Aix-en-Provence, France | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Andrés Molteni Hugo Nys | 4–6, 6–7$^{(4–7)}$ |
| Loss | 25–29 | Oct 2020 | Parma, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Gonzalo Escobar | Marcelo Arévalo Tomislav Brkić | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 26–29 | Oct 2020 | Istanbul, Turkey | Challenger | Hard | Gonzalo Escobar | Robert Galloway Nathaniel Lammons | 4–6, 6–3, [10–7] |
| Win | 27–29 | May 2023 | Francavilla al Mare, Italy | Challenger | Clay | Nicolás Barrientos | Sander Arends Petros Tsitsipas | 7–6$^{(7–1)}$, 3–6, [10–6] |

## Best Grand Slam results details
### Doubles

| | Australian Open | Australian Open |
| 2022 Australian Open (15th Seed) |||
| with Gonzalo Escobar |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Tomislav Brkić / Nikola Ćaćić | 6–4, 7–5 |
| 2R | Dominik Koepfer / Jan-Lennard Struff | 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 4–6, 6–2 |
| 3R | Thanasi Kokkinakis / Nick Kyrgios (WC) | 4–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
| | French Open | French Open |
| 2022 French Open |||
| with Gonzalo Escobar |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Francisco Cerúndolo / Federico Coria | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 2R | Lloyd Glasspool / Harri Heliövaara | 4–6, 2–6 |
| | Wimbledon Championships | Wimbledon Championships |
| 2021 Wimbledon |||
| with Gonzalo Escobar |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Hugo Nys / Jonny O'Mara | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–3)}$ |
| 2R | Matthew Ebden / John-Patrick Smith | 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 6–4 |
| 3R | Rajeev Ram / Joe Salisbury (6) | 3–6, 3–6, 6–7$^{(10–12)}$ |
| | US Open | US Open |
| 2022 US Open |||
| with Gonzalo Escobar |||
| Round | Opponents | Score |
| 1R | Albert Ramos Viñolas / Bernabé Zapata Miralles | 6–4, 6–0 |
| 2R | Ivan Dodig / Austin Krajicek (7) | 1–6, 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 7–6$^{(10–5)}$ |
| 3R | Hugo Nys / Jan Zieliński | 1–6, 4–6 |
$^a$ Because of a delay in schedule due to rain, the first two rounds of the competition were played best-of-three sets instead of the usual best-of-five format.

## Wins over top 10 players
### Doubles

* Behar has a 6–12 record against players who were, at the time the match was played, ranked in the top 10.
| Type | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2024 | Total |
| Wins | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| # | Opponents | Rank | Event | Surface | Rd | Score | Partner | ABR |
| 2021 |||||||||
| 1. | Marcelo Melo Horia Tecău | 9 22 | Melbourne, Australia | Hard | QF | 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 6–3 | Gonzalo Escobar | 60 |
| 2. | Marin Čilić Ivan Dodig | 274 9 | Stuttgart, Germany | Grass | SF | 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 1–6, [14–10] | Gonzalo Escobar | 51 |
| 2022 |||||||||
| 3. | Nikola Mektić Mate Pavić | 7 4 | Belgrade, Serbia | Clay | F | 6–2, 3–6, [10–7] | Gonzalo Escobar | 49 |
| 4. | Jamie Murray Michael Venus | 18 9 | Rome, Italy | Clay | 1R | 6–7$^{(2–7)}$, 6–3, [10–5] | Gonzalo Escobar | 49 |
| 5. | Joe Salisbury Rajeev Ram | 1 2 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | 2R | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–3)}$ | Gonzalo Escobar | 46 |
| 2024 |||||||||
| 6. | Neal Skupski Santiago González | 10 11 | AO, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | 3R | 3-6, 7-6 $^{(7–1)}$, 6-4 | Adam Pavlásek | 48 |