From Motocross to ATP Tennis: The Extraordinary Story of Tallon Griekspoor

These days in Turin the ATP Finals are underway. As world No. 30, Tallon Griekspoor is clearly not among the chosen few for the Finals alongside Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and company. However, the Dutch tennis player’s story is one worth telling. Before making his mark with a racket in hand, he was quite the talent at a very young age on a motocross bike.

Tallon comes from a family devoted to tennis. His mother is a long-time coach, while his older twin brothers, Scott and Kevin, were both professional tennis players: the former reached world No. 205, while the latter climbed to No. 655 in the ATP rankings in 2017. The family outlier is his father, who was a motocross rider and passed this passion on to Tallon.

As a child, Griekspoor raced at the junior level in national motocross, understandably one of the most popular sports in the Netherlands. As the years went by, he decided to give it a try with a racket, turning professional in 2015 at the age of 19. Three years ago he reached a career-high of No. 21 in the ATP rankings, while in 2025 he stood out by reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros.

With a silver medal in the Davis Cup representing the Netherlands, earned last year, Tallon Griekspoor remains a motocross enthusiast. His idols? Clearly his compatriots Max Verstappen and, given his motocross roots, Jeffrey Herlings. "I can’t say I like motorsport more than tennis," the Dutchman admitted. "I certainly like it just as much as tennis. Riders work hard; they prepare meticulously, including from a physical and athletic standpoint. The feeling you get from going that fast is priceless," Griekspoor reaffirmed.