Andrei Dăescu (born 28 February 1988) is a former Romanian professional tennis player who now competes as a professional pickleball player. During his tennis career, he competed on both the ITF Men's Circuit and ATP Tour, representing Romania in the Davis Cup competition. A notable highlight of his career was qualifying for the 2015 US Open. Dăescu achieved a career-high ATP ranking of No. 126 in doubles and No. 654 in singles.
He was coached by Silviu Tănăsoiu and John Roddick, and he is an alumnus of the University of Oklahoma.
Career finals Doubles finals: 3 (1–2)
LegendGrand Slam tournaments (0–0)ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (0–0)ATP World Tour 500 Series (0–0)ATP World Tour 250 Series (0–0)ATP Challenger Tour (1–2)Titles by surfaceHard (0–0)Grass (0–0)Clay (1–2)Carpet (0–0)
OutcomeNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponents in the finalScoreRunner-up1.21 April 2012Rome, ItalyClay Florin Mergea Dustin Brown Jonathan Marray4–6, 6–7(0–7)Runner-up2.14 July 2012Timișoara, RomaniaClay Florin Mergea Goran Tošić Denis Zivkovic2–6, 5–7Winner3.29 July 2012Oberstaufen, GermanyClay Florin Mergea Andrey Kuznetsov Jose Rubin Statham7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–1)
Davis Cup Singles performances (0–1) EditionRoundDateAgainstSurfaceOpponentWin/LoseResult2012 Europe/Africa Zone Group I2R6–8 April 2012 NetherlandsHard (i) Robin HaaseLose3–6, 3–6, 4–6
Doubles performances (0–1) EditionRoundDatePartnerAgainstSurfaceOpponentsWin/LoseResult2012 Europe/Africa Zone Group I2R6–8 April 2012 Florin Mergea NetherlandsHard (i) Jean-Julien Rojer Igor SijslingLose3–6, 63–77, 77–63, 6–3, 7–9
Pickleball Career Dăescu transitioned to pickleball in 2017, quickly excelling in the sport. He began his professional career with the Association of Pickleball Players (APP), where he won a total of 24 gold medals and in 2022 achieved the #1 ranking in both men's doubles and mixed doubles divisions. He also won the 2023 US Open title in men's doubles.
He later expanded his career to include playing in both the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP). With the Orlando Squeeze, he secured his first MLP championship title in Atlanta. After a season with the Arizona Drive, he now plays for the Columbus Sliders. He won the 2025 MLP championship with the Sliders, his second MLP title. On the PPA tour, he has accumulated six gold medals in men's doubles and one in mixed doubles — most recently a men's doubles gold medal at the 2025 PPA Mesa Open in a 5 set thriller vs Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio. As of June 1, 2026, he ranks #4 in men's doubles and #5 in men's mixed doubles on the PPA tour.
Sponsors Dăescu's sponsors include CRBN Pickleball and Mizuno. He currently uses the CRBN Barrage paddle.
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