Not a Typo: Albert Ramos-Vinolas drops 21st consecutive doubles match

With his final showing in Monte Carlo this past weekend, Albert Ramos-Vinolas is into the Top 20 in singles for the first time, ranked a career-high No. 19. He’s gone 19-12 in singles and reached two finals. This past week in Monaco, he defeated Andy Murray, Marin Cilic and Lucas Pouille to reach the title match. The 10th seed in Barcelona, he’ll play 18-year-old qualifier Casper Ruud in his opener.

Doubles? That’s a different story. On Tuesday in Barcelona, the 29-year-old lost his 21st consecutive doubles match. Yes, you read that right. Twenty-one.

Ramos-Vinolas and his partner, Spaniard Jaume Munar, lost to Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round.

He’s dropped 10 doubles matches to begin 2017, and lost 11 in a row to end 2016. His last doubles victory came in April of 2016, in Marrakech, and it didn’t come easily. In that round of 16 battle, Ramos-Vinolas and Jiri Vesely defeated Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3), 16-14.

During his 21-match losing streak, the lefty has won just three sets. He’s had 16 partners over that span.

Ramos-Vinolas nearly snapped his streak twice earlier this year. In his first doubles match of 2017, in Auckland, he and Vesely fell 6-3, 6-7 (5), 10-7 to Facundo Bagnis and Diego Schwartzman.

Then, in late February, Ramos-Vinolas was on the wrong end of yet another heartbreaker. In his opener in Sao Paulo, the veteran and partner Alessandro Giannessi blew a rare lead, 2-6, 6-3, 10-7, to Sergio Galdos and Hans Podlipnik-Castillo.

For his career, Ramos-Vinolas owns a 14-79 doubles record.