Ilya Marchenko brings YouTube show to Los Cabos

YouTube superstar/noted LOLer Ilya Marchenko took time away from his pro tennis day job to interview his fellow players around the grounds of the Mifel Open in Los Cabos.

The self-deprecating Ukrainian was overjoyed to play his third ATP main draw of the season, attributing his direct acceptance to the slew of players participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“To play the main draw of an ATP event is completely different as compared to Challengers,” explains Marchenko, who was ranked as high as No. 49 back in 2016. “You get more money, more points, and on top of that, more hospitality in general.”

Marchenko has combined his vast knowledge of internet humor with a frank delivery to build one of the most impressive YouTube channels in tennis—though the 33-year-old himself may note the lack of competition—amassing over 80 videos in the last 14 months.

In this latest video diary, he chats with a number of his so-called fellow journeymen, including Evgeny Donskoy, Denis Kudla, and Mackenzie McDonald, and jokingly proposes a petition for the ATP to acknowledge the lack of star power at the 250-level event.

“I’ll make my own petition where we should get even more prize money for the first round,” counters Sebastian Ofner, “and even more points!”

Marchenko ended up scoring his first ATP main-draw win since before the global pandemic in Los Cabos, bowing out in the round of 16 after pushing No. 3 seed Taylor Fritz to three sets.