Julien Benneteau was born on December 20th, 1981 in Bourg en Bresse, France. He began playing at the age of four and turned pro in 2000. He made his debut on the ATP Tour in 2001 when he qualified for Lyon. The following year he played in his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

In 2004 he entered the top 100 of the world rankings for the first time winning 14 matches on the ATP Tour. He also progressed to the third round of the French Open. Then in 2006 in the same tournament he played some superb tennis to reach the Quarter Finals.