Illya Marchenko was born September 8, 1987 in Dniprodzerzhynsk, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine. Marchenko turned professional in 2005 and had been playing at the Futures and Challengers level from 2005-2008. His career high in singles is #67 (July 19, 2010). Marchenko has not won a singles or doubles title on the ATP World Tour, to date. He has, however, won Futures titles and a Challenger title.
He is noted for his backhand, which he cites as his best shot. His favorite surface is hard courts.