The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has highlighted the top five moments from last season’s Grand Slam tournaments. The year showcased dramatic comebacks, breakout performances, and tense finishes across all four majors, echoing the depth of talent in men’s tennis today.
Ranked fifth is a memorable first-round setback for Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who fell to Thiago Wilde from Brazil at Roland Garros. Wilde continued to the tournament’s third round before being edged out by Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan, marking a pivotal moment in Medvedev’s Grand Slam narrative for the season.
Top five moments as recorded by the ATP:
- In the US Open second round, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece faced Dominik Stricker of Switzerland in a marathon match that stretched into a five-set battle, concluding with Tsitsipas prevailing 5:7, 7:6, 7:6, 6:7, 3:6.
- At the Australian Open second round, Taylor Fritz of the United States met Alexei Popyrin of Australia in another lengthy duel, finishing 7:6, 6:7, 4:6, 7:6, 2:6.
- Roland Garros produced a tense second-round clash as Jannik Sinner of Italy defeated Daniel Altmaier of Germany by narrow margins, 7:6, 6:7, 6:1, 6:7, 5:7.
- In the US Open second round, Kasper Ruud of Norway battled Zhang Zhizhen of China with five intense sets, ending 4:6, 7:5, 2:6, 6:0, 2:6.
Another notable moment at Roland Garros was a five-set thriller featuring Daniil Medvedev from Russia and a challenging up-and-coming player, Tiyagu Seiboth Wild from Brazil (a qualifying entrant). The score progression included two tiebreaks and a hard-fought finale that reflected the volatility and excitement of early Grand Slam rounds.
Looking back at the season, Medvedev reached the finals of ATP events on ten occasions and claimed the title five times. He also qualified for the ATP Finals, advancing to the semifinals where he fell to Italian star Jannik Sinner. The season underlined a recurring rivalry pattern, with Sinner and Medvedev facing off multiple times, including several hard-court battles that underscored Sinner’s hard-court superiority with a trio of final wins on those surfaces.
In the ATP rankings, Medvedev sits third with 7,600 points, identifying him as the leading Russian player. The standings are led by Serbian great Novak Djokovic, who secured the year-end ATP Finals title to cement his dominant position at the summit.
Djokovic, a former world No. 1, was celebrated for his sustained success and consistent performance across the season. His achievements were a reminder of his enduring excellence on the tour and his ability to maintain a high level across major events.