A striking statistic has caught the attention of tennis insiders and fans alike: eight players currently ranked in the ATP top 50 have never claimed a title in their professional careers. Despite their impressive rankings, these athletes have yet to experience the thrill of lifting a trophy after a successful tournament.
Leading this group is Tomas Machac, who achieved a career-high ranking following a strong performance in 2024. The Czech player reached the semifinals at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, notably defeating Carlos Alcaraz before losing to Jannik Sinner. Machac also made it to the fourth round at the US Open, further solidifying his standing.
Other notable players in this category include Matteo Arnaldi, a semifinalist at the Canadian Open ATP Masters 1000, and Flabio Cobolli, who finished as a runner-up in Washington against Sebastian Korda. Additionally, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, currently ranked 39th, made headlines with a surprising performance against the world number one in China and aims to secure his first title next season.
Young American Alex Michelsen, ranked 42nd, is another player seeking his breakthrough after reaching two finals without a win in 2024. Similarly, Zhizhen Zhang from China is among the top 50 players yet to secure a title, despite showing promising form on the tour. Rounding out this list are Argentine Mariano Navone, who made a splash on clay last year, and Czech talent Jacub Mensik, who is a player to watch closely.
Mensik recently achieved his fourth victory of the year against top 10 players, including two wins over Grigor Dimitrov and two against Andrey Rublev in Doha and Shanghai. He has become only the sixth player under 21 since 2000 to record multiple consecutive victories against top 10 opponents, joining the ranks of tennis greats such as Lleyton Hewitt, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz, and Holger Rune.
As the 2025 season approaches, all these players will be aiming to capture their first major circuit title while maintaining their positions within the ATP rankings.
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