Better of 2025
#NextGenATP stars Tien & Fonseca spring greatest Grand Slam upsets of 2025
Gigante, Collignon, Rinderknech additionally characteristic in High 5 checklist
November 30, 2025
Daniel Pockett/Getty Pictures
Learner Tien defeats Daniil Medvedev in 5 units on the Australian Open.
By Jerome Coombe
To mark the tip of one other thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual ‘Best Of’ series, which is able to mirror on essentially the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and extra. Immediately we spotlight 5 standout Grand Slam comebacks from this season.
Taking down a high participant is one factor, however doing it on their favorite floor, in entrance of a packed crowd — and even in your first Grand Slam match — is one thing else.
From rising youngsters dismantling high seeds to qualifiers defying the percentages on the game’s grandest levels, the 2025 majors delivered drama few might have scripted. As a part of our annual season-in-review sequence, ATPTour.com counts down the 5 most sudden Grand Slam upsets of the 12 months.
5) Roland Garros R2: Gigante d. Tsitsipas 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
Stefanos Tsitsipas had turned Roland Garros into considered one of his happiest looking grounds, till Matteo Gigante kicked the doorways down.
Few anticipated the Italian qualifier, at No. 167 within the PIF ATP Rankings, to bother one of many clay-court elite. However Gigante, taking part in with the verve and fireplace of somebody who had nothing to lose, unleashed his explosive lefty forehand to topple the 2021 finalist in 4 units. It was a loss that minimize deep for Tsitsipas.
For the primary time since 2018, the previous World No. 2 and Nitto ATP Finals champion fell exterior the High 20, and his season was later derailed by a again damage that restricted him to simply 4 extra wins. Gigante’s run to the third spherical was a defining second, and the Italian has since risen to a career-high World No. 125 as he continues his bid for a High 100 berth.
Matteo Gigante” fashion=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2025/11/18/14/09/gigante-roland-garros-2025-upsets.jpg?w=100percent25″>Matteo Gigante earns his first High 20 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas at Roland Garros. Picture: Adam Fairly/Getty Pictures.
4) US Open R2: Collignon d. Ruud 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
For Raphael Collignon, New York turned town the place promise met proof.
A damaged thumb had disrupted his goal of gaining direct entry to Roland Garros, and till the US Open, he had by no means received a main-draw match at a serious. However, after downing Daniel Elahi Galan in his opener, Collignon then produced the efficiency of his life to prevail towards the 2022 finalist Casper Ruud after three hours and 28 minutes.
“I believe it’s one of the best day of my life,” mentioned Collignon. “It was not straightforward as a result of Casper is a good champion. I used to be so scared in the beginning, however I discovered my rhythm.”
It wasn’t all easy for Collignon, nonetheless, as he served three double faults when serving for the match at 6-5 within the fifth earlier than finally changing his third match level. It was a win that catapulted him again contained in the High 100 and set him up for a robust end to the 12 months, throughout which he overcame No. 8 Alex de Minaur within the Davis Cup and reached the semi-finals on residence soil on the ATP 250 in Brussels.
Raphael Collignon” fashion=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2025/11/18/14/29/collignon-us-open-2025-upsets-2.jpg”>Raphael Collignon reaches the third spherical at a serious for the primary time. Picture: Matthew Stockman/Getty Pictures.
3) Wimbledon R1: Rinderknech d. Zverev 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4
After 4 hours and 44 minutes on Centre Courtroom, Arthur Rinderknech delivered the second that may change the remainder of his 2025 season. The Frenchman’s opener towards third seed Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon had all of the makings of a mismatch, however he refused to play the a part of underdog.
Rinderknech slammed 79 winners with relentless aggression, taking it to Zverev from the primary ball to the final to safe his maiden win over a High 5 participant. The upset turned a springboard for a surprising second half of the season, which included a semi-final run in Gstaad and a fourth-round displaying on the US Open. He later reached his maiden ATP Masters 1000 ultimate in Shanghai the place, fittingly, he defeated Zverev once more and improved to 2-0 of their Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence.
“It was a vital second, most likely one of the best tennis second of my profession,” Rinderknech mentioned in October, talking of his Wimbledon win towards Zverev. “Then a number of issues succeeded step-by-step. I really feel I’m heading in the right direction and I can now do what I wish to do, the way in which I need.”
Arthur Rinderknech” fashion=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2025/11/18/14/05/rinderknech-wimbledon-2025-upsets.jpg”>Arthur Rinderknech defeats Alexander Zverev in 5 units at Wimbledon. Picture: Corinne Dubreuil.
2) Australian Open R1: Fonseca d. Rublev 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5)
Joao Fonseca arrived on the Australian Open as one of many Tour’s most enjoyable prospects, however few anticipated him to out-hit one of many sport’s fiercest ballstrikers in his first main-draw match at a serious.
But Fonseca used his calm aggression and heavy forehand to surge previous ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight units — a win that electrified Margaret Courtroom Enviornment and set social media alight. For the 18-year-old Brazilian, who had triumphed on the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF 4 weeks prior, it was validation of months of hype following his fast climb throughout the 2024 season.
“I used to be making an attempt to not put strain on myself, taking part in with a High 10 man in an enormous stadium,” mentioned Fonseca, who was backed by many Brazilian followers in Melbourne. “[I was] making an attempt to name the group to assist me. I simply loved taking part in my sport. That’s one factor about myself, is that I play higher in the details, I’m going for my pictures. That was the distinction as we speak.”
Joao Fonseca” fashion=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2025/11/18/14/16/fonseca-melbourne-2025-upsets.jpg”>Joao Fonseca beats Andrey Rublev in straight units on the Australian Open. Picture: William West/Getty Pictures
Though Fonseca fell in his second-round match to Lorenzo Sonego, the younger expertise has additional confirmed himself throughout the 2025 season. He captured his maiden ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires in February after which received the crown on the ATP 500 in Basel, turning into the primary Brazilian to win a title above ATP 250 stage since Gustavo Kuerten in 2001.
1) Australian Open R2: Tien d. Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6(10-7)
Margaret Courtroom Enviornment performed host to 2 of the season’s greatest shocks, and American teenager Learner Tien delivered the second along with his marathon, late-night victory over three-time Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev.
Competing because the World No. 121, Tien regarded destined for a heartbreak chapter moderately than a breakthrough one after failing to transform a match level within the third set. The stress escalated additional into the night time when Medvedev stepped as much as serve for the match at 6-5 within the fifth, however Tien refused to wilt, displaying a mix of braveness and readability — and even shades of Medvedev’s personal tactical shrewdness — to claw his means again and seize the most important win of his profession at 2:54 a.m. native time.
“I used to be positively hoping it would not go to a fifth-set breaker, however I am simply comfortable to get a win,” mentioned Tien. “I do know I made it so much more durable than possibly it might have been… Dropping the third was robust after taking part in for that lengthy and having a match level.”
Learner Tien” fashion=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/pictures/information/2025/11/18/14/20/tien-melbourne-2025-upsets.jpg”>Learner Tien defeats Daniil Medvedev in 5 units on the Australian Open. Picture: Paul Crock/Getty Pictures.
From there, Tien’s trajectory solely grew steeper. Together with Fonseca, who defeated the American within the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF title match, Tien instantly regarded totally at residence at tour stage. He amassed 5 High-10 wins throughout 2025, in response to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and captured his first ATP Tour title in Metz in November.
