There’s always been something a little bit chaotic about the Paris Masters. Whether it’s down to being the last event on the Masters calendar or due to the speed of the Plenitude Arena surfaces; the Paris Masters has always been a hot bed of surprise contenders and shock results.
This year has been no different, with Novak Djokovic and Alex Zverev already sent packing in the early stages. In honour of this unpredictability, here is my ranking for the five most surprising Paris Masters champions of the 21st century.
5. David Nalbandian (2007)
2007 saw the Paris Masters return to indoor hardcourts after a 20-year period on indoor carpets. Argentinean tactician David Nalbandian ushered in this exciting new era of fast-paced indoor hardcourt tennis, putting aside recent injury issues to win back-to-back Masters title ins Madrid and Paris (Madrid was formerly a hardcourt event towards the end of the calendar). The former World No.3 took zero prisoners in 2007, taking out top seed Roger Federer in the 3rd round before routing Rafa Nadal 6-4, 6-0 in the final. Nalbandian had a far less enjoyable time as part of Dimitrov’s coaching staff at this year’s Paris Masters, with the Bulgarian being shocked in qualifying by Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez. I guess you got to take the rough with the smooth.
4. Tomas Berdych (2005)
A fresh-faced, 20-year-old Tomas Berdych won his one and only Masters title at the 2005 Paris Masters, using that sledgehammer serve to account for five seeded players en route to the title. He overcame fellow servebot Ivan Ljubicic in a seesaw five-set finale (Masters finals were only reduced to three sets at the beginning of the 2008 schedule). Berdych had some profile after taking down Federer at the 2004 Olympics, but this result certainly pushed him into the mainstream. Berdych would go on to be a perennial fixture in the top ten for subsequent seasons, winning 13 total titles and finishing runner-up at Wimbledon in 2020. Incidentally, this was still an indoor carpet event when Berdych won in 2005.
3. Holger Rune (2022)
The most recent entry on this list, Holger Rune’s 2022 Paris Masters triumph is compelling evidence of both his tremendous talent and unfulfilled potential. The Danish teenager took the tennis world by storm in a week that simply defied belief. He saved three match-points in his opening match against three-time Grand Slam Stan Wawrinka. He then embarked on a giant-killing run pf Mighty Ducks proportions, slaying five consecutive top-ten players to earn his maiden- and only- Masters title. He also had to defang all-time Paris king Novak Djokovic in the final, overcoming a 3-1 3rd set deficit to see of the tennis demigod. Rune looked set to join Alcaraz- who had just won a maiden Grand Slam in New York- in the upper echelons of the men’s game. Rune has enjoyed fleeting success, reaching a further three Masters finals. But a combination of injury and ego has led to massive off-court dysfunction: he goes through coaches like Trump goes through press secretaries. Let’s hope he can rediscover his best form in the coming years.
2. Karen Khachanov (2018)
Karen Khachanov is one of the more relentless baseliners on the tour, using his brutal groundstrokes to reach two hardcourt Grand Slam semifinals (not to mention a silver medal at the 2021 Olympic Games). But for all that, his 2018 Paris Masters triumph is still arguably his greatest accomplishment. The Russian ironman barely survived a 3rd round clash with big-serving American John Isner, saving two match points to prevail 10-8 in the 3rd set tiebreak. He eased past the likes of Zverev and Thiem before encountering Djokovic (yes, him again) in the final. The unseeded Khachanov went hell for leather in the final, blitzing the Serb 7-5, 6-4 with a fearsome display of hardcourt thuggery.
1. Jack Sock (2017)
Ironically enough, my No.1 pick is the only guy who was seeded during his title-winning run. American journeyman pro Jack Sock enjoyed a purple patch in 2017, winning titles in Auckland and Delray Beach to go with a semifinal run at Indian Wells. As such, the American- who would never reach another singles final- was ranked 16th during the chaotic 2017 renewal. He showed tremendous bravery all week, coming back from a set down on three occasions en route to the title. Runner-up Filip Krajinovic added to the insanity of the affair (the Serb was the lowest ranked Masters finalist since Mardi Fish at the 2008 Indian Wells Masters). The American experienced a rapid decline in singles fortunes but enjoyed sustained success in doubles before retiring in 2023. He would later refocus his energy and become a highly successful player on the US Pickleball circuit. Only in America.
