The 6 lowest-ranked players to win an ATP singles title: World No 777 Marin Cilic achieves unique feat
Marin Cilic has become the lowest-ranked player to win an ATP Tour singles title thanks to his historic run at the Hangzhou Open.
The Croatian has struggled with injury in recent years, but he ended his title drought in fine style in China to bump Lleyton Hewitt off top spot.
The 6 lowest-ranked players to win an ATP singles title:
6. Juan Manuel Cerundolo – No 335
Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo won his first and – to date – last ATP Tour singles title at his home event the Cordoba Open in 2021.
He was ranked No 335 at the start of the tournament as he came through qualifying to reach the main draw.
He defeated the likes of Miomr Kecmanovic, Thiago Monteiro and Federico Coria to reach his maiden final where he defeated fifth seed Albert Ramos Vinolas in three sets to win the title.
From No 335, Cerundolo surged up to No 181 and he went on to reach a career-high of No 79 in January 2002.
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5. Tommy Haas – No 349
Tommy Haas won silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, won five ATP Tour singles titles, reached two Grand Slam semi-finals and peaked at No 2 in the rankings during the first few years of his career.
But he struggled with a serious injury and had to deal with a family tragedy as his parents were involved in an accident that forced him to miss months of action as he took care of them.
By the time he entered the 2004 US Men’s Clay Court Championships, he was down at No 349 in the rankings. The German beat sixth seed Robbie Ginepri in his opener and reached the final after upsetting fifth seed Andrei Pavel in the last four.
He defeated top seed Andy Roddick 6–3, 6–4 to claim his sixth title and his reward was a jump to No 145 in the rankings. Haas returned to the top 10 three years later.
4. Fernando Gonzalez – No 352
Just a year after turning professional, Fernando Gonzalez made a name for himself as he won his first ATP Tour title in May 2000.
The 1998 Wimbledon Junior Boys’ winner hadn’t even made his Grand Slam main draw debut when he won his maiden singles trophy at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships final in Orlando.
The qualifier didn’t beat a seeded player en route to the final, but he met compatriot Nicolas Massu in the first all-Chilean final since 1982 and won 6-2, 6-3.
Gonzalez went on to finish runner-up at the 2007 Australian Open final, won silver at the 2008 Beijing Games and peaked at No 5 in the rankings.
3. Pablo Andujar – No 355
Spaniard Pablo Andujar turned professional in 2004 and he won his maiden title in 2011 and reached a career-high of No 32 in 2015.
But he had slipped to outside the top 300 by April 2018 and had to use his protected ranking to enter the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech.
He beat a lucky loser and two qualifiers to set up a final against second-seed Kyle Edmund. He defeated the Brit in straight sets to win his third title and return to the top 200.
2. Lleyton Hewitt – No 550
Australian Lleyton Hewitt announced his arrival on the big stage as he became the youngest ATP title winner in 1998 when he won the Adelaide International at the age of 16.
He officially entered the rankings in 1997 and was at No 550 at the start of 1998.
After being handed a wildcard, Hewitt beat Mark Woodforde, Vince Spadea and Andre Agassi to reach his first-ever final and then beat fellow Aussie Jason Stoltenberg 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
He went on to win another 29 singles titles – including two Grand Slams – and also became the youngest world No 1 in 2001, although Carlos Alcaraz has since broken that record.
1. Marin Cilic – No 777
Marin Cilic is the only player in the top six to have won a Grand Slam title before joining this list. The Croatian won the 2014 US Open while he also finished runner-up at Wimbledon in 2017 and the 2018 Australian Open.
The 35-year-old was, in fact, a 20-time singles title winner when he entered the 2024 Hangzhou Open, but he had struggled with injury the past two years and had slipped to No 777.
Cilic hadn’t won a singles match at ATP Tour level since January 2023 and he entered the tournament thanks to a wildcard.
The Croatian beat only one seeded player to reach the final – fourth seed Brandon Nakashima in the semi-final – and defeated sixth seed Zhang Zhizhen 7–6 (7–5), 7–6 (7–5) to lift trophy No 21.
He jumped 565 places to No 212 thanks to the win.
