Top five lowest-ranked champions on ATP Tour

Marin Cilic is the lowest-ranked champion on the ATP Tour.

The eyes are always set on the top seeds whenever a tournament starts. The ‘Big Three’ dominated the tennis world for almost two decades. Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal won numerous accolades across all surfaces and solidified their place as the best.

Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray created a gap and broke a few records. However, time after time, a few surprising results followed the sport. From unseeded winners to top-ranked disappointments, the sport has given thrills to fans at regular intervals.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five lowest-ranked champions on the ATP Tour.

5. Fernando Gonzalez: 352

Former Chilean tennis star Fernando Gonzalez turned professional in 1999 and won his first title the next year. Gonzalez arrived as a qualifier at the 2000 US Men’s Clay Court Championships. He had already played three matches in the qualifying round.

In the main draw, he beat the likes of Antony Dupuis, Paradorn Srichaphan, and Martín Rodríguez to reach the final, where he was up against sixth seed Nicolás Massú.

In an all-Chile final, the 352-ranked qualifier took the victory. González reached his career-best ranking of No. 5 in 2007, the same year he reached the Australian Open final.

Also Read: Top five players with most ATP 1000 Masters final appearances before turning 22

4. Pablo Andujar: 355

In April 2018, Pablo Andújar reached the final of the Grand Prix Hassan II in Morocco for the third time. At that time, his ranking was 355, but he continued his then-excellent record into the final of the Grand Prix Hassan.

He defeated second seed Kyle Edmund to win his fourth and last title on the Tour. With this win, he regained his place inside the top 200 in the rankings.

3. Jenson Brooksby: 507

American tennis star Jenson Brooksby created history on his home soil by becoming the lowest-ranked champion in the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in April 2025. Earlier this record was in the name of Tommy Haas, who won this title in 2004 while being ranked 349th.

Brooksby returned to the tour in January earlier this year after two years of being on the sidelines. Qualifier Brooksby played his first match against Japan’s Taro Daniel and secured a resounding 6-4, 6-4 victory.

He won a big game by beating Alejandro Tabilo in the second round. After beating Aleksandar Kovacevic in the subsequent round, Brooksby recorded a stunning triumph over top seed Tommy Paul. He summed up his campaign by beating former US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe in the final and winning his first-ever title on the ATP tour. After the win, he jumped up to No. 172 in the rankings.

Also Read: Top five players with longest reign as first-time ATP World No. 1

2. Lleyton Hewitt: 550

One of the best Australian tennis stars of all time, Lleyton Hewitt, was an agile menace on the court during his young years. Just 16 years old, Hewitt won his first ATP title on his home soil as a wildcard. Hewitt racked up 550 when he entered the 1998 Adelaide International. He started the campaign with wins over Scott Draper and Mark Woodforde.

In the quarterfinals, he beat his first non-Australian opponent, Vince Spadea, in three sets. Hewitt’s biggest win came in the tournament’s semi-finals, where he defeated Andre Agassi to advance to the final.

He won the title at the 1998 Adelaide International, defeating his compatriot Jason Stoltenberg. At that time, he ranked 550.

1. Marin Cilic: 777

A former Grand Slam champion, Marin Cilic was ranked 777 when he walked out victorious at the 2024 Hangzhou Open. He entered the tournament as a wildcard and defeated eighth seed Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan in the second round.

Also Read: Top five players with most ATP 1000 Masters final appearances before turning 22

Cilic, who was winless on the tour since the start of 2023, beat Yasutaka Uchiyama and Brandon Nakashima to reach the final in China.

He became the lowest-ranked champion on the ATP tour with a double tiebreaker victory over China’s Zhang Zhizhen. Cilic is the only player on the list who was already a Grand Slam champion. The Croatian tennis player is also a two-time Grand Slam runner-up.

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