Incredible but true ! We pinch ourselves to believe it. Russian Daniil Medvedev, world No. 2, was beaten on Sunday by Tim Van Rijthoven, the modest 25-year-old Dutch player, ranked 205th in the world, 6-4, 6-1, in the final of the tournament on grass of -Hertogenbosch (Netherlands). A defeat all the more striking as the Russian will again become world No. 1 on Monday, in place of Novak Djokovic – also overtaken by Alexander Zverev, new No. 2.
For his part, the regional of the stage, beneficiary of a “wild card” (invitation from the organizers), delivered the perfect week at home. User of the secondary circuit and “Challenger” tournaments, the Batavian had thus been eliminated in the 1st round of the qualifications of Roland-Garros a month ago. His only appearance on the main circuit, a defeat in the 1st round, dates back to 2016 in Winston-Salem (United States) and only as a “lucky loser” – in favor of a repechage after a defeat in qualifying.
Van Rijthoven, who fell successively this week from Matthew Ebden (7-6, 7-6), Taylor Fritz, 14th (6-7, 7-5, 6-4), Hugo Gaston (7-6, 6-4) and Félix Auger-Aliassime, 9th (6-3, 1-6, 7-6), did not disassemble in front of Medvedev. Relying on an excellent serve (57 aces this week), he neutralized the Russian with his backhand slice and garnered points thanks to his forehand. Abnormally passive, Medvedev never seemed able to turn the game around. His last title therefore dates back, always, to the US Open 2021, where he deprived Novak Djokovic of the calendar Grand Slam.
Author of a quarter-final at Wimbledon among the juniors in 2014, a performance that remained without a future, Van Rijthoven is the worst ranked player to win at s’Hertogenbosch since Nicolas Mahut, crowned in 2013, when he was pointing in 240th place. He is also the first Dutchman to win in this tournament since Sjeng Schalken in 2003. He also puts an end to ten years of Dutch drought, the last title of a player from the Kingdom on the circuit dating back to 2012 and the success of Robin Haase in Kitzbuhel.
This magical week earned him a jump of 99 places in the ATP ranking. Almost anonymous last week, he will emerge at the gates of the world’s top 100 on Monday, in 106th place more precisely. The Van Rijthoven sensation in the men was accompanied by a big surprise in the women’s draw. In the final, Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, 27, 30th in the world, overthrew Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, n°6, 7-5, 6-0.