OTW Extra Email Archive - July 2026
Notes from the Tour: All hail the first-time winners...
Friday 24th July 2026
He finally did it…
After losing a total of five ATP Tour finals in recent years, including having match point on more than one occasion. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina finally won one…
The 27-year-old Spaniard lifted the trophy at ATP Mallorca last month. Landing his first tour title, in his sixth final.
I’m pleased for Alejandro, as I feared those final defeats were starting to become demons in his head.
That sequence reminds me of another former Ones to Watch youngster. Felix Auger Aliassime lost no fewer than eight finals, before eventually making the winning breakthrough. He’s now got nine titles to his name and is at a career high ranking of no.4 in the world. Proof that persistence pays off.
So far this year, eight men having won an ATP Tour title for the first time…
Who could be next to break their duck?
Given the Davidovich Fokina and Auger Aliassime storylines, Corentin Moutet and Arthur Rinderknech would be next in line in terms of players attempting to turn multiple final losses into first-time trophy wins, having already been on the pro circuit for many years…
Age 31, world no.27 Rinderknech is the highest ranked man in the current ATP Top 50 yet to win a senior singles title. He’s lost in two finals.
Another Frenchman, world no.40 Moutet, has suffered defeat in three finals. Two of those losses came last year. The wait goes on for the flamboyant 27-year-old.
That French pair will be hoping their careers don’t end the way of their countryman Julien Benneteau. Now age 44 and long retired, Benneteau lost in 10 finals. He never got to taste the full glory.
Here is a full list of men in the current world Top 50 who are yet to win an ATP title. Considering this year’s eight first-time champions to date have gone off at Outright Winner odds as big as 25/1, 28/1, and 33/1 – we should keep any eye out for these guys…
Arthur Rinderknech
Ranked no.27, age 31 – 2 finals (both on hard courts)
Matteo Arnaldi
Ranked no.33, age 25 – 0 finals (French Open 2026 semi final)
Arthur Fery
Ranked no.36, age 24 – 0 finals (Wimbledon 2026 semi final)
Raphael Collignon
Ranked no.37, age 24 – 1 final (July 2026)
Alexander Blockx
Ranked no.38, age 21 – 0 finals (ATP Next Gen runner-up 2025)
Corentin Moutet
Ranked no.40, age 27 – 3 finals (2 last year)
Jaume Munar
Ranked no.43, age 29 – 1 final (2021)
Alex Michelsen
Ranked no.44 – age 21 – 3 finals (all in USA)
Ethan Quinn
Ranked no.45, age 22 – 1 final (June 2026)
Terence Atmane
Ranked no.49, age 24 – 0 finals
That 10-man list is an example of just one area of research that goes into my full, members-only Ones to Watch service…
With the US Open in mind, the North American hard-court swing starts next week with a trip to Washington DC. Stay tuned.
Enjoy the tennis…
Best wishes,
Oliver Upstone