The 5 Lowest-Ranked Masters 1000 Champions Ever

Valentin Vacherot made history in Shanghai by becoming the lowest-ranked player ever (World No. 204) to win an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, defeating his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final. And although his run was a pure fairytale, seemingly more improbable than any before, he is not the only one to have risen from the trenches to enjoy a dream week in the Masters 1000 format’s history.

Here are the top five lowest-ranked players ever to win a Masters 1000 title.

The Top 5 Lowest-Ranked Masters 1000 Champions Ever

Alexei Popyrin — Montreal 2024

5. Ranked No. 62 in the world entering the tournament, the Australian produced the run of a lifetime to capture the 2024 Montreal Open. It all began with a confident first-round win over Tomas Machac, setting the tone for what would become a remarkable week. From that moment on, he never let the momentum slip, displaying a mix of composure and fearless shot-making.

His path only grew tougher as the rounds went on, yet he kept finding answers. He took down Ben Shelton in a serving duel, edged past Grigor Dimitrov and Hubert Hurkacz in tense three-set battles. Saving his best for last, he dismantled Andrey Rublev in the final, sealing an improbable Masters 1000 title run.

4. Mikael Pernfors — Montreal 1993

At No. 95 in the world, Mikael Pernfors arrived in Montreal with little fanfare, but left as one of the most surprising Masters 1000 champions ever. He opened his campaign with a solid win over Mark Kaplan and built momentum with a composed performance against Jason Stoltenberg.

What followed was a streak of giant-killing brilliance, dropping just one set throughout the entire tournament. Pernfors shocked second seed Jim Courier in the third round, then backed it up by outplaying eighth seed Alexander Volkov and sixth seed Petr Korda to reach the final. There, he completed his astonishing run by defeating 13th seed Todd Martin in a three-set classic, sealing a title that no one, perhaps not even he, saw coming.