Three near top-ten players in the world, each facing their own troubles!

The three tours are fiercely competitive, yet several formerly top-ranked and consistently performing male players each have their own worries. Consider:

Tsitsipas, a three-time Masters champion, one year-end finals winner, two-time Grand Slam runner-up, who once reached world No. 3 at his peak, and with his elegant one-handed backhand was hailed as Federer’s best successor.

However, his performance has declined in recent years. After finally breaking the 500-match winless streak last year in Dubai, he was eliminated in the first round while defending his title this year. Losing significant points, his ranking is set to fall below the top 40.

Earlier in Doha, he defeated Medvedev, raising some hopes, but then things abruptly stopped. Even Goran Ivanišević, former coach of Djokovic and a Grand Slam champion, couldn’t get him back on track. It’s unclear where he will go from here.

Ruud, a Masters champion, three-time Grand Slam runner-up, and one year-end finals runner-up, was once ranked in the top three worldwide. In recent years, although he has conquered Masters and 500-level tournaments, adding more than just 250-level titles to his trophy cabinet, his performances in major tournaments, especially Grand Slams, have declined, rarely advancing to the later rounds.

In his recent match against China’s Wu Yibing, who has been plagued by injuries and unable to play many matches consecutively, Ruud lost badly, scoring only 4 points in two tiebreak sets. This allowed Wu to achieve his third career victory over a top-20 player. Considering Ruud was also upset by Zhang Zhizhen at the US Open, it seems we are becoming accustomed to these upsets against the Norwegian.

De Minaur, multiple-time Masters finalist, Grand Slam quarterfinalist, multiple 500-level champion, is regarded as Hewitt’s successor. He is a player with a relatively high floor but limited ceiling. Throughout his career, he has frequently been stopped at the Grand Slam quarterfinal stage and has struggled to beat the rising stars Alcaraz and Sinner.

De Minaur’s results are so consistent that hardly anyone expects him to be upset in early rounds, but it’s also difficult to trust that he will make deep runs in big tournaments, especially Grand Slams.

However, he always performs well in 500-level events. Counting this season, he has reached the finals for three consecutive years and finally tasted victory in Rotterdam. Over the past four seasons, he has won multiple 500-level titles. From back-to-back wins in Acapulco in 2023-2024, to narrowly missing out in Dubai last year, he managed to survive match points and claim the title in Washington later that year.

Yet in Dubai, as the second seed, he was shockingly knocked out in the first round. Early exits are very rare for him. With two consecutive early departures in this event, one wonders if he misses those triumphant days in Mexico?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Chengqiye)