Unexpected outcomes abound, as not a single top-seeded player advances to the quarterfinals!

It is common knowledge that tennis events include seeded players. Typically, these seeded competitors boast higher global rankings, greater experience, and superior strength, which usually affords them better opportunities for success than other participants.

Nevertheless, exceptions to the rule do occur. This week, four highly-seeded players encountered major upsets, bowing out in the first two rounds of their respective tournaments. So, who are these four top seeds, and in which events did they make their early exits? Let this article guide you through the details.

Spanish player Fokina is a familiar name to many Chinese fans. He currently maintains an undefeated record against Chinese opponents. Unfortunately, in 2025, despite reaching four tour-level finals, Fokina lost each time, settling for runner-up finishes. Nonetheless, this solid performance propelled his world ranking into the Top 20 for the first time.

This week, Fokina entered the ATP 500 Acapulco event as the fourth seed. In the first round, he overcame German player Altmaier with some difficulty, winning 7-5, 6-3 to advance. However, in the second round, facing Italian player M. Berrettini, who ranked nearly 100 places below him, Fokina was surprisingly swept aside 3-6, 3-6, forcing an early departure.

Compared to Fokina, Norwegian player Ruud undoubtedly enjoys greater fame. From tour events to Grand Slams, and even in world rankings and the year-end finals, he has achieved a series of breakthroughs for Norwegian men's tennis. Freshly becoming a father this week, Ruud competed in the Acapulco Open as the third seed. Yet, in his match against Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing, he was pushed to two tiebreaks and lost both, marking his first first-round exit of the 2026 season. Perhaps he should temporarily return to family life, savor the joy of new fatherhood, and then resume his tennis career.

In 2024, Australian player de Minaur broke into the Top 10 for the first time, thanks to winning two tour titles. He became the first Australian men's tennis player to reach the Top 10 since 2007. Despite this achievement, de Minaur remained unsatisfied, continually pushing himself and striving for more.

In 2025, de Minaur added another tour title while also unlocking the achievement of reaching the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slams and qualifying for the year-end finals for the first time in his career. This year, he won five consecutive matches at the ATP 500 Rotterdam event to claim his eleventh career tour title.

This week, as the second seed in Acapulco, de Minaur was upset in the first round by American qualifier Kipson in three sets, a shocking result that also marked Kipson's first career victory over a Top 10 player.

German player Alexander Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, Olympic champion, and year-end finals winner, was the top seed at the Acapulco event. In the first round, he dominated French player Moutet 6-2, 6-4, becoming one of only two top-four seeds to win their opening match.

However, in his second-round clash against Serbian player Kecmanović, despite fighting back after dropping the first set to force a decider, Zverev ultimately fell to his opponent, halting his progress.

Thus, all four top seeds at the Acapulco event failed to reach the quarterfinals, a rare occurrence in ATP 500-level tournaments. We hope these four stars can quickly regain their form and get back on track for the rest of the season. That's today's tennis story; we'll continue tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)