Two first-time winners on the ATP Tour last week – not so unusual the week before a major.
But in this case, they were two for which it was probably overdue – notably Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who had gotten to the last day FIVE previous but was never able to get over the finish line.
That he did it on grass was one thing. But it was also grass in … Spain, his home country. So that couldn’t have hurt.
Who knows where he might soar to, now that the monkey is off his back.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP): No. 25 ==========> No. 23
(It’s only two spots in the rankings for the 27-year-old Spaniard. But it’s everything. He finally gets that duck off his back and wins his first career ATP Tournament afer losing in his first five finals, in Mallorca. He plays Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the first round at Wimbledon).
Zizou Bergs (BEL): No. 48 ==========> No. 37
(Bergs also is a first-time winner on the ATP Tour, after beating Ugo Humbert at Eastbourne. He came into the tournament on a six-match ATP Tour streak of futility. Guess who he faces in the first round at Wimbledon? Yup. Ugo Humbert).
Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG): No. 45 ==========> No. 42
(A quarterfinal on grass, and a new career high for the younger Cerundolo. His first-round opponent at Wimbledon is Davidovick Fokina).
Ethan Quinn (USA): No. 63 ==========> No. 47
A new career best for Quinn, who made the Mallorca final. He’ll play No. 14 seed Luciano Darderi at Wimbledon, and we’d give him a pretty good chance at the upset).
Fabian Marozsan (HUN): No. 62 ==========> No. 53
(Maroszan was a semifinalist in Mallorca. He gets Tirante in the first round at the AELTC).
Toby Samuel (GBR): No. 142 ==========> No. 123
(With a wild card at Wimbledon, the 23-year-old Brit could play Eastbourne last week. He made the most of being a lucky loser, going all the way to the semifinals. His first-round opponent at Wimbledon is Jakub Mensik).
Jack Draper (GBR): No. 160 ==========> No. 131
(It’s unclear if he’s fully got his health back. But a run to the Eastbourne semifinals is hopefully the first step in the former No. 4’s comeback. Bad luck: he drew Fritz in the first round at Wimbledon).
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL): No. 164 ==========> No. 146
(The notion that the 35-year-old Bulgarian needs a wild card at Wimbledon is hard to wrap your head around, but it’s reality. He got a little momentum by making the Mallorca quarterfinals, and gets qualifier Dane Sweeny in the first round at Wimbledon. He drops BIG points if he doesn’t do something in the next fortnight – out of the top 250).
Sumit Nagal (IND): No. 285 ==========> No. 219
(The 28-year-old, a former No. 68, is back on the comeup after winning the Challenger in Targu Mures. he wasn’t even ranked high enough to get into the Wimbledon qualifying, so he’s making hay where he can).
Learner Tien (USA) (No. 17)
Zizou Bergs (BEL) (No. 37)
Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG) (No. 42)
Ethan Quinn (USA) (No. 47)
Arthur Fery (GBR) (No. 114)
Toby Samuel (GBR) (No. 123)
Federico Cina (ITA) (No. 174)
Corentin Moutet (FRA): No. 36 ==========> No. 39
(Moutet loses in the first round of Mallorca, after making the final a year ago. He gets the sturdy Marcos Giron in the first round at Wimbledon).
Tallon Griekspoor (NED): No. 39 ==========> No. 58
(Tough drop for Griekspoor, who didn’t play last week after winning Mallorca in 2025. He gets James Duckworth at Wimbledon in the first round).
Jenson Brooksby (USA): No. 67 ==========> No. 81
(Similar story for Brooksby, who lost in the second round at Eastbourne after going from lucky loser to the final last year. He meets Aleksandar Vukic in the first round at Wimbledon – the guy who beat him in that final round of qualifying at Eastbourne a year ago –and his second round doesn’t look half bad either).
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