Tennis: Top 10 upsets of all time

There is a saying that, “You support the underdog because you can’t achieve what the Top Dog has achieved.” It’s a human tendency to support and root for underdogs which makes every upset in the history of any game a significant event. Tennis fans are no different and they also love upsets – a game won by an underdog.

These games not only challenged some reigning champions but also established some achievers in the history books. However, these upsets have come at the biggest stage of the game at some crucial moments making it a special one.

Let us rank the top 10 upsets in Tennis history:

10. Serena Williams vs Roberta Vinci, US Open, 2015

Legendary Tennis star Serena Williams had a dominating year in 2015. She has been phenomenal throughout the year and was looking for a calendar Grand Slam. However, this made her nervous in the semi-final game of the US Open 2015.

Facing Roberta Vinci, Williams failed to hold her nerves as she lost the game in three sets. Vinci beat Williams by 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to make it to her first Grand Slam finals against Flavia Penneta. Notably, with this loss Williams missed the chance to clinch Calendar Grand Slam for the first time since 1988.

9. Roger Federer vs Sergiy Stakhovsky, Wimbledon, 2013

SW19 Defending Champion Roger Federer faced a disheartening Wimbledon loss against Ukranian Sergiy Stakhovsky. In the second round of Wimbledon 2013, the 116th-ranked Ukrainian star went on to pose a challenging task for Federer.

Sergiy put up a display of school Grass Court Tennis as he massively used volley and serve in his favour. Eventually, he beat the Swiss star in four sets to make it into the next round.

8. Denis Istomin vs Novak Djokovic, Australian Open, 2017

Novak Djokovic entered the Australian Open 2017 with two back-to-back championship victories in the last two years. He had won five of the last six Australian Open championships and was looking for another one in 2017. However, Denis Istomin has other plans.

In five sets of high-octane performances, Denis Istomin beat Djokovic to end his journey in the second round itself. His amazing display of skills and high-octane octane energetic on-field presence led him to beat the best man of the tournament.

7. Nick Kyrgios vs Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon, 2014

Over time Australian star Nick Kyrgios has been in the headlines due to some controversies. However, it was Wimbledon 2014 which gave him a platform to get the recognition and value that he deserved. Facing Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the tournament he made headlines because of his outstanding skills.

The 18-year-old youngster made some iconic shots and displayed his resilience as he beat Nadal in four sets. His remarkable performance included trick shots, booming services and iconic tweener.

6. George Bastl vs Pete Sampras, Wimbledon, 2002

It should be one of the biggest setbacks in the history of Wimbledon. In 2002 Wimbledon Pete Sampras entered with fourteen Grand Slams including seven at Wimbledon. He was the man to watch out in the prestigious tournament.

However, 112th-ranked George Bastl had some other plans as he not only faced Sampras but confidently beat him in five sets. After winning the first two sets Bastl lost the plot and lost the next two sets. However, in the end, he won the game by 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4.

5. Lucas Rosol vs Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon, 2012

It was the dominating era of Rafael Nadal. The man had won Wimbledon finals in 2008 and 2010 and was runner-up in 2011. Entering the 2012 tournament with such a great history Nadal was looking for another Wimbledon championship. However, destiny had planned something else.

In the second round, which seemed like a formality, Nadal faced Locas Rosol. The youngster made a blistering display of skills and tricks. He left Nadal shocked by clinching the match in five thrilling sets. His victory came as the biggest setback in Nadal’s career.

4. Michael Chang vs Ivan Lendl, French Open, 1989

It has to be one of the most memorable upsets in Tennis history. In the 1989 French Open young Michael Chang took on three-time champion and top-seeded Ivan Lendl. The game was between an established champion and a rising star.

Chang with his energetic moves and iconic shots on the field came out as an absolute dominant winner. He beat Lendl in five gruelling sets and left everyone in shock. One of the biggest moments from the game was Chang’s underarm shot in the fifth set which left Lendl shocked.

3. Marcus Willis vs Ricardas Berankis, Wimbledon, 2016

It should be the most fairytale story on this list. In the 2016 Wimbledon Championship first round Marcus Willis faced Ricardas Berankis. In the iconic battle of two young stars, Wills managed to beat Berankis in three straight sets by 6-3, 6-3 and 6-4.

The most interesting part of the game was the rankings of these two players. The underdog Willis was the 772 ranked player while Berankis was ranked 54 in the World. After this win, Willis faced Roger Federer in the second round and put up a great show there too.

2. Robin Soderling vs Rafael Nadal, French Open, 2009

This has to be the most shocking loss in the history of Tennis. Coming into the tournament Rafael Nadal was a four-time defending champion with zero loss at Roland Garros. He was the absolute beast there and was looking to continue his dominance.

However, in the tournament, Nadal faced hard-hitting Swede, Robin Soderling. The World 23 ranked player took on Nadal and got the best out of him within four sets. His amazing performance not only shocked Nadal but also ended his unbeaten run at the Roland Garros. The King of Clay was in sheer shock as well as his fans.

1. Andy Murray vs Mischa Zverev, Australian Open, 2017

Once a top-ranked player and with a great track record in the Australian Open Andy Murray was looking to get a better out of the tournament. With a blistering form on his side fans and pundits were also expecting the same from him.

However, German star Mischa Zverev, Ranked 50 in the World at that time, had some other plans. With some iconic old-school serves and backhand tricks he outplayed Murray and won the game in just four sets. It has to be the biggest setback of Murray’s career.