Müller, fourth player in the Open era to win a tournament by losing the first set in every match
Alexandre Müller claimed the first ATP Tour title of his career in Hong Kong on Sunday after beating Kei Nishikori in the final.
The Frenchman, who will jump to 56th in the world (his career-high ranking) tomorrow, won in three sets against every opponent he faced, losing the first set each time.
A feat previously achieved by only three other players in the Open era: Arthur Ashe (Dallas 1971), Ilie Nastase (Challenge Cup 1977) and Alexander Bublik (Montpellier 2024).
And within this list, Alexandre Müller is the only player to have achieved this feat by playing five matches.
Hong Kong
Davis Cup: between reforms, criticism and national culture
When tennis stars change courts: from Noah the singer to Safin the deputy, another match – the battle of reinvention
As a laboratory for tomorrow’s tennis, does the Next Gen Masters have a future?
Tennis: the little-known truths about the offseason, between rest, stress and physical survival