Top 5 underdog wins of 2025 ft. Victoria Mboko stunning Elena Rybakina, Valentin Vacherot sending Novak Djokovic packing

Players who leave their mark with their dominant performances are beloved by one and all. However, everyone also loves an underdog story. An unlikely hero coming along to topple the established favorite is a script that repeats itself year after year.

This year was no different. Tennis witnessed numerous Davids rising from the shadows to topple the tour's Goliaths time after time. Most of the tour's top guns were made to taste the humble pie at some point by a previously unheralded player.

With that in mind, here's a look at five of the most prominent wins by the underdogs during the 2025 season:

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#5. Renata Zarazua def. Madison Keys

Madison Keys had been one of the tour's best performing players in 2025. She won her maiden Major title at the Australian Open, and bagged another title in Adelaide prior to that. She also made the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open, and the quarterfinals of the French Open and the Madrid Open.

So when Keys drew World No. 82 Renata Zarazua in the first round of the US Open, she was expected to cruise through her opener. The 28-year-old from Mexico hadn't won back-to-back matches at the main draw level this year, and had only six main draw wins to her name as well. Additionally, she had never beaten a top 10 player before.

What was supposed to be a routine affair for Keys turned into a battle of wills. Both threw the kitchen sink at each other, and after fighting for over three hours, it was Zarazua who emerged as the last woman standing. She beat the American 6-7 (10), 7-6 (3), 7-5 for her maiden top 10 win and became the first woman from her country to beat a top 10 player at a Major in 20 years. This was a classic tale of an underdog rising to the occasion.

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#4. Terence Atmane def. Taylor Fritz

Terence Atmane at the Paris Masters 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Another American was on the receiving end of an underdog's breakthrough. Prior to Madison Keys' dismissal at the US Open, Taylor Fritz fell victim to qualifier Terence Atmane at the Cincinnati Open.

Atmane mostly plied his trade on the Challenger circuit. Prior to this year's Cincinnati Open, he had only five wins at the ATP level in his career. Ranked No. 136, he came through the qualifying draw, and scored wins over Yoshihito Nishioka, Flavio Cobolli, and Joao Fonseca to reach the fourth round.

Many predicted World No. 4 Fritz would end Atmane's run at this point. However, the latter overturned a one-set deficit to upset the American for the biggest win of his career. He proved that his win wasn't a fluke by ousting No. 7 Holger Rune in the quarterfinals before losing to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. His run in Cincinnati helped him crack the top 70 of the rankings.

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#3. Tatjana Maria def. Amanda Anisimova

Tatjana Maria has been a regular presence on the tour for nearly two decades. However, age was starting to catch up with her, and she was hardly winning any matches this year. She arrived at the Queen's Club Championships on an eight-match losing streak.

Maria snapped her losing skid by winning back-to-back matches to seal her place in the main draw. A win over No. 30 Leylah Fernandez brought her further joy, registering her biggest win in quite some time. However, that was just the beginning for the German veteran.

Maria beat top 20 players Karolina Muchova and Elena Rybakina in the next two rounds. She upset Madison Keys in the semifinals to reach the biggest final of her career. Despite being on a roll, she was still the underdog against Amanda Anisimova in the final.

Maria had never won anything bigger than a WTA 250, while Anisimova won a WTA 1000 title earlier in the season. She capped off a perfect week by beating the American, claiming the biggest title of her career. She also made her top 40 debut at No. 36 at 37 years and 11 months of age, proving that age is just a number.

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#2. Valentin Vacherot def. Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Valentin Vacherot pulled off the impossible at the Shanghai Masters 2025, and did so in style. He had won only one match at the Masters 1000 level prior to his appearance in Shanghai.

Vacherot, ranked No. 204, fought for his place in the main draw of Shanghai, coming from a set down in both of his qualifying matches to do so. A routine win over Laslo Djere in the first round brought him some respite. A second career Masters 1000 win would've sufficed for him in the past but he was hungry for more this time.

Vacherot ousted Alexander Bublik, Tomas Machac, Tallon Griekspoor, and Holger Rune to set up a semifinal showdown against 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic. Everyone, including Vacherot himself, probably believed that this would be the end of the road for him.

Vacherot instead pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent times, comfortably beating Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 to reach the final. He then beat his cousin Arthur Rinderknech to claim the title. His run was the epitome of an underdog making the most of his opportunity, capitalizing on his purple patch to a career-best result.

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#1. Victoria Mboko def. Elena Rybakina

Victoria Mboko caught everyone's attention with her results on the ITF circuit at the start of the season, claiming one title after another. She slowly began to transition to the WTA Tour, and put up a good fight against the likes of Coco Gauff and Paula Badosa before losing to them in three sets.

Mboko also made the third round of the French Open. On account of her impressive rise, she received a wildcard into the Canadian Open, her home tournament. She beat Kimberly Birrell, Sofia Kenin, and Marie Bouzkova to reach the fourth round, justifying the wildcard that was awarded to her.

Mboko then scored the biggest win of her career by beating World No. 2 Gauff 6-1, 6-2. Another routine win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro put her in the semifinals, where she was up against Elena Rybakina.

It appeared as if Mboko finally ran out of gas when she lost the first set 6-1 against Rybakina. However, the Canadian teen's fighting spirit was on full display after that. She saved a match point to beat Rybakina in three sets, completing the ultimate comeback.

Having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, Mboko sustained this momentum to beat Naomi Osaka in the final for the biggest prize of her career. She was the underdog in multiple matches, yet played with the maturity of a veteran by outclassing several top players.

Edited by Rohit