Teen Dedura-Palomero makes ATP history

Seventeen-year-old German Diego Dedura-Palomero made tennis history at the Munich Open, becoming the first player born in 2008 or later to win an ATP Tour match. The young talent advanced to the second round after his opponent, eighth-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov, retired with Dedura-Palomero leading 7-6(2), 3-0.

Dedura-Palomero, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser replacing veteran Gael Monfils, celebrated his landmark victory enthusiastically. Born on March 12, 2008, in Berlin, the left-handed player recently achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 547 on April 7, 2025.

His celebration drew some attention as he etched a cross into the clay court with his foot and lay atop it—a gesture he described as an expression of gratitude rooted in his religious beliefs. While some criticized the celebration as excessive given Shapovalov's injury circumstances, others defended it as a sincere expression of faith.

The tournament featured several upsets as third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime fell to Argentine Mariano Navone in three sets (2-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)), while recent Miami Open champion and sixth seed Jakub Mensik was defeated by German Yannick Hanfmann (7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3).

Fourth seed Ugo Humbert of France overcame Chile's Nicolas Jarry after dropping the first set, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, seeded fifth, made quick work of defending champion and local favorite Jan-Lennard Struff in a decisive 6-0, 6-2 victory.

Dedura-Palomero will continue his journey in the second round against Belgium's Zizou Bergs, ranked 50th in the world, as he looks to build on his breakthrough performance and establish himself on the ATP Tour.