Best Of 2023: Shelton, Fils Among First-Time ATP Tour Titlists

A very small fraternity of tennis players can say they have competed at the pinnacle of the sport on the ATP Tour. An even smaller elite group can lay claim to a tour-level title.

This year, six players won a singles trophy for the first time, hitting a milestone that will forever stand out in the context of their careers. As part of our annual season-in-review series, ATPTour.com reflects on the lineup of stars who clinched their maiden ATP Tour crown in 2023.

Ben Shelton, Tokyo
After breakout Grand Slam runs at the Australian Open (quarter-finals) and the US Open (semi-finals), Shelton won his first ATP Tour title at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo. The American earned the trophy with three comeback wins in his five victories, including a fightback from a set and 2-5 down against fellow American Marcos Giron in the semi-finals.

There would be no such drama in the title round at the ATP 500, as Shelton delivered a clinical performance to power past Aslan Karatsev for a win that saw him rise to a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 15.

"It was interesting. I expected to be a lot more nervous going into the match, but I felt pretty calm and at peace and clear minded when on court," Shelton told ATPTour.com. "I am not sure what came over me and gave me the calmness and confidence that I had out there, but it felt like another day at the office." Read Shelton's First Time-Winner Q&A

Arthur Fils, Lyon
Fils' milestone moment came on home soil at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon, where he beat Brandon Nakashima and Francisco Cerundolo in the final two rounds of the ATP 250. The result earned the Frenchman his debut in the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings two weeks before his 19th birthday.

"I'm really happy," Fils said in an interview with ATPTour.com. "It's been a great week for me in France with the home crowd, so I'm really happy with the win."

The title triumph gave Fils the confidence to continue his rapid rise on the ATP Tour throughout the season, with the Frechman ultimately finishing 2023 at World No. 36. Read Fils' First-Time Winner Q&A

Wu Yibing, Dallas
Wu became the first Chinese man to lift an ATP Tour trophy with a gutsy run at the Dallas Open. The unseeded champion beat three Americans at the event, with come-from-behind wins against home favourites Taylor Fritz and John Isner in the final two rounds. 

The victory against the top-seeded Fritz was Wu's first Top 10 win. The next day in a dramatic final against Isner, Wu saved four championship points to earn a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-6(12) triumph.

"It’s not only about winning the title," Wu said at the ATP 250. "It’s more about me personally making history, also for the country [China]. It’s huge for the next generation." Read Wu's First-Time Winner Q&A

Christopher Eubanks, Mallorca
The week before his Wimbledon quarter-final run, Eubanks flashed his grass-court credentials with a title run at the Mallorca Championships. After opening his campaign at the ATP 250 with three-set wins against fellow Americans Alex Michelsen and Ben Shelton, Eubanks later saved five match points in the semis against Lloyd Harris before a dominant final victory against Adrian Mannarino.

"It means everything. It means that a lot of the hard work that I've been doing, and the persistence that I've tried to have throughout the ups and downs of my career, it's all worth it," said Eubanks, who earned his Top 50 debut at the age of 27 behind his Mallorca result. "It's all worth it for this moment right here, to be standing here as a champion of an ATP event." Read Eubanks' First-Time Winner Q&A

Tallon Griekspoor, Pune
Griekspoor entered 2023 with a perfect 8-0 record in ATP Challenger Tour finals. At the start of 2024, he made it 1-0 in title matches on the ATP Tour with a comeback win against Benjamin Bonzi at the Tata Open Maharashtra.

"It means everything to me," said Griekspoor, who turned 27 in July. "It’s something you dream of and work for."

The Dutchman, who did not drop a set at the ATP 250 until the final, backed up his Pune title with a second tour-level crown, on home soil later in the year in 's-Hertogenbosch. Read Griekspoor's First-Time Winner Q&A

Pedro Cachin, Gstaad
The 28-year-old Cachin earned his Top 50 debut in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings behind his maiden tour-level title at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.

At the clay-court ATP 250, the Argentine won his first eight sets to reach the final, including a 7-6(4), 7-6(3) upset of top seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round. He capped his run with a comeback three-set victory against another Spaniard, Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

"I fought my whole life for this," Cachin said of the triumph. "I left home when I was very young to try and be a tennis player. I never imagined that I’d win an ATP event." Read Cachin's First-Time Winner Q&A