Thiago Seyboth Wild produced one of the biggest-ever upsets at the French Open as the world No 172 sent the second seed Daniil Medvedev crashing out of Roland Garros.
Seyboth Wild had not won a Tour-level match all year and arrived in Paris without a main-draw win at a grand slam, but produced a stunning performance to defeat Medvedev in five sets.
It was the fifth time Medvedev, the world No 2, had lost in the first round of the French Open but the Russian actually came into the tournament as one of the favourites after winning the Rome title last week and his improved form on clay.
Seyboth Wild, 23, was playing a fifth set for the first time but prevailed 7-6, 6-7, 2-6 6-3 6-4 to advance to the second round.
Who is Thiago Seyboth Wild?
A former tennis prodigy from Brazil, Seyboth Wild won the US Open boys’ title in 2018 and claimed his first ATP Tour title in Santiago in March 2020. In doing so, he became the first player born in the 2000s to win an ATP Tour title, a feat he achieved before the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune.
He was on the cusp of the world’s top-100 at the end of his breakthrough year but a couple of difficult seasons of results on the court, combined with injuries, stunted his development through the ranks.
Coming into 2023, Seyboth had not played a tour level tournament in over a year and was without a main draw victory at a grand slam. But on the Challenger circuit, he concentrated on the clay-court tournaments and found form coming into Roland Garros, winning 21 out of 24 Challenger-level matches and claiming titles in Vina del Mar and Buenos Aires.
Seyboth Wild’s victory over Medvedev was a major shock. In beating the Russian, Seyboth Wild became the first player to knock out a top-two seed in the opening round at Roland-Garros since 2000.
Domestic abuse allegations
In October 2021, Seyboth Wild denied domestic abuse allegations made by his ex-girlfriend in Brazil. He faced a police investigation but said the allegations were “false, fabricated, and vengeful”.
There was a tense exchange in Seyboth Wild’s press conference when he was asked about an ongoing legal process following a complaint of domestic abuse by an ex-girlfriend in 2021.
“I don’t think it’s a subject we should talk about it right here,” said the Brazilian. “I don’t think it’s a question you should be making to anybody.”
What else did he say afterwards?
"I watched Daniil play since I was junior and beating him on such a court is a dream come true,” Seyboth Wild said on court.
“I wanted to get the angles, using my forehand against his, and it worked pretty well.
“It was tough. I started cramping in the second set, and I couldn’t serve the way I wanted to. I stayed strong mentally, and I played my best tennis. I’m really happy with the way I played.
“I don’t know whether my coach will let me rest all day. That’s the way tennis works. You stay on the court, you work hard, and you get your reward.”
Who will he play next?
Guido Pella or Quentin Halys await in the second round.
