Best ATP Tour comebacks of 2024: Tiafoe, Thompson top the tally

To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual 'Best Of' series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more.

From saving match points, overcoming the brink of defeat to eventually lifting the trophy, or a narrow escape in a high-stakes match, today we highlight the five best comebacks from ATP Tour tournaments in 2024.

5) Dubai R2, Lehecka d. Khachanov 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4
Czechia's Jiri Lehecka produced fearless hitting in pressure moments to save five match points in Dubai and down fourth seed Karen Khachanov, who had captured the Doha title the week prior and was on a five-match winning streak.

All of Khachanov’s match points came on Lehecka’s serve late in the second set, but the 23-year-old relied on his booming forehand to pull him out of near defeat at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. In the decider, Khachanov seemingly recovered from his blip, gaining a 4-2 lead before Lehecka tallied four consecutive games to seal the match. Lehecka fell to his knees in relief and celebration.

4) Shanghai R3, Paul d. Tabilo 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-2
All signs pointed towards a routine, straight-sets win for Alejandro Tabilo when he led American Tommy Paul 7-6(2), 5-1 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The 27-year-old then held five match points on his serve at 5-2 in the second set when suddenly things began to change.

On Tabilo’s fifth match point, he put pressure on Paul by closing the net, but the American hit a perfect cross-court backhand passing shot to stay alive, kick-starting his comeback victory. Paul reeled off 12 of the final 15 games to secure a hard-fought win.

3) Hong Kong R1, Struff d. Cilic 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(7)
On the second day of the year, Jan-Lennard Struff strung together a memorable comeback that stood the test of time to finish as one of this season’s most impressive comebacks. The 34-year-old, who was voted ATP Comeback Player of the Year by his peers in 2023, lived up to that title with an incredible escape at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open.

Struff saved a whopping nine match points to escape 2014 US Open champion Cilic in a three-hour, six-minute clash between two of the heaviest hitters in the game. The German’s inspired performance is tied for second-most match points saved in a tour-level win since 2015.

"I just told myself, 'Let's go', to keep fighting, to never quit,” Struff said. “You have to give yourself the chance to fight back. It won’t be given to you and that's why it's such a great sport.”

Most Match Points Saved In An ATP Tour Win Since 2015:

2) Cincinnati SFs, Tiafoe d. Rune 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)
Home favourite Frances Tiafoe rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the third set against Holger Rune at the Cincinnati Open, where he was millimetres from losing the back-and-forth semi-final battle.

Tiafoe saved the first of two consecutive Rune match points at 4-5 in the deciding set with a forehand that slightly clipped the top of the net, before the ball popped over to stave off the American’s elimination. It drew gasps from the crowd as the ball seemingly floated in the air for minutes, but it was a half-second freeze in a thrilling clash.

Tiafoe held his nerve, forging a dramatic comeback to become the first American to reach the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 final since John Isner in 2013.

“That last set was nuts,” Tiafoe said. “I got really lucky there. I had a couple net cords, but I also battled. I competed really hard and put myself in position.”

1) Los Cabos QFs, Thompson d. Michelsen 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-5
Australian Jordan Thompson will not soon forget his maiden tour-level title run at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo, where he was on the brink of an emphatic defeat in the quarter-finals against Alex Michelsen.

The #NextGenATP American Michelsen won the first nine games of the match and could taste the finish line in Los Cabos, where he led 6-0, 4-1 and held two break points. Later, Thompson fended off three match points in that same set, before again finding himself in a hole trailing 3-5 in the decider. Thompson rose to the occasion once more, claiming four consecutive games in epic fashion.

“That’s probably one of the best comebacks I’ve ever had in my life, and [it was] in a quarter-final of a Tour event," said Thompson, who in August became the fourth player this century to crack the Top 30 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time aged 30 or older. "I was saying to myself that I literally haven’t been in front until 6-5 in the third set. So a long time being behind.”

Thompson’s memorable week did not stop there. In his next match, he converted his seventh match point to seal his upset against top seed Alexander Zverev after three hours and 40 minutes. Thompson eventually was crowned champion — defeating Casper Ruud in the final — not only in singles, but also in doubles with Max Purcell, with whom he later qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.

“I don’t think anyone would challenge my competitiveness,” said Thompson.

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