The best ATP tour players without a Masters 1000 title

Carlos Navarro - 20 Oct 2026 | 20:17
Felix Auger Aliassime Alex de Miñaur ATP Masters 1000 frances tiafoe

After Davidovich's conquest of Shanghai, we look to the circuit to try to answer a question: what is the best player still without a Masters 1000?

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Aliassime and Musetti, among the best without a Masters 1000?

When Alejandro Davidovich lifted the champion's trophy of the ATP Shanghai 2026, many fans of the circuit recognized this victory as an unmistakable sign of the talent he has always possessed. Throughout the history of the current hierarchy of events, there have been many geniuses without major crowns, exceptional players who could never leave their mark in at least one Masters 1000 tournament.

In previous decades, reaching the finals in a major tournament was almost impossible. The heavy burden carried by names like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, or Andy Murray, along with the later arrival of two new aliens like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, prevented the pie from being shared in several portions, reducing what many wanted to turn into a feast to mere crumbs. After a season where the physical ailments of the Italian and the Spaniard have loosened their reign, coupled with years of greater volatility at the top of the circuit, many aspirants have taken the opportunity to profit and stamp their name in a major tournament. Others, after years of consistency at the top or immense talent, have yet to achieve this. Who is the best player on the ATP circuit, still active, who has not yet claimed a Masters 1000? We will try to answer the question with several candidates.

Candidates to be the best player on the circuit without a Masters 1000

Felix Auger-Aliassime: He is only 26 years old... but the tennis world feels that the Canadian has already reached his ceiling. Even he himself may have felt this, considering his split with his long-time coach, Fréderic Fontang, and the addition of Ivan Ljubicic, with whom he wants to take the leap to the "next level." Ranked number three in the world and a Grand Slam semifinalist, the fact that eight of his nine titles have come on indoor hard courts significantly reduces his candidacy: currently, only one Masters 1000 is played on that surface, and Jannik Sinner will always be present there. Perhaps his best chance occurred in the Madrid 2024 final, in an erratic match where he was unable to get the better of Rublev. He has time to escape this designation, but no one to date has come this far without success in major events like the Canadian.

Alex de Miñaur: Consistency, regularity, guaranteed presence in the later rounds... but a very clear ceiling and a little curse in these types of tournaments. It's strange to see how Alex has only reached the semifinals of Masters 1000 on two occasions: on one of those occasions, he managed to advance to the title match, but there awaited a hungry Jannik Sinner looking to break through in these events. The Australian has not yet taken a step forward in this type of tournament, which contrasts vastly with his performance in ATP 500 events, where he has accumulated four titles and six finals. Perhaps this encapsulates very well the borders he has always collided with throughout his career, but after seeing surprising winners over the last five years, it is surprising to see how Demon was never able to capitalize on a somewhat more open draw.

Frances Tiafoe: The American's career may go somewhat unnoticed by the general public: the fact that most of his significant performances have taken place solely in the United States contributes to this, but we are talking about a guy who has been just one set away from reaching a Grand Slam final on a couple of occasions... and who already has two Masters 1000 finals under his belt. He has always fallen just short in Cincinnati, a place that has always brought good news for him, as he pursues that major event that would signify the culmination of so many years of sacrifice. A pure talent who has straightened his path in 2026, minimizing lazy days and positioning himself to break out in the next two seasons... but so far without a reward yet.

Lorenzo Musetti: At 24 years old, it is still too early to rule out a wizard who can stand out from the rest on a specific surface. The clay court swing will offer multiple opportunities for the Carrara native, who will need, just like his compatriot, some relief from physical ailments to claim victory. His best moments coincided with the most dominant Carlos Alcaraz, preventing him from tasting metal in Monte Carlo or Rome, but the feeling is that Lolo will always be one of those perennial candidates to break through in events like Monaco or Rome. Outside of natural surfaces, his chances diminish, but he may be the purest talent among all those who still have not made their mark in the Masters 1000. 

Matteo Berrettini: It would be easy to lean on injuries to discuss Matteo as one of those cursed geniuses; the cruelty of the tournament structure could also be put forward as a factor (how different would the Italian's life be if we had a grass Masters 1000, eh?). The truth is that the Italian missed his biggest window of opportunity, between 2021 and early 2022, during a time when Nadal and Djokovic still monopolized the major tournaments: his power, ball speed, and talent fell short despite coming close in Madrid 2021, where he lost a tightly contested match against Sascha Zverev. Since then, it has been a mix of highs and lows for a guy always labeled as extremely dangerous, but who has yet to elevate his record, even in best-of-three matches. At 30 years old, there is still time to remedy this, although it seems less likely than ever. And you, who would you choose? Let us know in the comments.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los mejores jugadores del circuito ATP sin un Masters 1000