From watching his sister to upsetting the world's best
In short: Tomáš Macháč didn't just enter the tennis world; he climbed it through a relentless series of qualifiers and underdog victories. From his beginnings in Central Bohemia to defeating world number ones, his journey highlights a steady ascent from the ITF junior circuit to the pinnacle of the ATP.
Born in Beroun in 2000, Macháč’s path to the professional circuit was inspired by his older sister, Kateřina. He began his formal training at TK Sparta Prague at age eight. His early career was marked by a steady accumulation of experience on the ITF junior circuit, where he maintained a 60–43 singles record and reached a combined ranking of No. 16 by early 2018.
Macháč's rise was defined by a 'grinder' mentality, frequently navigating the Challenger circuit to build his ranking. He secured his first outdoor hardcourt title in early 2022, which propelled him into the top 130. His breakthrough into the elite levels came in 2024, a year of historic milestones: he secured his first top-20 win against Frances Tiafoe at the Australian Open and reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal after a grueling three-and-a-half-hour victory over Andy Murray.
The 2024 season saw Macháč reach a new echelon of competition, notably defeating world number one Novak Djokovic in a Geneva Open semifinal. He also secured a significant upset against world number two Carlos Alcaraz during the Shanghai Masters. These performances propelled him to the Czech No. 1 ranking and a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 20 in March 2025, following his first 500-level title at the Mexican Open.
Beyond individual accolades, Macháč has proven his versatility in team and doubles play. Competing for the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup, he earned a 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal in mixed doubles with his previous teammate, Kateřina Siniaková. Despite a challenging 19.05% win rate against top-10 opponents, his ability to upset elite seeds remains his hallmark.
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