Thiago Tirante (Arg), world No.58
Having grown up grinding it out on the clay courts of La Plata, Argentina, it stood to reason Roland-Garros was where Tirante won his first Grand Slam match in 2023.
The now 25-year-old has raised it a notch in 2026 thanks to some of the biggest serving on tour, with victories over top-20 opponents Cameron Norrie and Cobolli to reach the fourth round at the Rome Masters.
It followed wins over the experienced Roberto Bautista Agut and 15th seed Tommy Paul to reach third round in Madrid and a second ATP semifinal in Houston on clay, where he foiled top seed Ben Shelton.