Who says men's tennis is just a two-man show? Five new Masters champions have emerged from eight tournaments!

The smoke has cleared at the Shanghai Masters, with the younger cousin Vachero overcoming his older cousin Lindeknech to claim his maiden Masters trophy.

Across the nine ATP Masters tournaments this year, seven have been completed, and surprisinglyfive new Masters champions have been crowned. To put it simply, except for Alcaraz who won three Masters titles, past Masters winners have come up empty this year. So who are these five new champions? And which runners-up did they defeat?

Indian Wells: Draper, Rune

Miami: Menchik, Djokovic

At the early-season Sunshine double events, two new Masters champions were born. Interestingly, the runners-up at both tournaments are previous Masters winners. Notably, Rune’s only Masters title so far came by defeating Djokovic, as he performed brilliantly at the Paris Masters three years ago, overcoming several top-ten players on his way to the crown.

As for Djokovic, no introduction is needed—he is the only Golden Masters winner. Unfortunately, at this year’s Shanghai Masters, a fatigued Djokovic struggled by the semifinals and ultimately fell short of winning the title.

Draper and Menchik earned their first Masters titles thanks to impressive victories over the kings Alcaraz and Djokovic on their path. Draper’s triumph followed his breakthrough semifinal run at last year’s US Open; Menchik’s maiden career title being a Masters crown marked a dazzling debut reminiscent of Nadal’s early rise.

Madrid: Ruud, Draper

Ruud has consistently ranked inside the top 15 but has been criticized for never winning a major tournament despite reaching three Grand Slam finals and finishing runner-up once at both the ATP Finals and a Masters event.

This year, on his favored clay courts, he finally seized the opportunity. Building on last year’s first 500-level title, he broke through to claim his first Masters championship. Runner-up Draper also demonstrated his well-rounded game strength.

Toronto: Shelton, Khachanov

In recent years, the Toronto Masters has become a venue where many players win their first Masters title, including Sinner and Busta. This time, after reaching another Grand Slam semifinal, Shelton climbed steadily, defeating Khachanov—the Russian Thunder who once triumphed at the Paris Masters—to return to the top ten with this performance.

Shanghai: Vachero, Lindeknech

Vachero’s stunning performance needs no further elaboration, and his French cousin, who has lingered in the tennis scene for years, finally blossomed this year. As his defeated opponent Mei said: when Lindeknech is playing well, he can beat any player in the world.

What impression do these new Masters champions and their final opponents leave on you?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)