Fabian Marozsan continued his rapid rise after defeating Marin Cilic in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open. This was the Hungarian youngster’s seventh win over a player who has been ranked in the top 10 at least at one point of their careers, if not currently. And this is a massive achievement in the space of 9 months.
Marozsan is one of the newest faces on the ATP Tour, competing on the circuit only from mid-2023 onwards. Until then, he featured on the Challenger circuit. He soon broke into the top 100 and finished the year as World No.64, over 100 places up from his 2022 year-end rank of No.174.
The 24-year-old made his ATP debut in the 2023 Italian Open, reaching the fourth round. He defeated #32 seed Jiri Lehecka in the second round to set up a clash against Carlos Alcaraz. Marozsan recorded the biggest win of his nascent career, beating the World No.2 in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(4), in the third round. Borna Coric ended his dream run in the fourth round.
While Marozsan’s two Grand Slam outings ended prematurely, he again advanced deep into the Shanghai Masters. He defeated Alex de Minaur and then-World No.9 Casper Ruud en route to the quarter-finals.
In addition to two wins over players who were in the top 10 at the time of the match, Marozsan also has five wins over players who have been ranked in the top 10. Former World No.3 and 2014 US Open winner Cilic was his fifth scalp. Only a few days ago, he beat erstwhile World No.6 Gael Monfils in the ASB Classic. He collected wins over Roberto Bautista Agut and Richard Gasquet in 2023, both former top 10 players. De Minaur, one of Marozsan’s earliest top victims, recently broke into the top 10.
Marozsan seems to be developing a penchant for toppling prestigious opponents. This knack will surely help him continue his ascent and achieve new heights.
Who will Fabian Marozsan play next in the 2024 Australian Open?
By beating Marin Cilic and advancing to the second round, Fabian Marozsan has already outdone his previous best at the Australian Open by some distance. Last year, he went out in the first round of qualifying. A quick rise in rankings meant he no longer had to go through the qualifying process. Interestingly, his breakthrough 2023 Italian Open run happened after he came through the qualifiers.
Marozsan ‘s best Majors result is reaching the second round of the 2023 US Open. He is one win away from bettering it but a tricky, seeded opponent stands in the way. The Hungarian faces #22 seed Francisco Cerundolo, who is also a rising star. If he adds the Argentine to his giant-killing list, he could run into Taylor Fritz. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Lorenzo Musetti, and Luca van Assche are potential fourth-round opponents for him.
With three Challenger titles, Marozsan has accrued $724,590 in prize money so far. Currently ranked World No.65, the youngster will only go upwards. He may not go deep into the 2024 Australian Open, but will definitely be one to watch out for, especially with his tendency to hunt down big names.
