None of these players have reached the top 10 and casual fans may not know them, but when they take to the court, hardcore followers tune in and tennis social media comes alive.
Here are six “cult favourites” to keep an eye on during Australian Open 2022 — whether it be for their electrifying tennis or the unique energy they bring to the court.
Danielle Collins
Few players come as intense and competitive as American Danielle Collins, and when her game is clicking, she’s one of the toughest to stop.
Collins has never been higher than No.23 in the world but she stormed to the AO 2019 semifinals, routing second-ranked Angelique Kerber 6-0 6-2 along the way. She destroyed fifth-ranked Elina Svitolina 6-1 6-1 to open her 2020 season and in 2021 built a 12-match winning streak that included titles in Palermo and San Jose.
“My will to win is what separates me from so many different players,” she once said. “I have the determination and the tenacity. I know I can win every match.”
Let's talk trash talk. ?
— TENNIS (@Tennis) May 22, 2020
The unanimous answer for who's the best at it?
Danielle Collins. ?
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After beating Kerber at AO 2019, she added: “I'm feisty. I love making it kind of a war. If somebody wants to get in my face on my unforced errors, I have no problem getting right back at them and making it a feisty match. I love that, embrace it. I love when things get competitive.”
This competitive spirit is reflected in her instagram handle — @DanimalCollins — and her on-court fire has earned her the nickname “DanYell” on social media.
Frances Tiafoe
A flashy, fearsome talent, Frances Tiafoe is a promoter’s dream.
He may be yet to rise above 29th in the rankings, but the American has a passionate following — including more than 200,000 Instagram followers and several dedicated fan accounts — and elevates his game on the biggest stages.
He frequently pushed the world’s best to the brink, energising New York crowds when he almost beat Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev at the US Open before falling to both in five. But coming into Wimbledon in 2021, his record against top 10 opponents was 3-21.
Now he’s won four of his past six against top-10 players and has improved his ranking from 74th to 38th in a similar span, ending the 2021 season with 42 match wins.
At Australian Open 2019 he reached his one and (so far) only major quarterfinal, celebrating memorably with each victory.
His unorthodox playing style, explosive athleticism, abundant power and connection with crowds make his matches appointment viewing.
Camila Giorgi
Giorgi first truly captured attention when, as a 136th-ranked qualifier, she hit Caroline Wozniacki off Arthur Ashe Stadium in the third round of the 2013 US Open.
Ever fascinating is the fact her incredible power is generated from such a small, slight frame.
Noted Madison Keys: "If you catch Camila Giorgi on her good day, it's wraps. Like, you're out there fighting for your life (laughter). Because when she plays her best tennis, she's so good.”
The Italian’s peak level has earned her the nickname “GOATmila” on social media and it shows in her career record; despite never cracking the top 25 she owns 13 career wins over top-10 opponents, including four in 2021 alone.
She won the WTA 1000 title in Montreal — the biggest of her career — while ranked 71st.
Giorgi has more than half-a-million followers on Instagram yet retains a certain mystique. She never speaks on her social media channels, conducts relatively few interviews, and once even claimed not to follow tennis and thus could not comment on Serena Williams ahead of their 2018 Wimbledon quarterfinal.
The 29-year-old elaborated on that Wimbledon quote in Montreal, and the takeaway? She’s too busy living her best life.
Benoit Paire
Paire has been a top-50 presence for years, entering Australian Open folklore as the winner of this epic second-round match against Nick Kyrgios in 2014.
The charismatic Frenchman, who peaked at world No.18 in January 2016, was profiled in Racquet magazine, where writer Thessaly La Force observed: “Though Paire has a formidable two-handed backhand, and enjoys pleasing the crowd with ill-advised drop-shots and gratuitous, often cavalier tweeners, he has gained a cult following for being something of, well, a maniac on the court… Paire’s temper-tantrums, coupled with his flair for looking like a contender on the reality television show Love Island, have made him something of an anomaly in the tennis world.”
Indeed, Paire’s on-court look — highlighted by a majestic beard, popped collar and often varying shades of hair-colour — make him an eye-catching figure on tour.
As does his shot-making, which has inspired several highlights packages on YouTube.
His talent is undeniable, and after a rough patch when tennis resumed in August 2020 following its COVID-related suspension, he rediscovered a winning feeling with recent quarterfinals in Hamburg, Gstaad and Cincinnati.
Kaia Kanepi
When a top player is upset at a Grand Slam tournament, they are sometimes said to have been “Kanepied”.
This term translates to “beaten by Kaia Kanepi” and it has occurred several times when the 36-year-old Estonian is healthy and striking the ball well.
She has built an outrageous Grand Slam record dating back to 2008, all the more notable given she’s never been ranked higher than 15th and has throughout her career battled injuries and illness.
That record includes six major quarterfinals and wins over eight top-10 players, including world No.1 Simona Halep in the first round of the 2018 US Open.
The big-hitting Kanepi is the most potent of “dangerous floaters” in a Grand Slam draw and everybody knows it — AO 2020 champion Sofia Kenin admitted she “maybe kind of broke down a little bit” when she learned she would face Kanepi in the second round at AO 2021.
Sure enough, Kanepi, then ranked 65th, smacked 10 aces among 22 winners to dismiss the defending champion in just 64 minutes.
Alexander Bublik
Bublik peaked at world No.34 in September and in 2021 led the ATP Tour in aces struck.
But while the 196cm-tall Russian-turned-Kazakh can clearly pound down powerful serves, it’s his cheeky underarm deliveries which attract fans, along with his tendency to speak more candidly than most other players.
He says he has no idea what shot he will play until the ball arrives. He once said he would already have retired had he earned more prize money. He jokingly labelled Jannik Sinner as “not a human”. And he channelled Daniil Medvedev in this hilarious on-court interview.
Bublik is a mercurial shotmaker is the Nick Kyrgios mold — Kyrgios is a fan of the 24-year-old — and he has increasingly troubled the world’s best, posting three straight wins over top-10 opponents between September 2020 and March 2021 and pushing top seed Medvedev to the brink at the Canada Masters in August.