Acapulco, February 24: American player Patrick Kipson pulled off a significant upset in the first round of the Mexican Open. He defeated sixth seed and two-time champion Alex de Minaur with a score of 6-1, (4)6-7, 7-6(4). This victory marks Kipson’s first tour-level win since Indian Wells in 2024.
This match was Kipson’s debut at the Mexican tournament, coinciding with him achieving his career-high ranking earlier that week. Meanwhile, de Minaur was competing in his first event since winning a title in Rotterdam two weeks prior.
Kipson turned the match around by breaking de Minaur’s serve. The Australian managed to win the last set 5-4, concluding a challenging match that lasted two hours and 39 minutes.
According to ATP stats, the American player excelled after his first serve, winning 71% of points (48 out of 68) and converting three out of five break chances.
After the match, Kipson expressed his satisfaction, stating, “It feels great to win. Everything was essential. I needed to serve well. I had to return effectively. I hit my forehand strongly. Luckily, I was able to maintain those aspects for a long time.”
Kipson is currently ranked World No. 103 and has climbed seven spots to No. 93 in the ATP live rankings. The 26-year-old was among six players who won a total of four ATP Challenger titles in 2025. In the second round, he will face Brandon Nakashima, who defeated Elias Ymer 6-3, 6-4.
In the opening round, 2025 runner-up Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also began his campaign in Acapulco impressively, winning in straight sets. The Spanish player defeated Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-3 in just 94 minutes. He will meet Rinky Hijikata or Mattea Bellucci in the next round.
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