Tommy Paul’s momentum has been halted. The American sensation, fresh off his latest breakthrough into the Top 10, is officially eliminated for the Acapulco title race. Paul arrived in Mexico on the back of a semifinal finish against eventual champion Denis Shapavalov at the Dallas Open. He even started the season strong after securing a place in the last four of the Australian Open, where he bowed out to runner-up Alexander Zverev in a close-contested battle. At the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, the American star registered a commanding win over Gabriel Diallo, 6-2, 6-2, to set a Round of 16 date with Marcos Giron on Wednesday. While wins and losses are part of the program, this one screams something different entirely.
Acapulco’s ATP 500 event was thrown into disarray Wednesday, as a wave of stomach ailments decimated the draw. Stomach woes forced two former finalists to withdraw and another top contender to retire mid-match, contributing to a day that saw every Top 5 seed eliminated. This included Casper Ruud and Tommy Paul, who both forfeited their second-round matches.
“I’m so sorry I had to pull out tonight. I was hoping to overcome this stomach illness that showed up yesterday and tried everything I could to be able to play tonight, until the very last moment ,” Ruud wrote on Instagram. “Hoping to come back stronger in a couple of days and come back here to Mexico next year. Thanks for now, Acapulco !”
Paul withdrawal means that Giron – ranked 52 – will now move to the quarterfinals. He will next square off against Canadian Denis Shapovalov for a place in the last four on Thursday, February 27.
Tommy Paul withdrew ahead of his match vs Marcos Giron due to a stomach issue as per the tournament announcement. https://t.co/TnpGy3Ai31 https://t.co/I0FdM4kNeh
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) February 27, 2025
In a day of surprising results at Arena GNP Seguros, top seed Alexander Zverev was defeated by 19-year-old qualifier Learner Tien, and fifth seed Ben Shelton lost to David Goffin. On the other hand, eighth seed Tomas Machac and ninth seed Denis Shapovalov continued their winning streaks, with Machac set to face Tien in the next round and Shapovalov facing Giron.
For now, fans can only hope Paul focuses on recovery and returns for the upcoming Masters events in the North American swing. Thanks to his impressive Melbourne outing, Paul recorded a career-high No. 9 in ranking. The laudable feat not only earned him praises from the community, but even his influencer girlfriend, Lorenze Paige, gifted him a timeless piece to celebrate the milestone.
Her recent post from Instagram revealed the special gift she handed to her star boyfriend. Paige gifted the 27-year-old a watch which highlighted its unique message engraved on the back case reading – “Top Ten and Beyond With Love Paige.” Moreover, Paul also talked about his latest achievement by narrating a poignant tale that reignited his passion for tennis.
Tommy Paul reveals his big plans for the season
American star Tommy Paul has come a long way from where he was nearly ten years ago. He was ranked 1508 in December 2014. From that point to now, taking over the No. 9 spot sounds like a huge leap, indeed, but a journey filled with constant struggles. His late, but consistent maturation helped him achieve those goals from a point where he didn’t develop much taste for the sport until he turned 21.
Before kicking off his Mexican Open campaign, Paul explained the reasons for his motivation to break into the Top 10. “When I was young, I had very difficult moments in my relationship with tennis. I saw myself making many sacrifices without achieving the expected results. All my college friends were enjoying life, but when I turned 21 and saw them starting to settle into office jobs, I truly became aware of how privileged I was to dedicate myself to tennis.”
While many might believe that entering into the Top 10 will suffice for the American sensation, Paul thinks otherwise. “I believe I have a lot more to do. My main goal is to reach the top 5 and win more important tournaments than those I already have in my record. I will never be satisfied; I want more, and my goal is to improve every day to aim for very high levels of success.”
For now, Paul has no upcoming events lined up in his calendar. His next appearance depends on how quickly he recovers and gets back in shape for another tour-level adventure on the circuit.
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