The Curious Case of Tim van Rijthoven

Tim Van Rijthoven unexpected winner of the 's-Hertogenbosch tournament

Remember That Shooting Star Named Tim van Rijthoven?

Back in 2022, while the tennis world had its eyes fixed on the meteoric rise of Carlos Alcaraz, a mysterious Dutch player with a vintage playing style suddenly appeared on the scene—and quickly became the sensation of the grass court season.

Tim Van Rijthoven at Wimbledon 2022

At 25, the little-known Tim van Rijthoven received a wildcard to play on home soil at the ’s-Hertogenbosch tournament, a grass-court event that serves as preparation for Wimbledon. To everyone’s surprise, he took down top contenders Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime on his way to his very first ATP final, becoming the headline story of the week.

But the fairy tale didn’t stop there. Van Rijthoven pulled off an even bigger shock by crushing world number 2 Daniil Medvedev in the final, in front of a stunned crowd. Just a week earlier, Tim had never won a match on the main ATP tour—now, he was champion in ’s-Hertogenbosch.

Suffering from an elbow injury, Van Rijthoven struggles to make a comeback

Three years later, that dream run feels like a distant memory.

From Centre Court at Wimbledon to the depths of the Challenger circuit, the now 27-year-old isn’t even ranked in the ATP standings due to a long injury layoff. Sidelined by elbow problems, the Dutch prodigy saw his career come to a sudden halt just as it was beginning to take off. Absent from competition for two full seasons, Van Rijthoven has been fighting—so far in vain—to make his comeback.

His last main-tour victory dates back to January 2023, and the breakout star of summer 2022 seems to have vanished from the spotlight. But who knows? A return during the grass court swing isn’t out of the question—after all, Van Rijthoven has a knack for surprising people.