Juan Martin del Potro is the last non-European to win the Grand Slam title (Image: X and Agency)
Juan Martin del Potro’s historic 2009 US Open triumph remains the last time a non-European man won a Grand Slam singles title. More than 17 years later, that victory still stands as the most recent men’s singles Grand Slam title won by a player from outside Europe. From 2010 through 2026, every completed men’s singles Grand Slam has been won by a European player. Andy Murray of Great Britain also broke through during this period, winning Wimbledon twice and the 2012 US Open. Spain’s Alcaraz won the 2026 Australian Open, completing a career Grand Slam at just 22 years old. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Germany’s Alexander Zverev then captured his maiden Roland-Garros title in 2026 before adding the US Open trophy yesterday in New York. Italy’s Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, continued his rise by winning Wimbledon in 2026. Year Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open 2010 Roger Federer Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal 2011 Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic 2012 Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Roger Federer Andy Murray 2013 Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Andy Murray Rafael Nadal 2014 Stan Wawrinka Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic Marin Cilic 2015 Novak Djokovic Stan Wawrinka Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic 2016 Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Andy Murray Stan Wawrinka 2017 Roger Federer Rafael Nadal Roger Federer Rafael Nadal 2018 Roger Federer Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic 2019 Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal 2020 Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Cancelled Dominic Thiem 2021 Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Daniil Medvedev 2022 Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz 2023 Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic 2024 Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner 2025 Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz 2026 Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev Jannik Sinner Alexander Zverev The sport has produced major champions from outside Europe before, with the likes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Arthur Ashe, Guillermo Vilas and Del Potro proving that Grand Slam success is not restricted to one continent.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the only exception in terms of a tournament not having a champion was Wimbledon in 2020, which was cancelled. There was a time when men’s Grand Slam tennis had champions from across the globe. Australia, the United States, Argentina and South Africa all produced major winners, adding different styles and stories to the sport’s biggest tournaments. But the landscape has changed dramatically. The Argentine defeated five-time defending champion Roger Federer in a five-set final at Flushing Meadows, producing one of the biggest upsets of his career. The numbers make the change particularly striking. Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were responsible for much of Europe’s extraordinary dominance during the 2010s. Nadal repeatedly ruled Roland-Garros, Djokovic collected titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, while Federer continued to add major trophies. Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka, Croatia’s Marin Cilic and Austria’s Dominic Thiem were among the other Europeans to lift Grand Slam trophies. The transition to the next generation has not changed the geographical pattern. He became the youngest man to win all four major singles titles. His Paris triumph also made him the first German man to win Roland-Garros in the Open Era. But the modern era tells a very different story. From Federer and Nadal to Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner and Zverev, European players have controlled the biggest stages for more than a decade and a half. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Since then, the men’s Grand Slam scene has been dominated almost entirely by European stars. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic drove the first part of that era, before the next generation led by Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev continued the trend.