Over the decades, the game of tennis has witnessed numerous legendary teenage tennis stars who have revolutionised the history of the game and have left millions of tennis aficionados from all over the world absolutely stunned after defeating the most seasoned tennis players ranked at the World No. 1 position.
From Martina Hingis, who defeated the all-time great Steffi Graf in the quarter-finals of the 1996 Italian Open at the young age of fifteen, to Carlos Alcaraz, who brutally defeated the legendary tennis stalwart Rafael Nadal on clay and then followed up by beating Novak Djokovic (World No. 1) in the 2022 Madrid Open, the decades-long history of tennis has witnessed numerous trailblazing teenage tennis icons who have left the fans absolutely stunned with their roaring exploits on the court.
In this article we will take a look at the top four teenage tennis stars who have defeated the World No. 1 players in their careers, leaving the fans shocked.
Top 4 Teenager Tennis Stars Who Defeated World No.1 Players
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Martina Hingis
Often hailed as one of the most dynamic and successful female tennis players in the world, the Swiss former professional tennis player Martina Hingis, who was ranked as the world No. 1 in women’s singles by the Women’s Tennis Association(WTA) for 209 weeks, is at the first spot in our list of the top four most iconic teenage tennis players who have defeated the World No.1 tennis stalwarts.
Martina Hingis defeated one of the most dominant female tennis players of all-time, Steffi Graf, in the quarter-finals of the 1996 Italian Open at the young age of fifteen, garnering immense praise and recognition from tennis aficionados from all over the world. Throughout her star-studded professional tennis career, Martina Hingis clinched a record total of 43 WTA Tour-level singles titles and 64 doubles titles, including a total of 25 major titles.
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Tracy Austin
At the second spot in our list of the top four teenage tennis stars who have defeated the World No. 1 players in their careers, leaving the fans shocked, we have the American former professional tennis player Tracy Austin, who was ranked as the world No. 1 in women’s singles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for 21 weeks.
Often regarded as one of the most successful female tennis players of all-time, Tracy Austin brutally defeated the then World No. 1 female professional tennis player Chris Evert in the 1979 U.S. Open at the age of sixteen years and eight months, leaving the fans of the game absolutely stunned. Tracy Austin’s spine-chilling victory over Chris Evert at the 1979 U.S. Open continues to be one of the most remarkable teenage upsets in the history of the game.
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Carlos Alcaraz
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four most iconic teenage tennis players who have defeated the World No.1 tennis stalwarts, we have the legendary Spanish professional tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, who is currently ranked as the world No. 1 in men’s singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
Widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful professional tennis players in the world, Carlos Alcaraz made headlines after defeating the trailblazing tennis player Rafael Nadal on clay and then followed up by beating Novak Djokovic (World No. 1) in the 2022 Madrid Open at the age of nineteen ranking him at the third spot in our list.
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Mirra Andreeva
Finally, at the fourth spot on our list of the top four teenage tennis stars who have defeated the World No. 1 players in their careers, leaving the fans shocked, we have the iconic Russian professional tennis player Mirra Andreeva, who achieved a career-high singles WTA ranking of No. 5 on 14 July 2025.
The Olympic silver medalist Mirra Andreeva garnered immense attention from millions of tennis aficionados from all over the world after defeating the World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2025 Indian Wells at the age of seventeen establishing herself as one of the most successful and dominant teenage tennis players of all-time. Moreover, Mirra Andreeva also clinched an Olympic silver medal 2024 in Paris in women’s doubles, partnering with Diana Shnaider.
