Den Bosch Dream: World No. 205 Tim van Rijthoven defeats Daniil Medvedev for first ATP title

WINNING MOMENT: Van Rijthoven Conquers Den Bosch

Dream week completed.

Wild card Tim van Rijthoven capped off a tournament to remember on home soil Sunday, upending top seed Daniil Medvedev, 6-4, 6-1, to lift his first ATP trophy at the Libema Open in 's-Hertogenbosch.

A day after securing his first Top 10 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Dutchman added his first Top 5 win by breaking Medvedev four times. After the world No. 2 saved a championship point in holding to avoid a second-set bagel, van Rijthoven served out the final at love to clinch the ATP 250 grass-court event.

“What a dream, this week. I would like to thank my team for staying humble this week, doing the normal things, not making this thing any bigger than it was," he said afterwards.

It was a remarkable showing in more ways than one for the 25-year-old. This tournament marked van Rijthoven’s first crack at a tour-level main draw since the 2016 Winston-Salem Open and the only victory he had credited to his name at that level came in a 2016 Davis Cup tie when he beat Sweden's Mikael Ymer.

Van Rijthoven nearly qualified at this year's Roland Garros, falling to Norbert Gombos in the final round after being edged out in a pair of tiebreaks. He was then tripped up in the first round of qualifying at Surbiton, an ATP Challenger Tour event on grass, coming into this event.

Medvedev was bidding for his first title since becoming a major champion at the 2021 US Open. He will return to the top of the ATP rankings come Monday, replacing Novak Djokovic.

As for Van Rijthoven, who began the week at No. 205, his efforts in taking out the top three seeds en route to the crown are projected to elevate him to just outside the Top 100.