Player of the Week: Filip Krajinovic

Every week Baseline will select a “Player of the Week.” That athlete may not always win the highest category tournament that week, but perform the best compared to their recent playing history.

A Cinderella story always deserves recognition. Who had heard of Filip Krajinovic before he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Paris? Ranked No. 77 going into Paris, the Serbian has jumped up to No. 33 thanks to his unexpected run.

Krajinovic was unseeded in the qualifying draw, where he won two rounds before scoring upsets over seeded players Sam Querrey (in the round of 32) and John Isner (in the semifinals). Yes, Krajinovic benefitted from Rafael Nadal withdrawing from their quarterfinal, but the 25-year-old even led by a set against eventual champion Jack Sock in the final.

Krajinovic is the lowest ranked player to play an ATP Masters 1000 final since 2003, as well as the first qualifier to reach a Masters final since 2012.

While Sock deserves all the recognition in the world for cracking the Top 10 and slipping into the ATP Finals, one shouldn't forget about the little-known Serbian that stepped into the big-league spotlight for the first time in his career.