Serena Williams can return from 22 February – but will she?
American great Serena Williams is eligible to return to competition on 22 February when she will have completed the reinstatement process.
American great Serena Williams is eligible to return to competition on 22 February when she will have completed the reinstatement process.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard announced the end of his partnership with long-time coach Emmanuel Planque on Sunday.
Since beginning their work together, Mpetshi Perricard captured his first two ATP Tour titles, triumphing in Lyon and Basel in 2024, and climbed to a career-high No. 29 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Under Planque’s guidance, the Frenchman established himself as one of the Tour’s most imposing servers and a rising force on the men’s circuit.
“After four years working together, my partnership with Emmanuel Planque has come to an end,” Mpetshi Perricard wrote in French on social media. “Manu, thank you for all your hard work and total commitment, which have helped me grow not only as a tennis player, but as a person.
“This stage will be very important in my journey.”
View this post on Instagram
Standing at 6’8”, Mpetshi Perricard broke through on the ATP Tour in 2024, when he claimed both of his titles and made rapid strides behind an explosive serve and aggressive game style.
His momentum slowed in 2025, however, as he struggled to find consistency, finishing the season with a 19-26 tour-level record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
Competing as the World No. 56, Mpetshi Perricard opens his campaign at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam on Tuesday against seventh seed Tallon Griekspoor, who won their only previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Arthur Fils’ smile said it all in Rotterdam.
After months of rehab, doubt and patience-testing days away from the Tour following a stress fracture in his lower back, the Frenchman is back where he belongs and ready to compete, chase wins and feel the buzz of the sport once again.
“It has been a very, very long time, about eight months really, so I am just so pleased to be back,” Fils told ATPTour.com. “It feels so good. To feel the excitement again, the crowd, the atmosphere. I am ready.”
Fils’ injury troubles began during the 2025 clay season, when he suffered a back stress fracture at Roland Garros in May. The issue forced him to withdraw from his home major ahead of the third round and miss the grass swing entirely. He returned briefly at the start of August in Toronto, where he played two matches and earned one win, but the comeback proved premature.
The 21-year-old’s back was not ready for the demands of the Tour and another extended spell on the sidelines followed before he finally made his return at the ATP 250 event in Montpellier last week, reaching the quarter-finals.
For a player used to building rhythm through matches, the months away were especially difficult. The physical rehab was demanding, but the mental challenge of being absent and watching others compete proved even tougher.
“It was very mental, to be honest,” Fils said. “It was more being on the sidelines than the pain itself. At one point I stopped watching tennis completely because I just wanted to be there. When you can’t be there and you’re watching the matches, it’s more painful. You feel like you’re missing something every week. I found that a real challenge, and a little lonely at times.”
[NO 1 CLUB]With the calendar moving on, Fils focused on the long view. Together with his team, he resisted the temptation to rush back, instead committing to a careful and methodical rehabilitation process.
“We had to take our time,” Fils said. “We built up the strength in the gym first and then slowly returned to the court. My team and I were very careful because the back is such a major area. We needed to build it up slowly, with a lot of strengthening and flexibility work to build up mobility. There was no point rushing anything.”
On the tougher days, Fils leaned on reminders of what he had already achieved and why the work was worth it. Before the injury halted his momentum, the 21-year-old had climbed to a career-high No. 14 in the PIF ATP Rankings and captured ATP Tour titles in Lyon (2023), Hamburg (2024) and Tokyo (2024).
“You have to think about that and the past success to push on,” Fils said. “I knew that I was playing very good tennis before I got injured, and I had already done some good things on the Tour. So I told myself, ‘You just have to wait, take the time, and when you come back, you’ll play as good as you did before.’”
That belief carried him through the final stages of rehab and into his long-awaited return in Montpellier. After nearly eight months away, questions remained over how his body would respond and how quickly match sharpness would return.
“The most important thing in Montpellier was to see how the body felt,” Fils said. “After eight months, the first match is never easy. You always have questions. But the body felt good and the mind felt good as well. That was the biggest positive.”
Fils earned reassurance with wins against Valentin Royer and Ugo Blanchet en route to the quarter-finals, before eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime proved too strong. Beyond the results, simply being back around the Tour again carried its own significance.
“I received a lot of messages of support from friends on the Tour,” Fils said. “That meant a lot. And it was really nice to see everyone again, especially in the locker room. You realise how much you missed those small things when you are back.”
[ATP APP]Now in the Netherlands, Fils continues his comeback at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, where he opens against top seed and two-time finalist Alex de Minaur. With his body responding well, the focus has shifted to balance, managing expectations and trusting the work already done.
“I’m taking it one match at a time,” Fils said. “I feel good physically, which is the most important thing. I’m ready to play here and really looking forward to it. But I’m also trying to be smart. Not staying on site too long, going back to the hotel, saving energy. It’s about finding the right balance.
“I know how much work we have put in to come back, so I’m not worried about the back. I don’t have stress or pressure. I just feel good to be back playing. I can’t go out on court overthinking. I just trust the work we have done.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Novak Djokovic is no stranger to excellence, and on Sunday evening he found himself appreciating it from a different perspective.
Just seven days after reaching his 11th Australian Open final, where he fell to World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, the 38-year-old Serbian attended the figure skating team event at the Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina.
[NO 1 CLUB]Djokovic, sitting alongside his wife Jelena, was visibly captivated by 21-year-old phenom Ilia Malinin after he had helped the United States to Olympic gold.
“I did see Djokovic, it’s so unreal,” Malinin said after his skate. “I heard that after I landed my backflip, he had his hands over his head. That’s incredible. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment: Seeing a famous tennis player watching my performance… I’m absolutely blown away.”
View this post on Instagram
The Olympic Games hold special meaning for Djokovic. In Paris in 2024, he completed one of the final missing pieces of his resume, defeating Lexus ATP Head2Head rivals Rafael Nadal and Alcaraz en route to his first gold medal. It was a victory he has since called one of the most important of his illustrious career.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Felix Auger-Aliassime has climbed in the PIF ATP Rankings after he successfully defended his title at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week as of Monday 9 February.
[ATP APP]No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, +2
The 25-year-old has risen two spots to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his title success in Montpellier. The Canadian dropped just one set en route to his ninth tour-level title and eighth on indoor hard courts.
No. 52 Adrian Mannarino, +18
The Frenchman reached the final in Montpellier, his first at tour-level since he won in Sofia in 2023. The 37-year-old recorded three three-set wins to advance to his maiden championship match on French soil.
No. 97 Luca Nardi, +7
Nardi is back in the Top 100 following victories against Nikoloz Basilashvili and Flavio Cobolli in Montpellier.
No. 120 Titouan Droguet, +30 (Career High)
Droguet has jumped to a career-high No. 120 after he came through qualifying in Montpellier to reach his first tour-level semi-final in Montpellier. The 24-year-old beat seed Tallon Griekspoor in the quarter-finals but couldn’t overcome Auger-Aliassime in the semis.
No. 130 Martin Damm, +30 (Career High)
Like Droguet, Damm has moved 30 places after reaching the Montpellier semis as a qualifier. The 22-year-old American saved a match point in qualifying and then defeated former Top 10 stars Hubert Hurkacz and Roberto Bautista Agut to advance to the last four at a tour-level event for the first time.
It is rare that you will find a Croatian and a Frenchman in a barbecue restaurant in Dallas, Texas. But such is the nature of the ATP Tour that the greatest tennis players in the world, like 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic and 2025 breakthrough lefty Terence Atmane, get to savour the spectacle of the cities they visit.
The Europeans learned about local barbecue from pit masters at Hutchins BBQ, and they even were able to look into multiple active smokers and ask questions about the heat at which food is cooked, the wood that is used and more before digging into a meal themselves ahead of the Nexo Dallas Open.
“It was a fantastic day, a great experience,” Cilic said. “Coming for the first time [for barbecue] in Texas definitely makes it even more special. And then seeing the process of how the meat is prepared and how much care is taken about the food and all the preparation, it was absolutely worth it.
“We tried it in the end and it was an incredible, incredible experience, one of the best meals I’ve had in a very, very long time. So I’m definitely going to be going to be back. And of course, looking forward to start a nice week here in Dallas.”
<img alt=”Marin Cilic and Terence Atmane enjoy a day at a popular Dallas barbecue restaurant.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/09/03/55/atmane-cilic-dallas-2026-barbecue.jpg?w=100%25″ />
Cilic and Atmane visited the restaurant in the morning and there was already a lengthy line outside. The competitors at the ATP 500 event held in Texas quickly learned why when they dug into ribs, brisket, ‘Texas Twinkies’ and more.
“Honestly, today’s experience at the barbecue was just truly unbelievable. I will never forget it,” Atmane said. “And sharing this with Marin was exceptional. The meat was absolutely insane, trying to see the process of everything, to see the machine, the smokers, and to try the food was truly unbelievable.
“I’m so happy I had the chance to see this and hopefully next year I can come back.”
<img alt=”Terence Atmane and Marin Cilic enjoy a meal at a barbecue restaurant in Dallas.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/09/04/35/atmane-cilic-dallas-2026-barbecue-rib.jpg” />
Cilic will begin his Nexo Dallas Open against sixth seed Learner Tien. A win for the former No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings would mark his 600th tour-level singles victory. Atmane will take on eighth seed Frances Tiafoe in the first round.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The world’s biggest celebrities often gather at the Super Bowl. On Sunday, Roger Federer was one of the global icons in attendance for the Seattle Seahawks’ win against the New England Patriots.
This was not the first time the ATP No. 1 Club member has been at the biggest NFL game of the year. Federer also attended the Super Bowl while he was the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2008.
“I was at the Super Bowl in ’08 in Arizona when Tom Brady was going for the perfect season and then we had the catch, I remember, on the helmet, from the Giants to win the game that Eli Manning passed,” Federer said in a social media interview with the NFL. “So that was my favourite memory obviously of being in the stadium.”
Other celebrities in attendance include Bon Jovi, Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian. Bad Bunny headlined the halftime show.
Before the game, Federer was asked which Super Bowl halftime show has been his favourite.
“From YouTube, everything I saw, [it] was Michael Jackson, the moment when he comes and he shows up, that was awesome. Then I liked Eminem and 50 Cent and Dr. Dre,” Federer said. “That’s music I also grew up with.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Dhakshineswar Suresh pulled off a perfect weekend to propel India to its best Davis Cup result in recent history on Sunday in Bengaluru.
The No. 457 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Suresh upset No. 162 Guy Den Ouden 6-4, 7-6(4) to earn India a milestone 3-2 triumph against the Netherlands in the first round of the 2026 Davis Cup qualifiers. Suresh had already stunned World No. 88 Jesper de Jong in straight sets on Saturday, while he also teamed with Yuki Bhambri on Sunday morning for a crucial 7-6(0) 3-6, 7-6(1) doubles victory against Sander Arends and David Pel.
A Davis Cup finalist in 1966, 1974 and 1987, India has now won three consecutive Davis Cup ties for the first time since 2013-14. In 2025, they defeated Togo before stunning Switzerland to reach the 2026 Qualifiers, and having now seen off 2024 finalist the Netherlands, the Asian country is into the second Qualifier round for the first time since the format was introduced in 2019.
Standing between India and a place at November’s Davis Cup Finals will be South Korea. The 2018 Australian Open semi-finalist Hyeon Chung, who has struggled with persistent injuries in recent years, delivered the crucial blow for his country when he defeated Marco Trungelliti 6-4, 6-3 to seal a 3-2 win against Argentina in Busan.
The United States, Canada, France, and Czechia will also compete in September’s second round of Qualifiers. The USA completed a 4-0 triumph against Hungary after Australian Open doubles champion Christian Harrison teamed with Austin Krajicek to clinch the tie for the 32-time champion.
Canada rallied past Brazil 3-2 after Gabriel Diallo and Liam Draxl clinched Sunday singles wins in Vancouver, while France — led by World No. Arthur Rinderknech — defeated Slovakia 3-1. Czechia, led by World No. 21 Jiri Lehecka, eased past Sweden 3-1.
Belgium and Ecuador were the other nations to win first-round Qualifier ties on Sunday. Belgium defeated Bulgaria 4-0, while Ecuador backed up a stunning opening day in Quito to complete its upset of 28-time titlist Australia. Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo secured a 7-6(5), 6-4 doubles win against Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson to earn the South Americans an unassailable 3-0 lead, with one final singles rubber still to be played.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]ATP Tour action will be across three continents this week, with play in Europe, North America and South America.
Alex de Minaur headlines the field at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, while Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz take the court at the Nexo Dallas Open. Both are ATP 500 hard-court events. On the clay in South America, Joao Fonseca and Francisco Cerundolo will compete at the IEB+ Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, an ATP 250.
ATPTour.com breaks down five things to watch at each event.
[ATP APP]FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ROTTERDAM
1) De Minaur leads the field: De Minaur will lead the field at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam. The 26-year-old, who reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open last month, advanced to the title match at the indoor hard-court event in 2024 and 2025. He will open his 2026 title bid against Arthur Fils.
2) Former champion Auger-Aliassime: Felix Auger-Aliassime has fond memories in Rotterdam, having won the title in 2022. The Canadian will arrive in the Netherlands fresh from lifting the eighth indoor title of his career in Montpellier.
3) Can Bublik maintain good form? Alexander Bublik has been a man on a mission in recent months. The 28-year-old won four titles in the second half of last season and started this year by triumphing in Hong Kong. By winning the trophy at the ATP 250 in January, Bublik climbed into the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time. He faces a tough opening test in Rotterdam, where he faces Hubert Hurkacz.
4) Medvedev, Tsitsipas in action: Daniil Medvedev, a winner in Rotterdam in 2023, will try to bounce back from his fourth-round exit at the Australian Open. The 29-year-old is seeking his second trophy of the season after winning Brisbane. Stefanos Tsitsipas is making his eighth appearance in Rotterdam, where he reached the championship match in 2022.
5) Fils continues his return: Fils made his long-awaited return in Montpellier last week, advancing to the quarter-finals. The Frenchman had been sidelined since the start of August due to a back injury. The 21-year-old continues his comeback starting against top seed De Minaur in Rotterdam.
[NO 1 CLUB]FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN DALLAS
1) Shelton raring to go: Shelton reached his fifth major quarter-final and third in Melbourne at the Australian Open and will hope to maintain that good form in Dallas. The 23-year-old American enjoyed a semi-final run at the event in 2024.
2) Fritz chasing first title of 2026: Fritz will make his fourth appearance at the ATP 500 event, arriving off the back of a fourth-round defeat in Melbourne. The 28-year-old is chasing his first title since winning in Eastbourne in June.
3) Can Foki get over the line?: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina lost four finals last year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The Spaniard will hope to break his title duck and win on the Tour for first time when he takes to court in Dallas. Grigor Dimitrov will also be in action. The Bulgarian earned a win in the first-round in Brisbane in January and will try to build up his fitness in Dallas, where he is making his debut.
4) Paul, Tien among Americans in the draw: The 2024 champion Tommy Paul and current Next Gen ATP Finals titlist Learner Tien will fly the American flag alongside Shelton and Paul. Other home hopes in the draw include Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima, Alex Michelsen, Sebastian Korda and two-time champion Reilly Opelka.
5) Harrison/Skupski riding high: Fresh off their Australian Open title Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski will seek more success in Dallas, where Harrison won the trophy in 2025 with Evan King. Marcelo Granollers and Horacio Zeballos are the top seeds.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BUENOS AIRES
1) Defending champion Fonseca returns: Fonseca captured his first ATP Tour title last year in Buenos Aires, where he became the youngest South American champion in the ATP Tour era (since 1990). The 19-year-old returns this year as a Top 35 player in the PIF ATP Rankings.
2) Can Cerundolo go one step further? Cerundolo lost last year’s final to Fonseca but will hope to lift the trophy this week. The 27-year-old Argentine also advanced to the title match at the ATP 250 clay-court event in 2021.
3) Darderi chases more clay success: Luciano Darderi has won all four of his ATP Tour titles on clay. A champion in Cordoba, Marrakech, Bastad and Umag, can the 23-year-old Italian maintain his good clay record this week in Buenos Aires?
4) Baez, Berrettini compete: Another home favourite to watch is Sebastian Baez. The 25-year-old Argentine has won six of his seven tour-level titles on clay but is yet to triumph at the ATP 250. Matteo Berrettini will make his tournament debut. The Italian has won six trophies on clay but is chasing his first success since July 2024.
5) Singles stars in doubles action: Cerundolo and Darderi will also compete in the doubles draw this week. Cerundolo will team with fellow singles player Francisco Comesana, while Darderi will play with Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni are the top seeds.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Felix Auger-Aliassime, back to raising the roof.
The top seed downed home favourite Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 7-6(4) on Sunday afternoon to successfully defend his crown at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier. Auger-Aliassime did not face a break point in a 96-minute win to secure his ninth tour-level title, and his eighth on indoor hard courts.
FAAbulous title defence ✅@OpenOccitanie | #OpenOccitanie26 | @felixtennis pic.twitter.com/IoUusPDBlC
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 8, 2026
“Adrian is always a very tough opponent to play, for all players, I think,” said Auger-Aliassime in his on-court interview. “That’s why myself and all our peers on Tour have so much respect for him and the challenge he poses on the court. I knew it was going to be a tough match today, so I’m very happy. It’s amazing emotions to win again here. I’m thrilled with my whole week and especially today.”
After defeating Stan Wawrinka, Arthur Fils, Titouan Droguet and Mannarino to go back to back in Montpellier, Auger-Aliassime moved clear of Milos Raonic to set a new record for the most Tour titles by a Canadian in the Open Era. Auger-Aliassime has now won 89 tour-level matches indoors this decade, the most of any player.
Having retired from his first-round match at the Australian Open due to cramp, Auger-Aliassime will now head to the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam full of confidence following his Montpellier bounceback. Before he steps on court in the Netherlands, he will on Monday rise two spots to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Auger-Aliassime rode a fast start to the first set of Sunday’s final in the south of France. The 25-year-old won the first eight points to assume control and closed out the set with his second break of Mannarino’s serve in the ninth game.
The second set was a hard-fought affair dominated by serve. Auger-Aliassime carved out the first break point of the set at 5-4, 30/40, which doubled as a championship point. Mannarino fended it off with an unreturnable serve, but Auger-Aliassime later reeled off five consecutive points from 2/4 in the tie-break to complete a straight-sets win and take a 2-1 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
As it so often is when he competes indoors, Auger-Aliassime’s serve was the foundation of his final victory. He finished the match having won 87 per cent (39/45) of points behind first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats, a number which was boosted by 13 aces.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]