Tennis News

Jodar racing towards Jeddah… with laptop in tow

Rafael Jodar is on a roll — and the Spaniard is doing it all while juggling college coursework. The 19-year-old has captured two ATP Challenger titles in as many months, a surge that has rocketed the University of Virginia sophomore into ninth place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

Jodar’s latest triumph came last week in Lincoln, where he stormed to the title for the loss of just one set. After his matches, Jodar returned to his hotel room to complete homework assignments for his five classes.

“I tried to complete all the assignments and all the tasks on Friday and Saturday, so I could enjoy the day off Sunday,” Jodar told ATPTour.com. “I have my laptop with me. You always have to do some work. It’s good to keep your mind not thinking about tennis all day. When I have some free time, I do some work to catch up on the material that they do during the weeks I’m missing.”

A son of two teachers, Jodar takes pride in managing academics even amid his rise in pro tennis.

“They’ve always given priority to studies,” Jodar said of his parents. “And I’m on the same page. I think studies are very important for your development as a person.”

The qualification cutoff date (10 Novemebr) for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF is fast approaching and Jodar will need to continue his late-season surge to earn a spot in Jeddah. Following his triumph in Lincoln, Jodar jumped from 18th to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah — a mark that even he was surprised to learn.

“I didn’t know that my ranking was there. I had no idea that I was ninth in the rankings,” said Jodar, who was a sparring partner at last year’s edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. “If I qualify, it would be a great opportunity to play against good players and it could be a good tournament for me.”

Trophy time for Rafa Jodar 😎#ATPChallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/cvODPSHx8H

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 19, 2025

Jodar is not the only Spaniard chasing a ticket to Jeddah. His countryman Martin Landaluce, a fellow Madrid native, is well placed at fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. Both Jodar and Landaluce grew up playing at Club de Tenis Chamartín.

“We’re good friends,” Jodar said. “I’ve known him since we were really young. I don’t remember the exact age. Maybe 10, 11 years old. We used to play a lot when we were young. We played team [events] in juniors together. We know each other very well. We talk a lot and I’m super happy how his season is going as well.”

After Jodar’s title run in Lincoln, Nebraska, University of Virginia head coach Andres Pedroso drove Jodar three and a half hours north to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the teen this week is joined by UVA assistant coach Brian Rasmussen for the MarketBeat Open. The Jeddah hopeful will aim to strengthen his chances of qualifying for the 20-and-under event, which will be held 17-21 December.

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Auger-Aliassime builds on Basel success, fellow Turin hopeful Shelton falls

Felix Auger-Aliassime has returned to winning ways at one of his favourite haunts, the Swiss Indoors Basel, just when he needed it most.

The two-time champion on Thursday edged Marin Cilic 7-6(2), 7-6(2) to book a quarter-final spot at the ATP 500 and simultaneously boost his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes. A year ago, Auger-Aliassime lost in the second round to eventual champion Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard for his only defeat across his first three Basel appearances. Twelve months on and the 2022 and 2023 champion made no mistake at the same stage against Cilic.

Auger-Aliassime outhit the Croatian former World No. 3 by 38 winners to 21 to level the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 3-3. Although both sets went to tie-breaks, it was the fifth-seeded Canadian who finished stronger each time to complete a one-hour, 47-minute triumph.

As the race for the remaining Nitto ATP Finals nears its climax, Auger-Aliassime could hardly have picked a more crucial moment to string together a six-match winning streak on the indoor hard courts of Europe. Having lifted his third ATP 250 title of the season in Brussels on Sunday, the Canadian has now defeated two tough, big-serving opponents in Gabriel Diallo and Cilic to reach the last eight in Basel.

The 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime remains ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, but he is hot on the heels of those above him. He is just 400 points behind seventh-placed Alex de Minaur (who is this week into the Vienna quarter-finals) and 290 points behind Lorenzo Musetti (who is also still alive in the Vienna draw).

Another Turin hopeful, sixth-placed Ben Shelton, could not set a quarter-final showdown with Auger-Aliassime in Basel. Jaume Munar upset the 2024 finalist 6-3, 6-4 for the fourth Top 10 win of his career. Munar has now won all three of his Lexus ATP Head2Head matches with Shelton in 2025 (Dallas, Rome, Basel).

Denis Shapovalov was another second-round winner early on Thursday. The Canadian downed Valentin Royer 7-6(3), 6-2 to book a quarter-final meeting against #NextGenATP star Joao Fonseca.

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Moutet dents Medvedev's Turin aims with revenge win in Vienna, Zverev earns 50th win of year

Corentin Moutet dented Daniil Medvedev’s late Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes on Thursday at the Erste Bank Open, where he gained revenge against the 29-year-old to reach the quarter-finals in Vienna.

The Frenchman lost to Medvedev in the Almaty final on Sunday but ensured he would not suffer further pain against the 29-year-old just four days later at the ATP 500 in Austria. Playing with his trademark variety, Moutet edged a tight first set and then recovered from failing to serve out the match at 5-3, eventually advancing 7-6(3), 6-4.

“He is such a great player and I knew it would be intense,” Moutet said. “It was hard to come from Almaty to here. It was a long travel, jet lag and we did a big match in the final, so it was hard to recover. I am more than happy with my performance. I played very aggressively today. It is different conditions, but it is always a big, big challenge to play against Daniil.”

Medvedev won his first title in more than two years in Almaty. He climbed to 12th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin following his run but his latest defeat means he faces an uphill battle to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. The 2020 year-end champion is 925 points behind eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti, who is in action in Vienna this week. Medvedev will next head to the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris.

Moutet, level at 2-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Medvedev, will next play Musetti in his fifth tour-level quarter-final of the season. Musetti, aiming to make his debut in Turin, beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4.

Alexander Zverev followed Moutet and Medvedev onto court and quickly recorded his 50th tour-level win of the season. The German overcame Italian qualifier Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-4 in 87 minutes to reach the quarter-finals in Vienna for the fifth time. He has never fallen before the last-eight stage at the indoor event.

Zverev, who won the title at the ATP 500 in 2021, has now advanced to 12 quarter-finals in 2025, with only Carlos Alcaraz (13) reaching more. The 28-year-old is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and on the verge of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the eighth time. Zverev, a two-time champion at the year-end event, next plays Tallon Griekspoor in Vienna.

Players to earn 50 wins in 2025

In the first match of the day, Matteo Berrettini clawed past Cameron Norrie 7-6(6), 6-7(9), 6-4 to advance to the last eight in Vienna for the fourth time. The Italian plays third seed Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals. Alexander Bublik also booked his spot in the last eight, beating Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 6-2. Bublik, who saved all six break points he faced against Cerundolo, according to Infosys ATP Stats, has won four ATP Tour titles in 2025.

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Saudi Arabia to host new ATP tournament from 2028

A new ATP Masters 1000 tournament will be added to the tennis calendar from 2028 – and staged in Saudi Arabia.

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Bublik wins September's Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve with fearless finish in Hangzhou

Alexander Bublik brought his trademark unpredictability to Hangzhou last month, and it helped him claim the fan-voted Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve award for September.

Facing Valentin Royer In the final of the Lynk & Co Hangzhou Open, Bublik sealed the first set in style. At 6/4 in the tie-break, the Kazakhstani missed his first serve, then unleashed a 218 km/h second-serve ace down the T, catching Royer completely off guard and igniting the crowd.

Watch Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve September contenders:

The Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve award gives fans the chance to vote for their favourite magical moments from the line. Stella Artois, one of the world’s leading premium beer brands, is a Gold Partner and Official Beer of the ATP Tour through 2028.

After his second-serve ace against Royer, Bublik went on to win the match and capture his fourth ATP Tour title of the season. During his dominant run at the Chinese ATP 250 event, he fired 70 aces and won all 44 of his service games, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

The No. 16 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Bublik claimed the September award over fellow Hangzhou contenders Royer and Zhang Zhizhen. Stay tuned to see whos serve shines next on the ATP Tour.

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Norrie beaten by Berrettini in Austria Open thriller

British number two Cameron Norrie exited the Austria Open last-16 after defeat by Italian Matteo Berrettini in Vienna.

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PIF's Surj Sports Investment partners with ATP in first-ever expansion of the Masters 1000 category in ATP Tour's 35-year history

ATP and SURJ Sports Investment, a PIF company, have today announced the launch of an all-new ATP Masters 1000 tournament, to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.

In what is the first-ever expansion of the tournament category, Saudi Arabia will become the tenth ATP Masters 1000 host, joining the existing nine tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris. The Saudi tournament will begin as early as 2028.

The agreement marks a new era for global tennis and a major sports transformation in Saudi Arabia, bringing the most celebrated names in the sport to the country and delivering an unforgettable experience for fans.

The hosting of the tenth ATP Masters 1000 event underscores PIF’s long-term commitment to shaping the future of international tennis and global sport, and elevating Saudi Arabia’s position as a premier global sports and entertainment hub. The deal builds on the existing strategic partnership between PIF and ATP, which includes PIF as the official naming partner of the PIF ATP Rankings (as well as the WTA rankings), partnering on several key ATP Tour events and the recent launch of a next-generation technology platform, ATP Tennis IQ Powered by PIF. As part of the agreement, the new event will join ATP and the existing Masters 1000 tournaments as a shareholder in ATP Media, the Tour’s global broadcast and media arm.

The tournament will also focus on accelerating the growth of the game at all levels. A nationwide grassroots programme, developed in partnership with the Saudi Tennis Federation, will promote inclusivity, accessibility, and talent development, inspiring the next generation of Saudi athletes and champions and creating robust pathways for participation. This supports part of PIF’s broader ambition to grow sport at all levels, and to help drive the development of tennis across both the men’s and women’s game.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, commented: “This is a proud moment for us and the result of a journey that’s been years in the making. Saudi Arabia has shown a genuine commitment to tennis – not just at the professional level, but also in growing the game more broadly at all levels. PIF’s ambition for the sport is clear, and we believe fans and players alike will be amazed by what’s coming. Strengthening our premium events is driving record growth and transformation across the Tour, and we’re grateful to our partners at PIF and SURJ for helping deliver that growth and sharing in this vision.”

Bander Bin Mogren, Chairman of SURJ Sports Investment, said: “Bringing an ATP Masters 1000 event to Saudi Arabia is a major step forward for tennis in the region and a reflection of our shared commitment with ATP to the growth of the game around the world. This announcement underscores Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a major destination for world-class sport and strengthens our ambition to support athletes, fans, and the wider tennis community for years to come. We are proud to be leading this effort with our partners, and we are committed to delivering a tournament that leaves a lasting legacy for the sport.”

Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, added: “The launch of an ATP Masters 1000 in Saudi Arabia is a defining moment in our journey to enhance the sports landscape. This tournament is more than an event; it is a statement of ambition, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s role as a global sports hub. In partnership with ATP, we are committed to creating an extraordinary experience for players and fans, while advancing our mission to develop sport at every level.”

Sports is a key strategic sector for PIF, unlocking opportunities and enriching lives while establishing Saudi Arabia as a global destination for sports and a driver of long-term economic growth. PIF supports a wide range of sports globally and domestically, including football/soccer, tennis, golf, electric motorsports, combat sports and esports both to drive sports’ global growth and encourage participation domestically.

With Riyadh having hosted the WTA Finals since 2024 and Jeddah as the home of the Next Gen ATP Finals since 2023, this latest announcement is set to strengthen the country’s connection with tennis and inspire an emerging fanbase with yet another glimpse of the world’s best players.

More details on the tournament venue and dates will be announced in due course.

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Xu through to Wrexham Open quarter-finals

Wales’ Mimi Xu books her spot in the Wrexham Open quarter-finals with a straight sets win over Andre Lukosiute.

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Fritz freezes Vacherot's heat in Basel: No fairytale this time!

Taylor Fritz felt the full weight of Valentin Vacherot’s meteoric rise on Wednesday at the Swiss Indoors Basel, but the top seed refused to become the latest casualty of the Monegasque’s breakout.

In his first outing since becoming the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in Shanghai, Vacherot unleashed his fearless, all-court aggression to rattle Fritz early. The American, however, dug deep for a gritty 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 comeback victory in their first-round clash at the indoor hard-court ATP 500 event.

After squandering four set points on return at 5-3 in the second set and dropping serve in the next game, Fritz steadied himself, racing to an ultimately unassailable 4/0 lead in the tie-break. Continuing the topsy-turvy nature of their clash, Fritz then let slip a 4-2 lead in the deciding set, but he once again regrouped in dramatic fashion to close a nervy win.

“As we played the match, I started to see why those conditions [in Shanghai] suit him very well,” Fritz said of Vacherot. “When the balls got worn out and it slowed down a lot, that’s when he was controlling me the most and dominating me. In the last game, I was able to get the break on new balls. I was more in control of the match when it was playing a bit faster.”

Vacherot, the No. 204 player in the PIF ATP Rankings three weeks ago, stormed through qualifying in Shanghai before stunning the field — including Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals — en route to his maiden ATP Tour title. Now perched inside the World’s Top 40, he couldn’t quite conjure another shock against the resilient Fritz.

With his two-hour, 36-minute triumph, Fritz extended his flawless 12-0 record in hard-court openers this season, taking another confident stride towards securing a return to the Nitto ATP Finals. Last year’s runner-up is currently fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and boasts a 51-16 record in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Fritz will next face last week’s Stockholm finalist Ugo Humbert, who continued his form with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Sebastian Korda. The Frenchman has now won 14 of his past 16 indoor matches, highlighted by his run to the ATP Masters 1000 final in Paris last year and his Marseille title in February.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud both earned crucial first-round wins on Wednesday in their bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Auger-Aliassime overcame countryman and good friend Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 7-5, while Ruud moved past lucky loser Quentin Halys 6-1, 7-6(3).

With respective titles last week in Brussels and Stockholm, Auger-Aliassime and Ruud have ramped up the pressure on eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti — who is competing in Vienna this week — in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Auger-Aliassime is ninth and Ruud is 11th, but 10th-placed Jack Draper is out of action for the rest of the season through injury.

“He [Diallo] is a hell of a player,” said Auger-Aliassime, who won consecutive Basel titles in 2022-23. “It was tough to play such a good friend, a bit awkward… I don’t think I have ever been so nervous at the start of a match. Throughout the year we are messaging each other, cheering each other up. It’s amazing that we get to play against each other on the ATP Tour.”

In the second round in Basel, Auger-Aliassime next faces qualifier Marin Cilic and Ruud takes on 40-year-old Swiss wild card Stan Wawrinka, who won their only prior Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting at this event in 2022.

Lucky Botic van de Zandschulp also booked his spot in the second round on Wednesday with an imposing 6-2, 6-2 win over in-form Jiri Lehecka, who reached last week’s Brussels final. Joao Fonseca advanced to the quarter-finals after fellow #NextGenATP star Jakub Mensik was forced to withdraw from their clash with a left foot injury.

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Sinner notches fastest win of 2025 in Vienna opener

Jannik Sinner kick-started his Erste Bank Open campaign in striking fashion on Wednesday, when he soared past Daniel Altmaier 6-0, 6-2 to record his quickest victory of 2025.

The top seed and 2023 Vienna champion overwhelmed Altmaier from the outset with his heavy ballstriking and imposing pace, racing to the finish in just 58 minutes. Sinner, who was forced to retire from the third round of his Shanghai title defence earlier this month, extended his winning streak on indoor hard courts to 17 matches.

Cheat codes unlocked 🎮✨@janniksin pulls off a flick shot you’ll need to see to believe!@ErsteBankOpen | #ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/8DP2BfJChf

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 22, 2025

“I feel like in the first set everything was working very well,” said Sinner. “On indoor courts, you have to be very careful. If your opponent starts to serve well, it’s very difficult to break. But I’m very happy about today’s performance, starting the tournament in a very positive way, not only gamewise but feeling wise.”

Sinner’s previous fastest win of the season came in his opener in Cincinnati, where he blitzed Daniel Elahi Galan in 59 minutes. Against Altmaier at the ATP 500 event in Vienna, the 24-year-old Italian hit 19 winners to just seven unforced errors and did not face a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

After improving to 29-0 in the opening rounds since Cincinnati in 2023, Sinner will next meet countryman Flavio Cobolli, who moved past Tomas Machac 7-6(6), 6-2.

Watch Extended Highlights from Wednesday’s action:

Last week’s Almaty champion Daniil Medvedev overcame Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-2 to keep alive his late-season push to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. After letting slip two match points in the second-set tie-break, Medvedev regrouped in impressive fashion to begin his title bid in Vienna, where he last lifted the trophy in 2022.

The former Nitto ATP Finals champion is 13th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and could meet eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti in a blockbuster quarter-final clash in Vienna. First, Medvedev faces a rematch of the Almaty final against Corentin Moutet, who earlier eased past qualifier Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-0.

Matteo Berrettini, the 2019 Vienna semi-finalist, opened centre court action on Wednesday with a 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Alexei Popyrin. Standing in the Italian’s way of a fourth consecutive quarter-final at the ATP 500 event is Cameron Norrie, whom he leads 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

The winner of their clash will face third seed Alex de Minaur, who defeated Austrian wild card Filip Misolic 6-4, 6-4 in the last match of the day. De Minaur, who is into his 11th tour-level quarter-final of the season, leads the ATP Tour with 39 hard-court wins in 2025. He is seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and aiming to hold off other Turin chasers this week as he bids to capture his second ATP 500 title of the year after Washington.

Earlier, Tallon Griekspoor became the first Vienna quarter-finalist by edging Brandon Nakashima 7-6(4), 7-6(2) with a clutch display. He awaits second seed Alexander Zverev or qualifier Matteo Arnaldi.

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