Bencic wins second WTA title since becoming a mother
Belinda Bencic claims her second WTA title since becoming a mother by beating Linda Noskova in straight sets in the Pan Pacific Open final.
Belinda Bencic claims her second WTA title since becoming a mother by beating Linda Noskova in straight sets in the Pan Pacific Open final.
Lorenzo Musetti’s Vienna run ended in the semi-finals on Saturday against Alexander Zverev, but the Italian’s showing still leaves him in a strong position to qualify for his Nitto ATP Finals debut. Musetti increased his lead in eighth place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin to 440 points ahead of Felix Auger-Aliassime and could seal his place in the season finale with a strong week at the Rolex Paris Masters.
With Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Zverev and Novak Djokovic already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, four spots are still up for grabs in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Alex de Minaur and Musetti currently occupy those positions, with Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev leading the chasing pack. Players have two more weeks to rack up points, with a pair of ATP 250s in Athens and Metz to follow Paris.
Musetti is bidding to join defending champion Sinner on home soil in Turin. In addition to the personal history of his Nitto ATP Finals debut, Musetti would also make Italian history if he can qualify: Never before have two Italian singles players qualified for the season finale in the same year. In 2021, Matteo Berrettini qualified, then withdrew after one match due to an injury. Sinner, an alternate, replaced him.
In Paris, Musetti will open his campaign against countryman Lorenzo Sonego or a qualifier. He could face Medvedev in the third round.
PIF ATP Live Race To Turin (entering Paris)
| Player | Points |
| 5) Taylor Fritz | 3,885 |
| 6) Ben Shelton | 3,770 |
| 7) Alex de Minaur | 3,745 |
| 8) Lorenzo Musetti | 3,685 |
| 9) Felix Auger-Aliassime | 3,245 |
| 10) Jack Draper | 2,990 |
| 11) Casper Ruud | 2,835 |
| 12) Daniil Medvedev | 2,610 |
*Draper is not competing the rest of the season due to injury
Shelton, also seeking his Turin debut, will face Flavio Cobolli or Tomas Machac in his opening match, with Andrey Rublev a potential third-round opponent. Fritz, a Turin semi-finalist in 2022 and finalist in 2024, seeks his third Nitto ATP Finals appearance. If both qualify, it would mark the first time two Americans qualify for the year-end event since Andy Roddick and James Blake both competed in 2006.
De Minaur is hoping to return to Turin for the second consecutive season. Like Musetti, the Aussie bolstered his position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin with a semi-final showing this week. Sinner ended his run in Vienna on Saturday.
Fritz and De Minaur could meet in a pivotal quarter-final in the top half of the draw, with both players pushing for qualification. They have split 10 previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings.
With 1,000 PIF ATP Ranking points on offer in Paris, Auger-Aliassime and Ruud could both move into the top eight with the title. Medvedev, the 2020 champion at the season finale, would need further points in Athens or Metz to find a way into the top eight and extend his streak of consecutive Nitto ATP Finals to seven.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, currently on 2,585 points, could pass Medvedev for 12th by beating Joao Fonseca in Sunday’s Basel final. That would put the Spaniard on 2,755 points, 990 points behind Musetti.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Despite amassing numerous titles and records, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have yet to conquer the Rolex Paris Masters, a distinction that makes this year’s edition a big opportunity for the top two players in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Defending champion Alexander Zverev will also be in action, as well as Taylor Fritz, who leads a pack of players trying to clinch their qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals.
ATPTour.com highlights 10 things to watch in Paris, where this year the tournament begins a new era, relocating to Europe’s largest indoor sports venue, La Défense Arena.
1) Alcaraz Aims For First Paris Crown: Playing his first ATP Tour event since his September triumph in Tokyo, Alcaraz will look to add the Rolex Paris Masters to his title haul. The indoor event remains just one of three ATP Masters 1000 titles missing (Canada, Shanghai) from the Spaniard’s résumé. Leading the Tour with 67 match wins and eight titles in 2025 according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Alcaraz can also strengthen his bid for a second ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF finish.
2) Sinner Seeking To Flip Script: Holding just one match win across his three Paris appearances, Sinner aims to rewrite his record in the French capital. In each of the past five events where Sinner and Alcaraz have both featured in the draw, the rivals have met in the final — a trend fans would love to see continue in Paris, where in 2021 Alcaraz and Sinner met for their first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash, won by the Spaniard. Sinner will carry momentum from a deep run in Vienna, where he will play for the title Sunday.
3) Defending Champ Zverev Eyes Repeat: Flashback to last year and Zverev stormed to the Paris title, dropping just one set across five matches, four of which were against Top 20 opponents. Already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the eighth time, Zverev will try to claim his eighth Masters 1000 trophy. The German faces Sinner on Sunday for the Vienna crown.
4) Fritz, Shelton Lead American Charge: Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton round out the Top 5 seeds, respectively. The 27-year-old Fritz boasts 51 match wins this season, two shy of tying his career-best mark from the past two seasons. The 10-time tour-level titlist is vying to return to Turin after last year’s runner-up finish at the Nitto ATP Finals. Shelton, bidding to lock in his maiden Turin qualification, could face Sinner in the Paris quarter-finals.
5) Turin Chase Intensifies: With the Nitto ATP Finals looming, the Rolex Paris Masters takes centre stage as a key battleground for those still battling for a ticket to Turin. Lorenzo Musetti currently holds the final qualifying spot in eighth (3,685 points), just 60 points behind seventh-placed Alex de Minaur (3,745). Felix Auger-Aliassime, who reached the Paris semi-finals in 2022, is 440 points behind Musetti and must make a deep run in France to keep his hopes alive. The Canadian does not have a bye in Paris like those above him and he will face a qualifier in the first round.
6) Back In Form, Medvedev Poised For Paris Push: Daniil Medvedev, the former World No. 1, brought a new coaching team onboard after the US Open with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetz, and has since revitalised his season. Medvedev reached the Shanghai semi-finals before ending his title drought of more than two years with his triumph in Almaty. Now one victory shy of 40 match wins this season, the 11th-seeded Medvedev is one to watch in Paris, where he won the title in 2020 and returned to the final the following year.
7) Dimitrov Returns To Action: In one of the most heartbreaking moments of the season, Grigor Dimitrov tore his pectoral muscle at Wimbledon while holding a two-sets-to-love lead against Sinner in the fourth round. Unable to lift his arm, an emotional Dimitrov was forced to retire while Sinner went on to claim his first Wimbledon title. Now, after more than three months sidelined, Dimitrov makes his return in Paris, facing home favourite and big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the opening round. Read more about Dimitrov’s comeback here.
8) Shanghai Champ Vacherot Among Wild Cards: Valentin Vacherot did the unthinkable at the most recent ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai. The 26-year-old, then World No. 204, became the lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion in history (since 1990) with a fairytale run, which concluded with a victory in the final against his cousin Arthur Rinderknech. Vacherot joins Rinderknech, Arthur Cazaux, and Terence Atmane as main draw wild cards in Paris. If Vacherot beats 14th seed Jiri Lehecka in the first round and Rinderknech defeats Fabian Marozsan, the cousins will meet in the second round.
9) #NextGenATP Stars: Last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Joao Fonseca will make his Rolex Paris Masters debut as the youngest player in the draw when he takes on Denis Shapovalov. Learner Tien, who is on track for a Jeddah return in December, is also in the field. Jakub Mensik, seeded 16th, is first in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah.
10) Arevalo/Pavic Top Seeds: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic lead the doubles field, which also features Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, the first-placed duo in the PIF ATP Doubles Teams Rankings. Arevalo and Pavic have won three of this season’s eight ATP Masters 1000 events (Indian Wells, Miami and Rome). Britons Cash and Glasspool have collected six team trophies this year.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]ATP 500 action returns to Switzerland as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Holger Rune and Casper Ruud lead the field at the Swiss Indoors Basel in Basel.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the Swiss tournament:
The ATP 500 event will take place from 20-26 October. It will be held at the St. Jakobshalle Basel. The tournament director is Roger Brennwald.
Fritz, 2024 finalist Shelton, Rune, Ruud, 2022-23 champion Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca are among the field in Basel. Stan Wawrinka and Henry Barnet will lead the home charge.
The Swiss Indoors Basel draw will be made on 18 October at a time to be announced.
[ATP APP]Qualifying: Saturday, 18 October at 11 a.m. & Sunday, 19 October at 1 p.m.
Main Draw: Monday, 20 October to Sunday, October 26 with play beginning at 12 p.m. Monday-Friday and at 1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Doubles Final: Sunday, 26 October
Singles Final: Sunday, 26 October
View On Official Website
The prize money for the Swiss Indoors Basel is €2,523,405.
SINGLES:
Winner: € 471,825/ 500 points
Finalist: € 253,875/ 330 points
Semi-finalist: €135,300/ 200 points
Quarter-finalist: €69,125 / 100 points
Round of 16: € 36,900/ 50 points
Round of 32: €19,680 / 0 points
Qualifying: —/25
Qualifying 2: € 10,085/13 points
Qualifying 1: € 5,660/0 points
DOUBLES (€ per team):
Winner: € 154,980/ 500 points
Finalist: € 82,650/ 300 points
Semi-finalist: €41,820 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €20,910 / 90 points
Round of 16: €10,820 / 0 points
Watch Live on TennisTV
TV Schedule
Hashtag: #SwissIndoorsBasel
Facebook: Swiss Indoors Basel
Instagram: @swissindoorsbasel_official
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard clinched the 2024 Swiss Indoors Basel title with a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory against Shelton last year. With the win, the Frenchman became the lowest-ranked champion since Basel became a tour-level event in 1975. Jamie Murray and John Peers upset top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic 6-3, 7-5 to capture the doubles crown.
Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (10)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 38, in 2019
Youngest Champion: Jim Courier, 19, in 1989
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Pete Sampras in 1996 and No. 1 Roger Federer in 2006-07
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 50 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in 1975
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (75)
Last Home Champion: Roger Federer in 2019
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Carlos Alcaraz has yet to lift the trophy at the Rolex Paris Masters, but the World No. 1 believes this year could be the turning point.
After being forced to withdraw from Shanghai and taking more than three weeks off to heal his left ankle, Alcaraz arrives in Paris feeling refreshed — and, by his own admission, in better shape than ever at this stage of the season.
“Obviously I didn’t want to withdraw from Shanghai. It’s a really important tournament for me and for the players,” Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference on Saturday in Paris. “But I had to heal my body, and I think I wasn’t ready to play another tournament in a row. So I just preferred to come back home, recover the ankle, and try to be in good shape for this time of the year.
“I think we could see last year, two years ago, that I’m not coming fresh to this time of the year. So I really wanted to put more attention on that, being in good shape, practising well, and coming here, thinking that I can do a really good result. So right now, physically I’m feeling good. I just practised well, hitting the ball really well.”
Alcaraz owns a 5-4 record in Paris, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, with his best result a quarter-final finish in 2022, when he fell to eventual champion Holger Rune. While indoor courts have traditionally posed a challenge, the 22-year-old Spaniard made a breakthrough earlier this year by capturing his first indoor title in Rotterdam.
This week, players have noticed the court speed at the new venue — La Défense Arena — has slowed, a change Alcaraz welcomes.
“This year is totally different than last year. I think it is a huge difference, which I like,” Alcaraz said with a smile. “The speed of the court is much slower than last year, but I think it is a really good speed that we can see tennis, not only serve and serve plus one; you can see rallies, you can see points, you can see tennis.
“I’ve said many times that I like slower courts, not that fast. This tournament is not my best one in terms of results, but I love playing here. I’m not really used to playing indoors, but year after year, I think I’m getting more used to it. So we will see this year. Hopefully [I] go farther than previous years.”
Alcaraz opens his campaign against either Cameron Norrie or Sebastian Baez and could face Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals. Already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, he is aiming to strengthen his push to reclaim ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the second time.
Alcaraz leads rival Jannik Sinner, who faces Alexander Zverev in the Vienna final on Sunday, by more than 2,000 points in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Alcaraz and Sinner have met in the final of the past five tournaments in which they have both featured.
As for his form indoors, Alcaraz remains realistic but optimistic.
“I wouldn’t say I’m bad [at] playing indoors. I think other players are better than me indoors,” added Alcaraz. “It’s a huge difference saying that. I see myself practising, playing matches that I can play really good tennis.
“But obviously there are some matches that I played against some that are playing much, much better indoors than I do. So I have to be ready for that, but I think I will get good tennis on indoor [courts].”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]By gaining one measure of revenge Saturday at the Erste Bank Open, Alexander Zverev set up a chance for another in the Vienna final.
In a battle of Top 10 players in the PIF ATP Rankings, Zverev beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-5, improving to 2-3 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head and flipping the result from their Vienna quarter-final meeting last year. Seeking his second trophy at the ATP 500 (2021), the German will next face Jannik Sinner in a rematch of this year’s Australian Open title match, won by Sinner in straight sets.
After entering Vienna with a shoulder issue and winning a third-set tie-break against Jacob Fearnley in the opening round, Zverev has not lost another set this week in Vienna.
“I found a little bit of confidence in my body and myself a little bit,” the German said. “I felt like today was a good match. Happy with the win and happy to be in the final playing against Jannik now.”
Zverev leads Sinner 4-3 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head. The rivals have not met since their Australian Open final.
“I feel like that’s mostly my fault because he’s been pretty much in every single final possible,” Zverev said with a laugh. “I haven’t. It’s going to be a great challenge. I’m looking forward to it, playing one of the two best players in the world, seeing where my level really is.”
3⃣0⃣0⃣ hard court wins and counting 🙌
In the battle of former champions in Vienna, @AlexZverev prevails over Musetti 6-4 7-5!@ErsteBankOpen | #ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/zmEMvzWzea
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 25, 2025
Zverev’s semi-final victory was his 300th hard-court win at tour-level, making him just the eighth active player to reach that milestone. His record on the surface now stands at 300-134.
The second seed reached his second Vienna final with a crisp performance, firing nine aces and winning 83 per cent of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He did not face a break point.
Musetti missed out on a chance to further cement his position in eighth place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. He leads Felix Auger-Aliassime by 420 points for the final qualifying spot for the Nitto ATP Finals.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Stan Wawrinka made an emotional post on his social media channels Friday, bringing fans into his mindset pushing forward aged 40 on the ATP Tour.
“PASSION – A strong liking, desire, or devotion to an activity. When I started playing tennis at 8 years old, it was just a game. Then it became my passion. My dream was to one day became a professional tennis player,” Wawrinka wrote. “I know that as an athlete, people like to think they know when it’s time for your to stop. People believe that when you get older, when you don’t play at the same level, don’t have the same ranking or same result, you should stop.”
PASSION
– A strong liking, desire, or devotion to an activity.When I started playing tennis at 8 years old, it was just a game. Then it became my passion. My dream was to one day became a professional tennis player.
I know that as an athlete, people like to think they know… pic.twitter.com/kluj8qvfGd
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) October 24, 2025
The former No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings wrote that as much as he likes to compete and to win, it is not always about that. It is moreso about testing himself.
“Passion is not always about the results – it’s about pushing your limits,” Wawrinka, World No. 158 this week, said. “I’m ok not to win a Grand Slam anymore. I’m ok with not being Top 10 anymore. But I love the process of always pushing my own limits.”
Wawrinka, who reached the second round at his home ATP 500 event in Basel, has enjoyed an illustrious career so far. The Swiss star has won three major championships, 16 tour-level titles and 581 tour-level matches.
To him, age is not most important. It is his passion.
“I know the end of my career will come one day, but until then, I will always give my best fight, Wawrinka wrote. “To all the fans around the world who support me, to the fans in Basel this week – THANK YOU.
“It means the world to me. That’s why I keep pushing myself.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Italian top seed Jannik Sinner beats Australian Alex de Minaur 6-3 6-4 at the Vienna Open to reach his eighth final of the season.
Joao Fonseca ticked off another glittering milestone in his breakout 2025 season on Saturday at the Swiss Indoors Basel.
The 19-year-old overcame a topsy-turvy semi-final clash with Jaume Munar to prevail 7-6(4), 7-5 and reach his first ATP 500 final. Fonseca rallied from a 2-4 deficit in the second set and fired 39 winners en route to becoming the first Brazilian to reach a final at this level since the series’ introduction in 2009.
🇧🇷 FONSEQUISMO MAGIC IN BASEL 🇧🇷
Joao Fonseca breaks new ground, advancing to his maiden ATP 500 final with a 7-6(4) 7-5 victory over Munar!#SwissIndoorsBasel pic.twitter.com/vzUOCVCorN
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 25, 2025
“I knew that it was going to be a tough match, Jaume is playing [well] on this surface,” said Fonseca. “He’s putting a lot of pressure, and you need to defend a lot of the time. I don’t like playing against those guys because I like to play aggressive and go for winners.
“I’m happy with how I stayed mentally after an early break in the second set. I’m very happy, so let’s stay hyped for the final.”
Fonseca will have the chance to add a second ATP Tour trophy to his collection when he takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Sunday’s final at the indoor hard-court event. The #NextGenATP star triumphed in Buenos Aires in February for his first trophy.
With his victory, Fonseca is up 12 spots to No. 34 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, ensuring a new career high on Monday.
“It’s been an amazing year, starting at No. 130 in the world, now 40-something and into a first ATP 500 final,” said Fonseca, who is 24-15 on the year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. “We didn’t go to Asia this year, I was a little bit sick. I was working with my mentality and I’m getting the opportunities… I’m just very happy to be here.”
Fonseca defeated defending champion Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round and has since displayed a consistent level this week. But he saved his best for a scintillating semi-final outing against Munar, despite trailing by a break in the second set.
The fearless shotmaking that has become a defining feature of the Brazilian’s rise was on full display throughout the one-hour, 56-minute clash, after which he improved to 1-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Munar.
Davidovich Fokina advanced to the final later on Saturday when Ugo Humbert retired with the Spaniard leading 7-6(4), 3-1. The eighth seed is the fifth man to reach four tour-level finals this season, joining Carlos Alcaraz (10), Jannik Sinner (8), Felix Auger-Aliassime (4) and Alexander Bublik (4).
The lone seeded player in the Basel semi-finals, Davidovich Fokina is the second Spanish finalist in tournament history, after Rafael Nadal in 2015. He will seek his first tour-level trophy in his fifth final, having missed out on three championship points in his most recent title match, against Alex de Minaur in Washington.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Wales’ Mimi Xu secures her place in the final of the Wrexham Open following victory over Lily Miyazaki in an all-British semi-final.