Boulter out of Japan Open in second round
British number three Katie Boulter wins only four games as she is knocked out of the Japan Open by Sorana Cirstea.
British number three Katie Boulter wins only four games as she is knocked out of the Japan Open by Sorana Cirstea.
Roger Federer may have retired from the ATP Tour, but the Swiss maestro’s smooth serve is still drawing admiration and a bit of playful critique. On Monday, Federer posted a video on Instagram showcasing his iconic service motion, looking as elegant as ever on the court. But one familiar rival wasn’t about to let him off the hook so easily.
Enter Andy Murray.
Never one to miss a chance for some friendly banter, the Scot slid into the comments with a cheeky jab: “If you could have disguised your toss better you would have been some player.”
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The comment, dripping with classic Murray dry wit, instantly drew laughs and a flood of fan reactions. While the two legends faced off 25 times on Tour, with Federer leading the Scot 14-11 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, it’s clear that even in retirement, the scoreboard of sarcasm might just be tilting in Murray’s favour.
Federer has been here, there and everywhere in the past month. The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings was in attendance as usual at the Laver Cup, which was co-founded by Federer and his management company. He then visited the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he watched Valentin Vacherot win the title.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The Erste Bank Open is an indoor hard-court ATP 500 in Vienna, Austria. This year, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Musetti will headline the action at the 51st edition of the tournament.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the tournament:
The ATP 500 event will be held from 20-26 October at the Wiener Stadthalle. The tournament director is Herwig Straka.
Sinner, Zverev, De Minaur, Musetti, Karen Khachanov, Andrey Rublev, Tommy Paul and Daniil Medvedev are among the field in Vienna.
The Erste Bank Open draw will be made on Saturday, 18 October at a time to be announced.
Qualifying: Saturday, 18 October & Sunday, 19 October at TBA
Main Draw: Monday, 20 October to 26 October. Schedule TBA
Doubles Main draw to begin on Wednesday, 22 October
Doubles Final: Sunday, 26 October at TBA
Singles Final: Sunday, 26 October at TBA
View On Official Website
The prize money for the Erste Bank Open is €2,736,875.
SINGLES:
Winner: € 511,835/ 500 points
Finalist: € 275,390/ 330 points
Semi-finalist: €146,765/ 200 points
Quarter-finalist: €74,980 / 100 points
Round of 16: € 40,025/ 50 points
Round of 32: € 21,345 / 0 points
Qualifying: € 21,345 / 25 points
Qualifying: € 10,940 / 13 points
Qualifying: € 6,140 / 0 points
DOUBLES (€ per team):
Winner: € 168,120/ 500 points
Finalist: € 89,660/ 300 points
Semi-finalist: € 45,360 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: € 22,690/ 90 points
Round of 16: € 11,740 / 0 points
Watch Live on TennisTV
TV Schedule
Hashtag: #ErsteBankOpen
Facebook: Erste Bank Open (ATP Vienna)
Youtube: @emotionmanagement
TikTok: @erstebankopen
Twitter: @ErsteBankOpen
Instagram: @erstebankopen
Jack Draper edged Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-5 to clinch the singles title at the Erste Bank Open last year. Austrians Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler claimed the doubles crown by defeating Neal Skupski and Michael Venus 4-6, 6-3, 10-1.
Most Titles, Singles: Brian Gottfried (4)
Last Home Champion, Singles: Dominic Thiem (2019)
Oldest Champion: Tommy Haas, 35, in 2013
Youngest Champion: Horst Skoff, 20, in 1988
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Pete Sampras in 1998
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 175 Anders Jarryd in 1990
Most Match Wins: Brian Gottfried (31)
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Botic van de Zandschulp spoiled Joao Fonseca’s first outing as a seeded player on the ATP Tour with a 7-5, 7-6(2) win on Tuesday at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open.
The Dutchman rallied from a break deficit in each set and outhit Fonseca by 32 winners to 22 en route to snapping his five-match tour-level losing streak. Van de Zandschulp also won 88 per cent (42/48) of first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, during his two-hour, two-minute victory.
“I played a really good match, I served unbelievably well, also returning in certain moments,” said Van de Zandschulp. “The key for me to win this match was, [in] a lot of the important points, to keep my focus.”
Van de Zandschulp had not won a tour-level match since reaching the Winston-Salem final in August. The World No. 86, who is competing with a new coach in his box this week, will next face American qualifier Eliot Spizzirri, who earlier eased past Pedro Martinez 6-4, 6-1.
“We started this week. We had some practice weeks, but this is the first tournament together,” Van de Zandschulp said of his coach. “Enjoying a lot… It’s been different this year, but this week I’m enjoying it a lot, so it’s good.”
In other action on Day 2 in Brussels, Belgian qualifier Gilles Arnaud Bailly claimed his maiden ATP Tour win with a thrilling 6-4, 6-7(10), 6-3 upset of Daniel Altmaier. With his victory, the 20-year-old surged five spots to 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah and could rise up to eighth if he defeats third seed and last year’s finalist Jiri Lehecka in the second round.
Belgian brillance in Brussels 🤩🇧🇪
[Q] Bailly secures his first ever ATP Tour victory 6-4 6-7(10) 6-3 🆚 Altmaier@BNPPFEUOpen | #BNPPFEuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/xSaEb4qqoF— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 14, 2025
Wild card Raphael Collignon captured his first win on home soil by edging countryman and eighth seed Zizou Bergs 6-4, 7-6(5) in a vibrant all-Belgian clash. The 23-year-old is up seven spots to No. 83 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, two places shy of his career-high No. 81.
Watch Collignon upset countryman Bergs:
Collignon, who reached the third round at this year’s US Open, will next take on Francisco Comesana after the Argentine moved past home hope and 2016 semi-finalist David Goffin 7-6(5), 6-4.
The French duo of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Valentin Royer also advanced to the second round on Tuesday. Mpetshi Perricard outlasted Emil Ruusuvuori 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-4 and improved to 3-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, while lucky loser Royer downed Sebastian Baez 6-2, 6-3.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]In a rare battle between brothers on the ATP Tour, Sweden’s Elias Ymer ousted his younger sibling Mikael Ymer on Tuesday at their home tournament, the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.
The 29-year-old prevailed 6-2, 7-6(4) in what was the eighth tour-level meeting between brothers since 1990, and second this season. Argentine brothers Francisco Cerundolo and Juan Manuel Cerundolo faced off in Buenos Aires.
Matches between brothers on the ATP Tour since 2000
| Players | Tournament |
| Elias Ymer d. Mikael Ymer | 2025 Stockholm |
| Francisco Cerundolo d. Juan Manuel Cerundolo | 2025 Buenos Aires |
| Alexander Zverev d. Mischa Zverev | 2018 Washington |
| Gerald Melzer d. Jurgen Melzer | 2016 Kitzbühel |
| Olivier Rochus d. Christophe Rochus | 2000 Palermo & 2002 Wimbledon |
Following the opening-round match, the Ymer brothers shared a warm embrace at the net and Elias was overcome with emotion during his post-match interview.
“Today, I would have been happy even if I lost,” said the No. 243 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, who entered the week on an eight-match skid across all levels. “I’m usually never crying. I don’t know what’s happening.”
In other action, Tour-veteran Marin Cilic won a clash between experience and youth. Cilic overcame #NextGenATP 19-year-old Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 7-5, 6-3. The Croatian relied on his hefty serve at the indoor event, where he won 85 per cent of first-serve points and struck 12 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to the one-hour, 33-minute win.
Cilic, 37, is competing in Sweden for the first time in his pro career. He will next face second seed Casper Ruud. The Norwegian leads Cilic 3-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry overcame Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-3 in a two-hour, 55-minute battle. Kamil Majchrzak ousted Filip Misolic 6-2, 6-2.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Brandon Nakashima prevailed in a hard-fought battle between former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champions on Tuesday at the Almaty Open.
The fifth-seeded American downed Hamad Medjedovic 7-6(5), 6-2 on his debut at the indoor hard-court ATP 250. With his 83-minute victory, Nakashima improved to 31-25 for season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The 24-year-old has more tour-level wins this season than any other player outside the Top 20 besides Francisco Cerundolo (35).
Rock solid from start to finish 👊
[5] @b_nakashima takes down Medjedovic 7-6(5) 6-2 to mark his Almaty debut in style@AlmatyOpen_KZ | #AlmatyOpen pic.twitter.com/4DdfsuC75N— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 14, 2025
Nakashima (who won the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Milan) and Medjedovic (who triumphed in 2024 in Jeddah) were meeting for the second consecutive year at an indoor ATP 250 event. Medjedovic triumphed in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash in Belgrade a year ago, but Nakashima levelled at 1-1 with a rock-solid performance in Almaty.
“It feels great, it’s my first time here in Kazakhstan and I’m loving it,” Nakashima said. “It’s always good to get through the first round, so I’m really happy. It’s something you have to get used to [the conditions], but luckily was able to get here pretty early so I was able to get some good practice on the courts.”
The World No. 34 won 80 per cent (35/44) of points behind his first serve and converted two of four break points he earned to set a second-round meeting with Fabian Marozsan in Almaty. Nakashima is now 11-1 in his past 12 opening rounds on hard courts.
Alexander Shevchenko sent his home fans into a frenzy by converting his fifth match point to defeat Laslo Djere 7-6(1), 7-6(12) after a thrilling end to their first-round encounter. The Kazakhstani No. 2 saved four set points, including three in the second-set tie-break to prevail after two hours, six minutes.
Shevchenko, who is now 4-3 in Almaty after reaching last year’s quarter-final, will next face eighth seed Corentin Moutet.
Earlier, Australians Aleksandar Vukic, Rinky Hijikata and Adam Walton all progressed after three-set wins. Vukic downed qualifier Marko Topo 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, while lucky loser Hijkata overcame home hope Timofey Skatov 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3.
Walton defeated countryman Tristan Schoolkate 7-6(4), 6-7(3), 6-2 to set a meeting with second seed and former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]An architect moves with careful intention, considering every detail and decision of the building process. From the blueprint planning to the structural composition and beyond, every measurement is considered and refined. Gradually, the architect’s vision takes shape, layer by layer.
That same philosophy is what guides Frederic Fontang’s approach to coaching tennis. From nurturing young talents like Jeremy Chardy and Caroline Garcia to guiding Vasek Pospisil and Felix Auger-Aliassime to new heights, Fontang’s craft lies in building players, one adjustment at a time.
“The coach is an architect, a guardian of the process,” Fontang told ATPTour.com. “We are in the business of competition, of results. The players want to win. They want to win every match. The coach and his team — we need to be really focused on the process, what we have to apply day by day.
“The vision, the action on the court, technically, tactically, physically, mentally — also managing the schedule of tournaments, rest, the practice.”
Fontang, a former No. 59 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, retired from pro tennis in 1999 and then opened an academy in Pau. He first began working with a 12-year-old Chardy, a Pau native whom Fontang would guide for 11 years. “We did the whole process from 12 years old to Top 30,” Fontang said. “That was my first stint as a coach.”
Fontang’s track record speaks volumes. After coaching Chardy, Fontang spent two years with another French player, Garcia, who was transitioning from juniors to the Hologic WTA Tour. In 2012, Tennis Canada’s Louis Borfiga invited Fontang to coach Vasek Pospisil, who then was World No. 140. During a successful four years, Fontang helped Pospisil reach a singles career-high No. 25 and doubles No. 4.
Fontang is currently coaching Felix Auger-Aliassime, a partnership that dates back to when the Canadian was 16 years old. Fontang spent the first two years of that journey as co-coach, alongside Guillaume Marx.
At the heart of Fontang’s approach is a holistic philosophy.
“I believe you need to be a good generalist in a lot of fields, and you can choose the expert you need in those specific fields,” said Fontang. “I like the approach to educate your player and that means you have to educate yourself all the time to improve every day and to be a good generalist as a coach.
“For example, in fitness — at this level everybody has their own fitness coach — but you need to have a notion of fitness, of mental, of nutrition. Nowadays the role of the coach is also a manager because there’s a lot of people around the player. So you need to manage and to explain your vision well: Your vision as a coach for your player, that’s really important too.”
Fontang has earned his reputation as a highly regarded coach, yet he remains a lifelong student of tennis and of life. A father of two, he embraces constant growth and a curiosity that extends beyond the court.
“It’s a permanent process [of learning],” Fontang said. “To listen to some podcasts in different aspects; politics, geopolitics, finance, and directly from the sport from the physical aspect, mental aspect, nutrition. In all those fields you need to educate yourself because life is a non-stop improvement.”
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Fontang is an avid reader who finds inspiration from legendary coaches across sports, including Phil Jackson, the NBA’s record 11-time champion.
“I like to read books because they give me inspiration. You can transfer a lot of things from other fields to my main field, which is coaching Felix,” said Fontang.
“I learned more from coaches from other sports because they are more like in the spotlight, and tennis was always less. In my time, we didn’t have much access to tennis coaches’ interviews, because it’s an individual sport and the players are in the front and the tennis coach is not in the front stage.”
Fontang, who fondly recalls childhood memories watching Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander, has helped his charge Auger-Aliassime reach as high as No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, among other accomplishments since they began working together in 2017. Auger-Aliassime has claimed seven tour-level titles, including two this year (Adelaide, Montpellier).
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Britain’s Emma Raducanu struggles physically in a three-set loss to world number 219 Zhu Lin in the Ningbo Open first round.
Life on the ATP Tour may require strict adherence to a healthy diet, but a trio of stars found themselves surrounded by sweet treats on Monday at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open.
#NextGenATP Brazilian Joao Fonseca, home favourite Zizou Bergs and Top 20 Czech Jiri Lehecka were given a special task on media day in Brussels: Decorate a cake to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the indoor hard-court ATP 250.
Perhaps it was Bergs’ experience growing up in a country renowned for its cakes, chocolate and other desserts that proved decisive, and the Belgian was crowned the winner by tournament director Dick Norman. It was an early off-court ‘triumph’ in Brussels for the No. 39 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who will aim to back it up on the court Tuesday evening when he takes on his countryman Raphael Collignon in the first round.
<img alt=”Joao Fonseca/Zizou Bergs/Jiri Lehecka” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/14/10/17/fonseca-bergs-lehecka-brussels-2025-cakes.jpg” />
Fonseca, Bergs and Lehecka with the cake competition’s judge, Brussels tournament director Dick Norman. Photo Credit: Belga Mag.
Meanwhile World No. 45 Fonseca, the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion, will play his first ATP 250 match indoors in the final match on the Tuesday schedule. In his most recent tour-level outing, the 19-year-old defeated Flavio Cobolli on an indoor hard court at the Laver Cup, and he is aiming to continue that form on his BNP Paribas Fortis European Open debut against Botic van de Zandschulp.
“This is my first time visiting Belgium, and I’m really impressed by the city, the atmosphere, and the incredible views,” Fonseca told europeanopen.be. “I’m very excited to play here. After a long season, I still feel fresh.”
<img alt=”Joao Fonseca/Zizou Bergs/Jiri Lehecka” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/14/10/20/fonseca-bergs-lehecka-brussels-2025-media-day.jpg” />
The three players also visited one of Brussels’ most famous landmarks, the Atomium.
Michael Zheng’s ascent as one of the promising young Americans on the ATP Challenger Tour begins with his family’s migration story.
Before Michael was born, his parents emigrated from Hubei, China, to the United States so Zheng’s father, Joe, could pursue a PhD in physics. When the tech boom hit, Joe and his wife Mei pivoted to careers in IT.
“He decided to go into computers, and my mom too,” Zheng told ATPTour.com of his parents. “They came [to the United States] when they were either late 20s or early 30s, so they’ve been in the States for 20 to 30 years now. It’s like the American dream I guess.”
Upon arrival in the United States, Joe began playing tennis with friends and instantly fell in love with the sport. That passion has since evolved into watching and supporting Michael chase his own ‘American dream’ on the tennis court. A longtime Roger Federer fan, Joe hoped his son would “play like Roger”, Michael, also a Federer fan, recalled with a smile.
Now 21 and a senior at Columbia University, Zheng has already enjoyed several milestone victories at both the collegiate and professional level. Last year, Zheng won the 2024 NCAA singles title, six months removed from a runner-up finish at the same tournament, which now is held in November. Zheng became the first Ivy League NCAA singles champion since 1922.
The New Jersey native has made a seamless transition to the ATP Challenger Tour, lifting trophies in Chicago, Columbus and Tiburon in his past three outings. With his latest victory in Tiburon, Zheng joined a lengthy list of Americans to triumph at the California hard-court event. Jack Sock, Sam Querrey and Tommy Paul are among the elites who have won the Tiburon Challenger.
<img alt=”Michael Zheng wins the Tiburon Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2025/10/06/15/26/zheng-tiburonch-2025.jpg” />
Michael Zheng is crowned champion at the Tiburon Challenger. Credit: Natalie Kim
In Chicago, Zheng was competing in the main draw through the ATP Next Gen Accelerator, a programme that aims to increase the development pathway for top players in the American collegiate system to earn direct entry into select Challenger events.
“It’s definitely a super helpful programme. It gives a lot of incentive for players to come to college and go through that pathway,” Zheng said. “You just get that jump start from your career. You don’t really have to grind through the Futures — there’s always good players in Futures as well and you can lose any time, and it really is a grind. You have to do a lot of weeks on the road before you get to the Challenger level.
“And then you have a good result like how I had in Chicago, then all of a sudden your ranking is there to get into the main draw of Challengers by yourself. I think it’s a great initiative.”
Zheng is at a career-high World No. 180 on the back of his hot streak. From his first Challenger appearance of the season in late May to now, Zheng has soared more than 500 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings.
The winner of 15 of his past 16 matches across all levels, Zheng is balancing that success with academics. To add to that challenge, all of Zheng’s Columbia classes are in person, forcing him to juggle coursework and travel without the flexibility of online learning.
“You talk to all your professors and kind of feel out the situation on what makes the most sense to play,” Zheng said. “Then you try to make up your work when you’re on the road and keep in touch with your professors to make sure everything is going okay.”
Fortunately, Zheng is no stranger to balancing academics and tennis. It is something he has been doing since middle school, when he often commuted to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“I would go there three days a week. I would pretty much miss my last two classes of middle school. My parents talked to the school and we made sure that [it would be okay],” said Zheng, who in 2021 won the New Jersey state singles title, representing Delbarton School.
“My mom would pick me up from school, drive me to the bus. I would take the bus to Port Authority and then I would take the 7 train basically to the tennis centre there. Then I would make that same commute back. It was probably an hour and a half one way, something like that.”
Zheng’s start in tennis began aged six or seven, long before he made those sacrifices. The New Jersey native would go to the local courts alongside his older sister and father.
“He thought I had some talent,” Zheng said. “I had some good hand-eye coordination and I was able to make the ball over the net even though I never touched a racquet before. He was super into tennis, had a lot of passion for the sport and he wanted to see how far he could take it.”
Despite Zheng’s initial struggles to contend with other kids during his first year training at the USTA, it was only a matter of time before the tables turned. Through it all, one constant voice has been important: Zheng’s father.
“My dad always had absolute faith in me that I could end up making money being a professional tennis player,” said Zheng, who is working with coach Ruan Roelofse. “So the daily reinforcement helped me out and gave me the belief that maybe I have a shot at this.”
With every passing week, Zheng continues to turn that maybe into reality.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]