Tennis News

De Minaur equals Federer's record, Van de Zandschulp sinks Tsitsipas in Rotterdam

Can Alex de Minaur finally get his hands on the trophy at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam?

The top-seeded Australian cruised past 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday at the indoor hard-court event, advancing to the quarter-finals for the fifth year in a row to equal three-time champion Roger Federer’s record for consecutive appearances at that stage.

Foot on the throttle 🏎️

Top seed @alexdeminaur came to play and WIN!@abnamroopen | #abnamroopen pic.twitter.com/jDogBDWfcy

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 12, 2026

A finalist in the past two editions of the ATP 500, De Minaur has earned more wins (15) than anyone in this year’s field. In a dominant display against Swiss wild card Wawrinka, the No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings forced the 40-year-old into errors with his consistent ballstriking, improving to 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I think over the years it’s changed,” said De Minaur, when asked why Rotterdam seems to bring out his best. ”Every year I’ve come here it has been a bit different in terms of the playing conditions. A little bit slower, and the balls are a little bit different, so I think I’m just doing a good job at adapting. I don’t think there are too many players out here who are feeling really comfortable, so it’s all about just finding a way and that is where I thrive.”

De Minaur has now recorded 50 victories at ATP 500 events since the start of 2023, lifting trophies at that level in Acapulco (2023, 2024) and Washington (2025), according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Aiming to break his title duck in Rotterdam, he will next play Botic van de Zandschulp.

The Dutchman Van de Zandschulp defeated the 2022 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6(4) to advance to the quarter-finals in Rotterdam for the first time. He is the fourth active Dutchman to reach the last eight at the ATP 500.

Second seed and World No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime joined his fellow Top 10 star De Minaur in the last eight in Rotterdam by pulling through a potentially tricky second round against Hamad Medjedovic. Auger-Aliassime, who lifted an indoor ATP 250 trophy in Montpellier on Sunday, prevailed 6-4, 6-4 to extend his winning streak to six matches.

Now 17-1 against players from outside the Top 50 since last August, the 2022 Rotterdam titlist Auger-Aliassime will next play home favourite Tallon Griekspoor. The two players are split at 1-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, and Friday’s quarter-final clash will be their first meeting indoors.

Earlier, Ugo Humbert and Jaume Munar also both advanced to the quarter-finals. Frenchman Humbert backed up his win against Daniil Medvedev with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph against Guy Den Ouden, while Munar upset fifth seed Karen Khachanov 7-6(8), 3-6, 6-3.

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The rise of Jack Pinnington Jones: 'Chilling is just not part of his DNA'

Jack Pinnington Jones, the former college tennis star at Texas Christian University, lost in the first round of qualifying at this year’s Australian Open to Gilles Arnaud Bailly. The next evening, the Briton began a 32-hour solo journey to Egypt for an ATP Challenger Tour event.

“I remember when I got to Egypt, I was like, ‘Oof, I’m going to be hurting for the next few days’. I woke up in the night, jet lagged, didn’t know where I was,” Pinnington Jones told ATPTour.com. “It was just a completely new experience and going from my first experience in Australia [for a] Grand Slam to a Challenger in Egypt where I didn’t know anyone, it was just a bit like, ‘You’re still 200 in the world. It’s all a journey’.”

Then No. 197 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Pinnington Jones had different thoughts going through his mind. The Briton had not been home since Thanksgiving, meaning two and a half consecutive months on the road. Maybe that would not be his week to shine.

Instead, Pinnington Jones made the final in Soma Bay and after qualifying for the Nexo Dallas Open and upsetting Flavio Cobolli in the main draw, he is up to No. 153 in the world.

“My body by the end of it wasn’t in good stead, but I made the final. I made the best of a tough situation with travel and everything like that,” Pinnington Jones said. “My team was great, rallying around me and saying, ‘No, you’ve just got to compete every match, and keep going, keep going, you never know what could happen.

“I feel like that’s the mindset I’m trying to take week in, week out.”

It has been a learning experience for Pinnington Jones, who this time a year ago was beginning his final spring season at TCU, where he competed for three years and earned All-American singles honours twice. A former junior World No. 6, the Briton followed in the footsteps of Top-100 players Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley, who also played for the Horned Frogs.

“It was a big change. Obviously being away from home for such an extended period of time for the first time, was a big shock,” Pinnington Jones said. “Having other British players on the team, like Jake Fearnley, Lui Maxted — who I knew from growing up — was a huge help. And the coaches and just the culture of TCU was great. I felt really welcomed and just sort of settled in after the first few weeks.”

Pinnington Jones competed under the leadership of head coach David Roditi, who explained that his former star player “was a big, huge personality” on their team.

“He brought a lot of that competitive spirit and that edginess of getting everybody to go a little further or compete a little harder or every day in practice,” Roditi said. “I think that helped our team a tonne. That was all Jack. Everybody knew that at the end of the day, winning was the main purpose out there. That’s what his personality was on the team.”

Pinnington Jones is first to admit that he enjoyed himself off the court, too. “He was trying to be a superhero: win on the court, and then win at night as well. I think eventually he learned that he can’t do both,” Roditi said.

“He’s just a big personality, and he was very social, and very playful. He loves to play, so he would get bored easily, and probably staying in his dorm or staying in his apartment and just chilling is just not part of his DNA.”

Since deciding to forego his senior season at TCU, Pinnington Jones has stepped into a new world. Instead of traveling with his team to different dual matches or tournaments, he is climbing the ATP Tour ladder.

“I did preseason in Florida, did Thanksgiving in Texas, and then I went to Hawaii, Australia, Doha, Egypt, London [and now] Dallas. I’ve basically done a loop,” Pinnington Jones said. “I’ve got a great team around me, I’m really thankful I’ve got support from the LTA and am leaning on them to sort of help guide me on how to manage the stresses, the travel, the stuff that I’m completely new to and leaning on them when I can. That’s the biggest thing.

“I’d say [it has been about] travel, jet lag, and then just trying to control what I control: going out, competing, practising the best I can, and just trying to improve.”

In the past year, Pinnington Jones has climbed more than 200 places in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. Thanks to his college success, he was a multiple-time qualifier for the Next Gen Accelerator, which allows qualifiers to benefit from direct entry into ATP Challenger Tour events.

“It’s awesome. You look at just the guys, when I was in college who have come through: Jake Fearnley, Eliot Spizzirri, Ethan Quinn, just to name a few. Diallo and Shelton were just before me, but all of those guys. It just gives them a leg up,” Pinnington Jones said. “Their level is there, but they might not be ranked. When they’re playing at the top of the lineup for a great college team, the level’s really high.

“I remember all season long thinking, ‘I’ve got to keep playing well, I’ve got to make sure I’m earning these wild cards’, because I know it’s such a big boost to start your pro career.”

Before arriving in Dallas, Pinnington Jones spent a week at TCU with his former coaches and teammates, some of whom have been supporting him at the ATP 500 event.

“I spent three years at TCU. Fort Worth, and Texas feels like a second home in a way. There are so many great people that I have met along my journey through college here and so many of them have been coming out to support,” Pinnington Jones said. “It really feels like a home tournament and especially to have the run I’m having, it’s really special.”

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Three terrifying cases challenge a lifelong sceptic

A professor famous for debunking hoaxes investigates three unsolvable cases.

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Tabilo spoils Fonseca's Buenos Aires return, wins dramatic second-round clash

Alejandro Tabilo claimed a thrilling win at the IEB+ Argentina Open Wednesday, beating the defending champion Joao Fonseca 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in the second round and extending the Brazilian’s challenging start to the 2026 season.

Despite letting slip a break lead at 3-1 in the third set, Tabilo ultimately capitalised on Fonseca’s 33 unforced errors to seal the victory on his third match point in a two-hour, 24-minute battle.

“I was very connected with the team. They helped me through it all,” Tabilo said. “A lot of nerves at the end, but I feel like we played a very good game, very smart tactics and just outlasted him. I knew he was going to come out swinging and I just had to be very solid.”

Tabilo won 77 per cent (40/52) of his first-serve points and saved 57 per cent (4/7) of the break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. With the triumph over No. 33 in the PIF ATP Rankings Fonseca, Tabilo earned his first Top-50 win on clay since upsetting No. 5 Novak Djokovic in the second round at the ATP 1000 event Monte-Carlo last April. He will face seventh seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the quarter-finals.

Fonseca, who withdrew from Brisbane and Adelaide due to a lower back injury and lost in the opening round at the Australian Open, was unable to hold out against the Chilean’s ball-striking. He claimed his first tour-level title a year ago in Buenos Aires. The 19-year-old former Next Gen ATP Finals champion will hope to regain form when he competes next week at the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro, his hometown.

Etcheverry booked his quarter-final spot by rallying past fellow Argentine Roman Andres Burruchaga 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-4. The Argentine saved a set point in the opening set. With the win, the 26-year-old recorded his 50th tour-level clay-court victory.

In other action, Vit Kopriva halted eighth seed Matteo Berrettini’s run in the second round by defeating the Italian 6-4, 6-3. Berrettini was competing in his first tournament of the season after withdrawing from the Australian Open due to an abdominal injury. By defeating Berrettini, Kopriva became the first Czech quarter-finalist in the tournament’s history and will face top seed Francisco Cerundolo or Hugo Dellien in the last eight.

Mariano Navone defeated Emilio Nava 6-2, 6-1 to book his second-round spot.

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Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner send well wishes to Lindsey Vonn: 'Heal well, legend'

The ATP Tour’s biggest stars, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, flooded Lindsey Vonn’s Instagram with positive wishes on Wednesday after the American alpine ski racer posted she had undergone a successful third surgery on the broken leg she sustained in a crash at the Winter Olympics.

“Heal well, legend,❤️‍🩹 ” Novak Djokovic wrote in his Instagram Story.

“🙏🏽🥹”, wrote No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Alcaraz. Sinner added, “🙏”, while Nadal commented, “💪🏼😘”. Karen Khachanov, Frances Tiafoe and Fabio Fognini were also among those who showed their support.

Vonn has long been a big tennis fan and always supported many of the ATP Tour players, including Roger Federer and Sinner. She was also in attendance at the 2025 US Open final between Alcaraz and Sinner.

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Paul wins final-set tie-break to claim Dallas thriller

Former Nexo Dallas Open champion Tommy Paul was pushed to the brink in his opener on Wednesday, but he found a way past the 2022 finalist Jenson Brooksby to reach the second round at the ATP 500.

In a two-hour, 25-minute battle, Paul overcame American countryman Brooksby 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4). The fifth seed struck 18 winners off his forehand and was impressive behind his first serve in the third set, winning 21 of 23 points.

“I feel like he can put the ball all over the court and can make you move around so much,” Paul said. “I like to feel that I move well, so I make it tough for him to end points. I was holding a lot easier than I normally do against Jenson and the first set and a half was way quicker than normal, so it was a little bit different. I was happy to get through it.”

Paul, who reached the fourth round at the Australian Open last month, lifted the trophy at the tournament in 2024 when it was still an ATP 250, before he enjoyed a semi-final run last season. The 28-year-old leads Brooksby 3-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and will next meet Miomir Kecmanovic.

American Ethan Quinn defeated wild card Trevor Svajda 7-6(3), 7-5 to reach the second round in Dallas. Quinn advanced to the third round at the Australian Open last month and earned a dramatic win in the first round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers on clay on Saturday against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan. Paul also recorded a victory in the same tie for the United States in Hungary.

Playing with confidence, the No. 74 player in the PIF ATP Rankings rallied from a break down in the first set and won 87 per cent (41/47) of his first-serve points against Svajda, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to triumph after one hour and 47 minutes. Quinn will play Marin Cilic in the second round. The Croatian claimed his 600th tour-level victory on Tuesday.

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2026 Rio de Janeiro Tennis Prize Money

The Rio Open presented by Claro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which this year runs from 16-22 February, has announced a prize money total of $2,469,450 for the 2026 edition.

The singles champion will earn $461,835. The winning doubles team will split $151,690.

View the full prize-money breakdown and the PIF ATP Rankings points at stake below.

2026 Rio de Janeiro Singles Prize Money

2026 Rio de Janeiro Doubles Prize Money (per team)

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2026 Doha Tennis Prize Money

The Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, Qatar, which this year runs from 16-21 February, has announced a prize money total of $2,833,335 for the 2026 edition.

The singles champion will earn $529,945. The winning doubles team will split $174,050.

View the full prize-money breakdown and the PIF ATP Rankings points at stake below.

2026 Doha Singles Prize Money

2026 Doha Doubles Prize Money (per team)

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Wawrinka, 40, downs Boogaard in historic ATP age gap clash in Rotterdam

Stan Wawrinka marked another memorable moment in his farewell season on Wednesday at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where he defeated 17-year-old Dutch lucky loser Thijs Boogaard in the first round.

The 40-year-old Swiss star, who captured the ATP 500 title in 2015, downed Boogaard 6-4, 6-3 in a clash spanning more than two decades in age difference. The 23 years and three months separating Wawrinka and Boogaard now ranks as the second-largest age gap in ATP Tour and Grand Slam history, trailing only Dominic Thiem’s 2011 win over Thomas Muster by two years and eight months.

Biggest age gaps on the ATP Tour (since 1990)

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Next up, Wawrinka will face top seed and two-time defending finalist Alex de Minaur, promising another high-stakes encounter as the former No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings continues his swan song on Tour.

“He’s a tough player,” Wawrinka said of de Minaur, who leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 1-0. “Especially in these conditions, it’s going to be difficult to generate something. But I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ve been playing some good matches against top players, so I’m always trying to push myself.”

Wawrinka made headlines at the Australian Open last month by becoming the oldest man to reach the third round of the hard-court major since Ken Rosewall.

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Djokovic withdraws from Doha, where Alcaraz & Sinner headline

Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the upcoming Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha due to strong fatigue, the tournament announced Wednesday.

The 38-year-old Serbian reached his 11th Australian Open final lost month, when he fell to World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the top two seeds at the hard-court ATP 500 event in Doha, which begins Monday.

Alcaraz fell to Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals of his Doha debut last year, and Sinner is making his first appearance at the event. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Bublik, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev are among the other Top 20 players in the PIF ATP Rankings who feature in this year’s field.

Djokovic, who won back-to-back titles in Doha in 2016-17, owns a 15-3 tournament record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He is next scheduled to compete at the ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, where he ties Roger Federer (5) for the most titles.

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