Tennis News

Wu upsets Ruud, top seed Zverev advances in Acapulco

Qualifier Wu Yibing earned the third Top 20 win of his career Tuesday night with a 7-6(2), 7-6(1) upset of third seed Casper Ruud at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

The Chinese star, who previously beat Taylor Fritz in 2023 and Daniil Medvedev last September, was flawless in the two tie-breaks as he took the match to Ruud with an aggressive game plan.

“I think I stayed calm whenever he was giving me a lot of pressure,” said Wu. “Of course Casper is one of the best on Tour to play rallies, and I really had to stay patient and at the same time aggressive.”

Wu made just 62 per cent of his first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and felt the pressure from Ruud attacking his second serves. But he was broken just once, with the pair trading breaks midway through set two. 

With the victory against the No. 12 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, the Acapulco debutant improved to 1-0 at the event and in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Ruud.

In his first competitive action since his defeat in an epic Australian Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev also made a sharp start to his campaign on Tuesday night in Acapulco.

Seeking to repeat his title triumph at the ATP 500 in 2021, Zverev dominated in a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Corentin Moutet. The top-seeded German did not allow a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats, posting matching 79 per cent marks on first serves in and first-serve points won.

“Corentin can be a tricky opponent, especially if you haven’t played matches in a while, like myself,” Zverev said of the Frenchman, who was seeking his 100th tour-level win. “So definitely happy with the performance, and looking forward to what’s ahead.”

With his 15th win in Acapulco, Zverev (15-5) moved level with Rafael Nadal (15-2) for most wins at the event since it switched to hard courts in 2014. He also passed David Ferrer for the second-most ATP 500 wins since the series began in 2009, with his 117 victories (117-49) trailing only Nadal’s 121 (121-19).

Gael Monfils, returning to Acapulco for the first time in 17 years, also advanced on Tuesday night with a 6-4, 7-6(5) win against Damir Dzumhur. The result makes the wild card the second-oldest match winner in tournament history after Feliciano Lopez (41 in 2023).

At 39 years and five months, Monfils is also the oldest Frenchman to win a tour-level match in the Open Era.

LA MONF 📣@Gael_Monfils defeats Dzumhur 6-4, 7-6 to win his first match back in Acapulco since 2009 🫡@AbiertoTelcel | #AMT2026 pic.twitter.com/h0E206jnzY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 25, 2026

Frances Tiafoe also earned a notable victory Tuesday, notching his first Top 50 win since Cincinnati last August by beating Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-4. The eighth seed improved to 15-2 in opening rounds at hard-court events since the start of 2025, and 5-0 this season.

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How Alcaraz has served a perfect start to his 2026 season

Carlos Alcaraz is serving his way to success.

Already the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, the Spaniard has made the best start to a season in his career. Alcaraz is a perfect 12-0 and has already lifted trophies at the Australian Open and in Doha.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis shows that improved serving has underpinned the 22-year-old’s success, helping him race out of the 2026 gate.

That is not to say Alcaraz has been struggling on serve recently. Infosys ATP Stats show that last year, he was sixth on the ATP Tour in service games won at 87.6 per cent.

This year, the World No. 1 has simply found a new level, making marginal gains across the board on serve to claim 90.8 per cent of his service games through 12 matches, leading to 12 wins despite slightly lower-than-average success on return.

“I think everyone has to make changes, small details. For me the serve is something that I really want to be better every year, in every tournament,” Alcaraz said at the Australian Open. “I am just putting constant work on the serve.”

Alcaraz’s Serving Statistics

Rather than a massive step forward in any one serving statistic, Alcaraz has been doing everything just a little bit better compared to 2025. The Spaniard this season is landing a higher rate of first serves (64.2 % to 68.3%), winning slightly more first-serve points (74.1% to 74.3%) and second-serve points (56.8% to 59.4%), and hitting more aces per match on average (5.8 to 6.1).

It is important to note that in 2025, Alcaraz knocked Jannik Sinner off the top of the PIF ATP Rankings and claimed ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours for the second time. Last season was a tremendous one for the Spaniard, but he continues to raise the bar.

What Alcaraz does particularly well on serve is defend his second delivery. As of Monday, Alcaraz ranked third on record by winning 56 per cent of his career second-serve points, only trailing Rafael Nadal (57.1%) and Roger Federer (56.8%). This year, he has claimed 59.4 per cent of his second-serve points, well above those figures.

The World No. 1 does not blow opponents off the court with his serve — his winning rate of 74.3 per cent behind his first serve is 45th on the ATP Tour among qualifying players this season. But Alcaraz has made incremental improvements to a game with which he was already at the top of the sport.

In three of his five matches at last week’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha — against Arthur Rinderknech, Karen Khachanov and Arthur Fils in the final — Alcaraz did not drop serve. Excluding his semi-final victory against Andrey Rublev, in which he lost serve four times, the Spaniard has won 92.6 per cent of his service games this season.

The return is where the 22-year-old has historically stood out, finishing among the top three players on the ATP Tour in return games won in each of the past five seasons. Although he ranks second in the category so far this season, his 30.3 return games won percentage is actually below his 31 per cent career mark.

But despite that, small improvements on serve have led to a perfect start in his results, which counts the most.

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Nava surges to Santiago shock against Berrettini

Emilio Nava outserved former Top 10 star Matteo Berrettini to notch a statement upset on Tuesday at the BCI Seguros Chile Open.

The No. 79 in the PIF ATP Rankings breezed to a 6-3, 6-4 opening-round victory in Santiago. Nava, who was making his main-draw debut at the clay ATP 250, saved all three break points he faced and won 84 per cent (32/38) of first-serve points against Berrettini, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Super Emilio 🦸‍♂️

Nava clinches a huge win, taking down Berrettini 6-3, 6-4 in Santiago 🇨🇱@chile_open | #ChileOpen pic.twitter.com/QRnjsfTXu5

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 24, 2026

“A super tough opponent in Berrettini, with a big serve,” reflected Nava after his 87-minute victory. “Especially with the altitude, it was going to be an uphill battle, but mentally I was ready to do it and I was playing great. I was being positive and just competing.”

Nava’s win against World No. 57 Berrettini was his biggest by PIF ATP Ranking since he downed Zizou Bergs in Toronto last July. The 24-year-old American has now won 10 of his past 13 matches on Chilean soil after reaching the Santiago Challenger semi-finals last year before winning the Concepcion Challenger. Nava will play Francesco Passaro or Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in the second round.

Elmer Moller also enjoyed a significant first-round triumph on Tuesday in the Chilean capital. The Dane downed Roman Andres Burruchaga 7-6(4), 0-6, 6-4 for his maiden ATP Tour main-draw win. Moller has risen 10 spots to No. 117 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings after his victory and will take on top seed Francisco Cerundolo for a quarter-final spot.

Vilius Gaubas and Mariano Navone were the other players to advance early on Day 2 in Santiago. Lithuania’s Gaubas sank home favourite Matias Soto 6-2, 6-3 to book a second-round meeting with Dino Prizmic. Meanwhile Navone advanced after Rio semi-finalist Vit Kopriva retired from the pair’s first-round match with Navone leading 3-6, 6-0, 3-1.

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Australian Open director Tiley named US tennis chief

Craig Tiley is appointed chief executive of the United States Tennis Association after 13 years at Tennis Australia.

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Humbert wins battle of former champs against Tsitsipas in Dubai

Ugo Humbert and Stefanos Tsitsipas each stepped on court Wednesday aiming to build on fond memories from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

It was 2024 titlist Humbert who added to his Dubai storybook by ending Tstisipas’ title defence with a 6-4, 7-5 first-round triumph at the hard-court ATP 500. Although Tsitsipas dropped just five points behind his first serve in the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats, Humbert crucially clinched the only break of each set to earn an 86-minute win.

Ugo gets the W 🫡

The Frenchman is victorious in the battle of former champions in Dubai@DDFTennis | #DDFTennispic.twitter.com/ISTE8eiysc

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 24, 2026

“I think it was a big battle on serve,” said the No. 37 in the PIF ATP Rankings Humbert. “We served very well from the beginning to the end. I was a bit lucky. In the last game at 5-4, I did a double fault, but when I had opportunities, I took them. I’m happy about this first win, because Stef is a big player.”

Humbert is now 7-1 in Dubai, where he will next take on another former titlist, Andrey Rublev, who eased past Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-4. The 27-year-old has earned four wins against Top 30 opponents in 2026, already matching his tally for the whole of last season.

Former World No. 3 Tsitsipas showed signs of a resurgence last week in Doha where he defeated Daniil Medvedev en route to the quarter-finals. Yet the 27-year-old will next Monday slip out of the Top 40 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time since May 2018 as a result of his loss to Humbert.

Dubai third seed Medvedev wasted little time setting another clash between two former champions in the U.A.E. The 2023 titlist raced past Shang Juncheng 6-1, 6-3 to book a second-round meeting with 2016 winner Stan Wawrinka. Medvedev leads Wawrinka 3-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and won the pair’s most recent meeting in Rotterdam in 2025.

Alexander Bublik and Karen Khachanov were also early winners on Tuesday. Second seed Bublik sank Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4 and will take on Tallon Griekspoor for a quarter-final spot after the Dutchman overcame qualifier Otto Virtanen 6-3, 6-4.

The seventh-seeded Khachanov rallied past Alexander Shevchenko 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 to advance to face Jenson Brooksby, a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Zizou Bergs. Arthur Rinderknech also came from behind to book a second-round spot: The Frenchman defeated Fabian Marozsan 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will meet fourth seed Jack Draper next.

Jakub Mensik arrived in Dubai after notching the biggest win of his career by PIF ATP Ranking against Jannik Sinner at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. The 20-year-old bounced back quickly from his semi-final defeat to Arthur Fils in Doha by taking down Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 7-6(7). The sixth-seeded Czech will meet Alexei Popyrin for a quarter-final spot after the Australian defeated Kamil Majchrzak 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Having come through qualifying to take his place in the main draw, former Top 10 star Pablo Carreno Busta improved his strong Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Denis Shapovalov with a commanding first-round win in Dubai. The Spaniard prevailed 6-2, 6-4 for his sixth win in eight tour-level meetings between the two, and he will take on Jiri Lehecka for a last-eight berth. The eighth-seeded Lehecka overhauled Luca Nardi for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 opening win.

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Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve: Vote now for January's winner

A new season, the same pinpoint precision for the ATP Perfect Serve, brought to you by Stella Artois.

January signalled the return of tennis, and the game’s biggest servers wasted no time making their mark. At the United Cup, Hubert Hurkacz powered Poland to the title with a series of masterclass serving performances. The 28-year-old won four of his five matches at the mixed-teams event, unleashing 21 aces in victories against Alexander Zverev and Tallon Griekspoor, then adding another 18 in a decisive final win against Stan Wawrinka.

Over in Auckland, Jakub Mensik captured the ATP 250 crown and delivered when it mattered most in the championship match against Sebastian Baez. At 1-1 in the first set, the 20-year-old Czech reeled off four consecutive aces, finishing the match with an impressive total of 18.

Auckland also provided late-match drama from Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who saved a match point against Cameron Norrie with a fearless second serve. The Frenchman fired 25 aces on his way to the quarter-finals.

Watch the video above and cast your vote. You can also visit the Stella Artois ATP Perfect Serve hub to choose your favourite moment.

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Mensik reflects on 'hype' from Sinner win as he pushes toward Top 10 debut

Jakub Mensik continues to make thunderous statements at the top of the ATP Tour, and his stunning win over Jannik Sinner in Doha was the loudest yet as the 20-year-old charges toward a Top 10 debut.

After producing the biggest win of his career over World No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the Doha quarter-finals last week, Mensik is already back in action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, looking to build further momentum in another ATP 500 test. The scale of his Doha triumph against Sinner, and what it means for his trajectory, is still sinking in.

“The big hype — not just for me but for all the people — was that match against Jannik,” Mensik told ATP Media in Dubai, reflecting on his 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 over Sinner. “It was one of the greatest matches in my young career. I really found myself well on the court.

“Beating Jannik and basically being at the same level as him showed me a lot and showed me that I’m going the right way.”

With his run to the semi-finals in Doha, where he was eventually halted by Arthur Fils, Mensik rose to a career-high No. 13 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The result underlined what has already been an eye-catching start to the season , during which he won his second ATP Tour title in Auckland in January.

Doha, in particular, holds special meaning. In 2024, it marked his first ATP Tour main-draw appearance, and he surged all the way to the final before returning two years later to score the biggest win of his career in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Sinner.

“Last week was quite a week for me,” Mensik said. “Reaching the semis, a lot of great matches… Obviously a tough loss but overall a good week for me. I came back to Doha [for the first time] since 2024, when it was my first [ATP] tournament. I had really nice memories and I had a great time.

“Overall I am happy with the performance that I showed and that my game is going higher and higher.”

Watch Mensik shock Sinner in Doha QFs:

At the Australian Open in January, Mensik was forced to withdraw ahead of a popcorn fourth-round meeting with Novak Djokovic due to injury. The Czech, who famously defeated Djokovic in the Miami final last year, stepped away for two weeks before returning to Doha refreshed and refocused — a move he believes is already paying dividends.

“After the Australian Open, I realised that I have to do everything as best as possible for my health,” said Mensik. “I took some days off and I started to miss tennis a little bit, but this break helped me a lot to renew my energy and to prepare well. These breaks between the tournaments, for me, it’s the best thing to happen because I can then show my best tennis.”

A competitor at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2024, Mensik has long been regarded as one of the brightest prospects on Tour. In Dubai, he is seeded for a potential quarter-final clash with Alexander Bublik and hopes to build momentum in his push for a maiden Top 10 berth.

With his title defence looming at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami — where he will be defending valuable ranking points — a strong run this week would further strengthen his position as he targets another leap forward.

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Federer returns to desert kingdom in Dubai, where It All Added Up

Roger Federer and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships have long been intertwined and on Monday, the record eight-time champion was back where so much of his history was written.

No player has shaped the hard-court event quite like the Swiss maestro, whose blend of elegance and sustained excellence helped turn Dubai into one of the defining stops of his career. The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings first lifted the trophy in 2003, a breakthrough season that preceded his ascent to the top of the sport.

The aura 😮‍💨@rogerfederer @DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/eTqlHMSvrp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 23, 2026

Federer would go on to add seven more titles in Dubai and, across his appearances, he amassed a 53-6 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The event became a regular early-season barometer for his form and a place where title runs often foreshadowed bigger achievements later in the year.

While returning to the ATP 500 tournament on Monday, Federer watched from the stands to see his countryman Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 champion, battle past Benjamin Hassan. After the match, Hassan enjoyed his own brush with greatness when he met the Swiss legend.

“I’m never washing my hand again,” Hassan joked, grinning after shaking hands with the 20-time major champion.

It was in Dubai in 2019 that Federer authored one of the most meaningful milestones of his career. By defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title, he captured his 100th tour-level crown, becoming just the second man in the Open Era to reach the century mark. Only Jimmy Connors (109) had previously achieved the feat, and since then Novak Djokovic has joined the exclusive club with 101 titles.

That victory further cemented Federer’s place in ATP No. 1 Club lore. He spent a record 310 weeks at World No. 1, including 237 consecutive weeks — a reign that overlapped with three of his triumphs in Dubai. In many ways, the tournament mirrored his career arc: early breakthrough, sustained dominance and late-career milestone.

Dubai also became more than a tournament stop for Federer. Over the years, he frequently based himself in the city during the offseason, taking advantage of its training facilities and warm-weather conditions as he prepared for new campaigns. The familiarity bred comfort, and the comfort bred success. Federer’s victories in Dubai also spanned generations: From his first title at 21 to his 100th crown at age 37.

Now, the 40-year-old Wawrinka, who shared a chat with Federer post-match, is one of five former champions in the 2026 field, joining Tsitsipas, Ugo Humbert, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

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Jodar closes in on Top 100 following Norrie Acapulco win: 'I am enjoying the process'

Rafael Jodar continued his rapid ascent on Monday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, where he brushed past former Acapulco finalist Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round.

Twelve months ago, Jodar was outside the Top 900. Now he is on the verge of the Top 100, with his win against Norrie propelling him to No. 101 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

In the past six months, the 2024 US Open boys’ singles champion has clinched three ATP Challenger titles, competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals and now has three tour-level wins this year.

“I have been travelling a lot, playing a lot of tournaments,” Jodar told ATPTour.com following his victory against Norrie. “I haven’t had two or three weeks at home to relax and [process] what I am doing. But I am just trying to enjoy the process and every step I am taking in this beautiful process. I am trying to play all the tournaments I can and enjoy all the places I am able to play and it means a lot to me.”

Jodar committed just six unforced errors and did not face a break point against the World No. 26 Norrie, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Aged just 19, Jodar is only the fourth man born in 2006 or later to win a match at ATP 500 level, joining Joao Fonseca, Justin Engel and Diego Dedura.

“It is a great tournament, great facilities and organisation overall,” Jodar said when asked about competing in Acapulco. “It is one of my first ATP 500 events and getting my first win here in Mexico means a lot to me. It means a lot for me for the work I have been putting in and I am super happy.

“I just tried to be focused on every moment in the match. Cameron is a great fighter and a great player, so I knew some moments would be tough, so I tried to be tougher than him in those moments. I am happy to get the win here.”

Jodar turned professional following the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah in December, when he recorded wins against Learner Tien and Martin Landaluce. The 19-year-old represented the University of Virginia in 2024 and 2025 and is the latest talent to have thrived from the US college system.

World No. 9 Ben Shelton represented the University of Florida in 2021 and 2022, while Next Gen ATP Finals champion Tien competed for the University of Southern California. The 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals titlist Brandon Nakashima played for the University of Virginia and 21-year-old Ethan Quinn won the 2023 NCAA singles championship national title when representing the University of Georgia.

Aiming to become the latest college star to crack the Top 100, Jodar will next play Grigor Dimitrov or Terence Atmane in Acapulco.

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Kypson shocks two-time champion De Minaur in Acapulco opener

Patrick Kypson earned the biggest win of his career on Monday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, where he shocked second seed Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-7(4), 7-6(4) to reach the second round in Acapulco. With the victory, the American notched his first tour-level win since Indian Wells in 2024.

De Minaur was competing in his first tournament since claiming the Rotterdam crown two weeks ago. The last two times he competed in Acapulco, he left as champion, having captured back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. In stark contrast, Kypson had only earned three tour-level wins, all in 2024.

“It feels amazing,” Kypson said. “Everything was important. I had to serve well. I had to return well. I hit my forehand really big. Luckily, I was able to do those things for a pretty extended period of time.”

Kypson was two points from defeat when De Minaur served for the match at 5-4 in the decider. But the American qualifier held firm to force the tie-break and sealed a hard-fought win in two hours and 39 minutes. He won 71 per cent (48/68) of his first-serve points and converted three of the five break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“[Staying calm and composed] does not come naturally to me,” Kypson said. “That’s probably one of the hardest parts of playing the sport, just keeping it together.”

The 26-year-old is up seven spots to No. 93 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The former Texas A&M University star was a part of a six-way tie for the most titles won at the ATP Challenger level in 2025, with four. In the second round, he will face Brandon Nakashima, who eased to a 6-3, 6-4 triumph against Elias Ymer.

In other first-round action, 2025 finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina launched his Acapulco campaign with a straight-sets victory. The Spaniard moved past Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 34 minutes.

Davidovich Fokina will face Rinky Hijikata or Mattia Bellucci in the second round.

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