Stan Wawrinka will open the last tournament of his career against eighth seed Jiri Lehecka at the Swiss Indoors Basel. The 41-year-old Swiss, a three-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 3, is in the draw on a wild card. The tournament holds a tribute to him on Monday evening, and his first-round match is scheduled for Tuesday.
Wawrinka is ranked 140th and Lehecka 20th. If Wawrinka wins, he plays a qualifier or lucky loser, and top seed Ben Shelton is the seeded player in his quarter, so the two could meet in the quarterfinals.
Djokovic. Novak Djokovic is back in Basel for the first time since 2011, seeded fourth on a wild card. The 39-year-old won the title on his debut in 2009. He opens against Ugo Humbert, the French left-hander who has won four of his seven tour titles indoors and beat Carlos Alcaraz on the way to the 2024 Rolex Paris Masters final. Djokovic, 19-8 this season, was 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin going into the week and is chasing a record 19th qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals. He is in Shelton’s half, so they could meet in the semifinals.
A late change. Alexander Bublik, the seventh seed, withdrew with a knee injury after the draw was made. Casper Ruud, the former world No. 2 and 14-time tour champion, moved into Bublik’s seeded line and now opens against Swiss wild card Dominic Stricker. Shelton, who had been drawn to face Ruud, plays a qualifier or lucky loser instead. The American reached his first major final at the US Open last month and lost in the third round in Shanghai.
Elsewhere in the top half, Jan-Lennard Struff enters as a special exempt after reaching Sunday’s final in Brussels and meets a qualifier or lucky loser. Nuno Borges also plays a qualifier or lucky loser, and Swiss wild card Jerome Kym faces Arthur Rinderknech.
The bottom half. Second seed Arthur Fils opens against Hubert Hurkacz. Sixth seed Taylor Fritz has an immediate rematch with Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat him in three sets in Shanghai two weeks ago and leads their head-to-head 5-2. Third seed Rafael Jodar makes his Basel debut against Alejandro Tabilo in their fourth meeting of 2026. Fifth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat Jodar in the Shanghai final for his first Masters 1000 title, opens against Zizou Bergs. Holger Rune plays Quentin Halys, Valentin Vacherot meets Mariano Navone, Alex Michelsen faces Botic van de Zandschulp, and Denis Shapovalov plays a qualifier or lucky loser.
What it means. Four more Turin contenders are in the bottom half. Going into the week, Fils was seventh in the Live Race, Jodar ninth, Fritz 13th and Davidovich Fokina 16th. Our Race to Turin update and the ATP Finals guide explain how the last places are decided.
What’s next. Defending champion Joao Fonseca has ended his season and is not in the field. Main-draw play runs from Monday to the final on Sunday, 1 November, and the prize money is €2,584,155. The Swiss Indoors Basel guide has the venue, format and past champions.
