Novak Djokovic will make his return to the Swiss Indoors Basel for the first time in 15 years, accepting a late wildcard entry for the ATP 500 tournament running from October 24 to November 1, 2026. The 39-year-old Serbian joins a restructured player list that features several notable home entries alongside high-profile withdrawals. Novak Djokovic (39) has kurzfristig confirmed his participation at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, with his manager having asked tournament organizers for a wildcard. Der 24-fache Grand-Slam-Sieger feierte zuletzt in Peking seinen 102. Turniersieg und könnte in Basel mit seinem 103. ATP-Titel. Opinions may differ on whether this constitutes eines der spektakulärsten Teilnehmerfelder der Swiss-Indoors-Geschichte
as tournament organizers announce, given that the third largest indoor tennis tournament in the world has featured all notable names over past decades including Becker, Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras, Federer, Agassi, Connors, Nadal, and Edberg, with all former world number ones having played in Basel except for one exception. Turnierchef Roger Brennwald stated to the Basler Zeitung
, Wenn der erfolgreichste Tennisspieler der Geschichte anklopft, muss man es möglich machen
, adding, Djokovic möchte Punkte sammeln, um es nach Turin zu schaffen.
Und er hat gute Erinnerungen an Basel
and Vielleicht durchkreuzt der Altmeister ja nun die Pläne der Next-Gen.
Djokovic played three times in Basel between 2009 and 2011 and stood twice in the final against Roger Federer, winning in 2009 before the Swiss triumphed a year later. Despite health issues this year, Djokovic reached the final at the Australian Open and the semifinal at Wimbledon. Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev (2), who will take over the number one ranking despite a three-set loss (7:5, 4:6, 3:6) to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinals at the Masters in Shanghai on Saturday afternoon, is expected back at the ATP 500 in Vienna parallel to the Basel tournament; the Hamburg native has played three times at the Rhine knee, reaching the semifinals in 2018, while tennis expert Heinz Günthardt responded Wahrscheinlich schon, ja
when asked if Zverev is the worst number one in a long time regarding his season and the lack of competition this year. Three German players have previously won the tournament in Basel: Klaus Berger (1970/Schopfheim), Boris Becker (1992), and Michael Stich (1993).
Wildcard Additions Bolster Swiss Contingent in Basel
Tournament organizers extended main-draw wildcards to two domestic players alongside Stan Wawrinka, who will end his professional career this year. Jérôme Kym, 23, and Dominic Stricker, 24, will join Wawrinka directly in the main draw. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Henry Bernet, 28-year-old Remy Bertola, and 22-year-old Mika Brunold enter through the qualifying rounds starting Saturday. Am Montag begins the main tournament. Jan-Lennard Struff (ATP 59), Yannik Hanfmann (57), and Daniel Altmaier (67) are registered for the qualification, where four additional spots for the 32-player field will be awarded, leaving it open whether German professionals will make the main draw.
Former Champions Withdraw From the 2026 Tournament
The player roster underwent significant changes with two notable withdrawals from past champions. Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, champion in 2022 and 2023, pulled out of the event due to a knee injury. Brazilian Joao Fonseca, who won in the previous year, also withdrew after ending his season early.
Djokovic Targets ATP Finals Qualification in St. Jakobshalle
Ranked eighth in the world, Djokovic pursued the wildcard entry to secure ranking points for the ATP Finals in Turin. Tournament director Roger Brennwald told the Basler Zeitung that when the most successful player in tennis history requests entry, organizers must make it possible.
Top-Tier International Competitors Join the Draw
The revised player field includes several top-ranked competitors alongside the 24-time Grand Slam champion. US Open finalist Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz represent the United States, while Arthur Fils of France and Rafael Jódar of Spain round out the leading entries alongside Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP 5), Caspar Ruud (21/Norway), and Alexander Bublik (20/Kazakhstan).
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