Swiss Indoors Basel: Djokovic fights back to beat Humbert and keep ATP Finals bid alive

Novak Djokovic kept his bid for a record 19th ATP Finals appearance alive with a comeback win in Basel. The 39-year-old Serbian, playing the Swiss Indoors for the first time since 2011, recovered from a set down to beat France's Ugo Humbert 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round on Wednesday, and next meets Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff for a quarter-final place.

Turning it around against Humbert

Humbert made the stronger start and took the opening set. The Frenchman finished the match with 12 aces and 39 winners, but also 39 unforced errors, and Djokovic gradually found a way to absorb the pressure.

The fourth seed broke once in each of the last two sets and saved five of the six break points he faced. Humbert needed a medical timeout for a lower-back problem when trailing 1-4 in the second set, and Djokovic pulled level before edging a tight decider. The match lasted almost two and a half hours.

"It was a super tight match, very intense from the beginning," Djokovic said afterwards, according to AFP.

The result extended his winning run against French opponents to 33 matches and gave him his 20th tour-level victory of 2026, the 21st consecutive season in which he has reached that mark.

The race to Turin

Djokovic took a wildcard into Basel because he needs ranking points. Only the top eight in the Race to Turin qualify for the ATP Finals, which run from 15 to 22 November, and he arrived outside the qualifying places after an early exit at the Shanghai Masters.

Reports put him roughly 300 points behind Spain's Rafael Jodar, who currently holds the last qualifying place and also won his opening match in Basel. Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton have already secured their spots, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner has ended his ATP season because of a knee problem.

Djokovic, a seven-time ATP Finals champion, missed the last two editions through injury. Earlier this month he won the China Open in Beijing for the 102nd title of his career. A 103rd would draw him level with Roger Federer for second on the Open Era list – and Federer won his last title in Basel in 2019.

Struff up next

Djokovic leads Struff 8-0 in their head-to-head, but the German arrives in good shape after winning five of his last six matches. He beat compatriot Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday. The winner will meet Portugal's Nuno Borges, who came from a set down to beat ninth seed Casper Ruud 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Djokovic is a former Basel champion, having lifted the trophy in 2009. Elsewhere in the draw, sixth seed Taylor Fritz beat Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 7-6(3), Denis Shapovalov saw off Swiss qualifier Remy Bertola 6-4, 6-2, and top seed Ben Shelton survived three tie-breaks against Aleksandar Kovacevic on Tuesday.

The tournament also marked the end of an era for Swiss tennis. Home favourite Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, played the final event of his career in Basel and bowed out to eighth seed Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 7-6(2).

Key takeaways

• Djokovic beat Ugo Humbert 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in his first Basel match since 2011.
• He is chasing a record 19th ATP Finals qualification and sits outside the top eight in the Race to Turin.
• Djokovic leads next opponent Jan-Lennard Struff 8-0 head-to-head.
• A title in Basel would be his 103rd, equalling Roger Federer's tally.
• Stan Wawrinka ended his career with a loss to Jiri Lehecka at his home event.

FAQ

Q: Why is Djokovic playing in Basel?

He accepted a wildcard to chase ranking points for the ATP Finals in Turin, where only the top eight in the season-long race qualify.

Q: Has Djokovic won the Swiss Indoors before?

Yes. He won the title in 2009, but had not returned to the event since 2011.

Q: When are the 2026 ATP Finals?

The season-ending ATP Finals take place in Turin from 15 to 22 November.

Sources: ATP Tour, Tennis Majors, AFP, Free Malaysia Today