Rune ends 373-day wait for ATP win in Basel as de Minaur fights back in Vienna to keep Turin hopes alive

Holger Rune marked a significant step in his comeback on Monday, beating France's Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(5) at the Swiss Indoors Basel for his first ATP Tour win in 373 days. In Vienna, Alex de Minaur came from a set and a break down to beat Tomas Machac and protect his chances of reaching the Nitto ATP Finals, as the final week of ATP 500 tennis before the Paris Masters began.

Rune back in the winner's column

Rune's previous tour-level victory came in Stockholm in October 2025, the same week he suffered an Achilles injury that kept him out for 11 months. Since returning, his only wins had come for Denmark in the Davis Cup in September.

Against Halys, the former world No. 4 broke for 3-3 in the opening set and held on to take it. The second set had no break points at all, and Halys dominated the tiebreak, dropping only two points. The decider was tense: Rune saved break points at 3-3 and 5-5, and after leading 5-1 in the final tiebreak he lost four straight points before closing out the match on his first match point.

It was Rune's third win in three meetings with Halys, who is ranked a career-high 45th and turned 30 on the day. Basel has long suited the Dane. He reached the 2022 final there and has now won 12 of his 15 matches at the event. He will face either 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz or Zizou Bergs for a place in the quarter-finals.

Ruud, Vacherot and Borges also through

Elsewhere in Basel, Casper Ruud recovered from losing the first set to beat home player Dominic Stricker 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Valentin Vacherot defeated Mariano Navone 6-3, 7-6(4), Nuno Borges beat Switzerland's Mika Brunold 6-3, 6-1, and Daniel Altmaier edged Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-4.

The tournament is without its defending champion, Joao Fonseca, who withdrew through injury and has also pulled out of the Paris Masters.

De Minaur escapes in Vienna

At the Erste Bank Open, de Minaur looked in serious trouble when Machac led 6-1, 4-2. The Australian, 10th in the Race to Turin, converted his seventh break point of the match to get back on serve in the second set and eventually won 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and three minutes. After losing his serve in the first game of the decider, he won five games in a row.

"He's incredibly talented. There's no other way to put it," de Minaur said of his Czech opponent. The win was also his tour-leading 18th at ATP 500 level this season. He next meets Learner Tien or Luca Van Assche.

Matteo Berrettini opened the main draw in Vienna by beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4 and will play fourth seed Flavio Cobolli or Grigor Dimitrov. Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Frances Tiafoe are also entered, while defending champion Jannik Sinner is absent after ending his season with a knee injury. Both finals are on Sunday, 1 November.

Next stop: Paris

The 2026 Rolex Paris Masters follows from 2 to 8 November at its new home, La Defense Arena in Nanterre. It is one week later than in 2025, and Zverev and Alcaraz are projected as the top two seeds in Sinner's absence. With places at the season-ending ATP Finals still being decided, results in Basel and Vienna this week could shape the race.

Key takeaways

• Rune beat Halys in three sets for his first ATP win since his Achilles injury in October 2025.
• Ruud, Vacherot, Borges and Altmaier also advanced on Monday in Basel, where Fonseca is absent.
• De Minaur came from 6-1, 4-2 down to beat Machac in Vienna and boost his ATP Finals bid.
• The Paris Masters follows from 2 to 8 November at La Defense Arena without Sinner.

FAQ

How long was Holger Rune out with his Achilles injury? He was off the tour for 11 months after getting hurt in Stockholm in October 2025, and his Basel win came 373 days after his previous ATP victory.

Who is the defending champion in Vienna? Jannik Sinner won the 2025 title, but he has withdrawn with a knee injury.

When is the 2026 Paris Masters? It runs from 2 to 8 November at La Defense Arena in Nanterre.

Sources: ATP Tour, Tennis Majors, Tennis Tonic, Wikipedia