Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Ugo Humbert 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the first round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel on Wednesday. The win keeps alive his bid to reach a record 19th ATP Finals.
The 39-year-old fourth seed was playing in Basel for the first time since 2011. He needed two hours and 26 minutes to get past the world number 38, finishing the match with a forehand winner down the line. It was his 20th tour-level win of 2026, which makes this the 21st season in a row in which he has won at least 20 matches.
“It’s a big win for me,” said Djokovic. “I know there’s quite a few things I can do better, but a win is a win and I’ll take that today.”
Djokovic weathers early storm
Humbert started the stronger. The French left-hander has won four of his seven ATP titles indoors, and he went after Djokovic from the first rally. He used his flat groundstrokes to rush the Serbian and took the opening set 6-4.
“I was under attack from the very first point and had to weather the storm,” Djokovic said. He also called it “a super tight match, very intense from the beginning.”
The match turned early in the second set. Djokovic saved two break points, then broke Humbert in the next game. It was the first break of serve in the match. From there Djokovic’s returning got sharper and he began winning long rallies from deep behind the baseline. Humbert took a medical timeout to treat his lower back while trailing 1-4 in the second set, and Djokovic levelled the match soon afterwards.
The deciding set was tight, but Djokovic’s serve held up. Across the match he landed 73% of his first serves, hit nine aces and saved five of the six break points he faced.
- Score: Djokovic beat Humbert 4-6 6-3 6-4
- Duration: 2 hours 26 minutes
- Aces: 9 for Djokovic
- Break points saved: 5 of 6 for Djokovic
- Djokovic’s run against French players: 33 consecutive wins
A return to familiar territory
Basel has a place in Djokovic’s career. In 2009 he entered as a wildcard on his tournament debut and won the title, beating Roger Federer in the final in Federer’s home city. He last played the event in 2011. Until this week he had not played any ATP 500 tournament since that year, apart from the Beijing event earlier this month.
He won the Beijing title, his 102nd tour-level trophy, which leaves him one behind Federer’s 103. That puts the record within reach. A title in Basel, of all places, would draw him level with the Swiss.
Humbert was a difficult first-round opponent. The world number 38 is dangerous on fast indoor courts, and Djokovic’s first-set struggles showed it. Still, the result extended a long run: Djokovic has not lost to a French player in 33 matches.
The race to Turin
The bigger target is the ATP Finals, the season-ending event in Turin that is open to the top eight players in the race. Djokovic is 11th in the live rankings and started the week 319 points behind Spain’s Rafael Jodar in ninth. Jodar also won in Basel and added 50 points, so the gap has not narrowed.
The players behind Djokovic are also still in contention. American Taylor Fritz is 12th, 155 points back. He beat lucky loser Rinky Hijikata 6-4 7-6 (7-3) on his 29th birthday, hitting 19 aces, a week after reaching the final in Lyon. Djokovic now needs a deep run in Basel to stay in contention, with the Paris Masters next on the calendar.
His next opponent is Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, who beat his compatriot Yannick Hanfmann 6-4 6-3. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 8-0. Struff is in form, though. He has won five of his past six matches, including a win over top seed Arthur Fils in Brussels on his way to his first ATP final since 2024.
If Djokovic beats Struff, he could face Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the quarter-finals. Borges came from a set down to beat Casper Ruud 1-6 6-3 6-4.
Djokovic has qualified for the ATP Finals 18 times and won it a record seven times. He was not at his best against Humbert, but he found a way through. Two more wins this week would put real pressure on the players above him in the race.
Sources: ATP Tour, BBC Sport via Yahoo Sports, Tennis Now, ATP Tour draw preview
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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