Djokovic avoids the TKO in Basel and puts Jódar’s wish in danger

He is the only tennis player in competition who appears on the record of the ATP 500 tournament in Basel, the home of Roger Federer who won ten times before his people. The Serbian Novak Djokovic also did it on one occasion, back in 2009. He had not participated in this tournament since 2011. He returned to suffer, but also to win, getting into the second round.

The Serbian, 39 years old and world No. 12, requested an invitation at the last minute after the cancellation of the Six Kings Slam exhibition. The same case of Carlos Alcarazwhich left for the other 500 of the week, based in Vienna.

Recent champion in Beijing, although defeated from the start in Shanghai by the Pole Hubert Hurkaczthe Balkan veteran is struggling to get going after several weeks out of competition. But he has a special gift for sneaking out of trouble, avoiding TKO.

Djokovic defeated the French left-hander Ugo Humbert28 years old and number 38, 6-4, 3-6 and 6-4 in an hour and a half of the match. He will have an appointment this Thursday with the German Jan-Lennard Struff.

It was Djokovic’s first official indoor duel since Athens 2025, at the end of last season. One more example of how he selects his calendar, reduced to a minimum in order to reconcile his family life with the final journey of his long career.

I had a special reason for returning to Basel, which has directly to do with Spanish Rafa Jodar. They compete in the same location and at the same time from a distance. In the tournament they could only meet in Sunday’s final, but their battle occurs round by round.

Djokovic has decided to attend the ATP Finals in Turin if he qualifies. He has entered the battle to obtain one of the last eight places with access to the great Masters. The cut marks it in these moments Rafa Jodar with 3,209 points, with ‘Nole’ now adding 2,890, two places behind the Madrid player, with the Australian Alex de Minaur in the middle with 2,930.

Everything is decided between this week and next, in the Paris Masters 1000 ATP. Indoor and hard court is traditionally Djokovic’s own field. This Thursday, the parallel duel with Jódar will continue, who has a round of 16 match against the dangerous Monegasque Valentin Vacherot.