Djokovic rallies past Humbert to mark winning return to Basel

Novak Djokovic marked his return to the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament with a hard-fought comeback victory over France’s Ugo Humbert, strengthening his late-season bid to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin.

The Serbian tennis star recovered from losing the opening set to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday, October 28, after approximately two and a half hours of intense competition. The result marked his first appearance at the Basel tournament since 2011.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, faced an early challenge from Humbert, who took the first set after securing a crucial break of serve. The Frenchman continued to put pressure on the veteran, forcing him to work hard to regain control of the contest.

The former world number one responded by raising his level in the second set. He secured an early break and maintained his advantage to level the match at one set apiece.

The deciding set remained competitive, but Djokovic found the breakthrough he needed to move ahead before holding his nerve to complete the victory. He sealed the match with a forehand winner down the line.

Speaking after the match, Djokovic described the result as a significant achievement, acknowledging that he had been under pressure from the opening exchanges.

He also admitted that there was room for improvement, having entered the competition without much recent indoor-court preparation. Nevertheless, he welcomed the result as an important step in his campaign.

The victory was particularly valuable because Djokovic is seeking to secure a place at the season-ending ATP Finals, where only the leading players in the annual standings qualify. Before the Basel match, he was 11th in the race to Turin, trailing Spain’s Rafael Jodar by 319 points.

The win also extended Djokovic’s remarkable consistency on the professional tour. It was his 20th tour-level match victory of 2026, marking the 21st consecutive season in which he has reached that milestone.

Basel holds special significance for Djokovic. He won the tournament in 2009 after defeating Swiss great Roger Federer in the final, but had not returned to compete there for 15 years.

His latest victory therefore represents both a successful return to familiar surroundings and an opportunity to collect valuable ranking points before the end of the season.

Djokovic’s campaign continues with a second-round meeting against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. The Serbian will be looking to build on his opening victory as he pursues further success in Basel and keeps his ATP Finals ambitions alive.