BASEL — Novak Djokovic will return to the Swiss Indoors in Basel for the first time since 2011 after accepting a wild card, as the 24-time Grand Slam champion bids to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. The tournament starts on 26 October, with the season-ending Finals beginning on Sunday, 15 November.
Announcing his long-awaited return on Instagram, the Swiss Indoors said: “A legend returns to Basel! Welcome back, Novak Djokovic! After three appearances from 2009 to 2011, including his tournament triumph in 2009, the 24-time Grand Slam champion and the most successful tennis player of all time returns to the Swiss Indoors Basel for the fourth time. We can’t wait to welcome you back, Novak Djokovic.” Djokovic is a former champion in Basel, defeating home favourite Roger Federer in the 2009 final on his debut.
He reached a second successive final in 2010, losing to Federer in three sets, before falling to Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals in 2011. He has not returned to Basel since, often choosing to rest after the China Open and the Shanghai Masters before the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.
Djokovic currently sits outside the qualification places for Turin but could jump back into the top eight — top nine following Jannik Sinner’s injury — by winning the Swiss Indoors and the 500 ranking points that come with the title. He trails Rafael Jodar by 69 points in the Live ATP Race to Turin, with the Spaniard occupying the final qualification spot in ninth and through to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals, where he could yet add another 600 points to his tally.
Both players are expected to feature in Basel before heading to France for the Paris Masters, where 1,000 ranking points are on offer. Djokovic must also overhaul Australia’s Alex de Minaur, who sits above him in the Race. If the Australian outperforms him over the next fortnight, catching Jodar alone will not be enough to secure a place at the 2026 ATP Finals.