Novak Djokovic kept his bid to qualify for the 2026 ATP Finals alive after rallying from a set down to defeat France’s Ugo Humbert 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Swiss Indoors Basel on Wednesday, October 28.
The Serbian, who is seeded fourth at the ATP 500 tournament, needed two hours and 29 minutes to overcome the French left-hander in his first appearance at the event since 2011.
The victory was particularly important for the 39-year-old, who entered the tournament sitting 11th in the ATP Live Race to Turin, 319 points behind ninth-placed Rafael Jodar.
Only the top eight players qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals, scheduled for November 15–22 in Turin, Italy, leaving Djokovic with limited opportunities to improve his standing before the qualification race concludes.
Djokovic struggled to contain Humbert in the opening set, with the Frenchman securing a crucial break to take it 6-4. However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion responded in the second set, finding his rhythm and breaking early to establish control before levelling the match with a 6-3 win.
The deciding set remained closely contested until Djokovic broke serve in the fifth game. He maintained the advantage to seal the victory, recording his 20th win of the 2026 season and keeping his qualification campaign on track.
“It was a super tight match, very intense from the beginning. I was under attack from the very first point. I had to weather the storm, but I managed to find my rhythm at the beginning of the second set,” Djokovic said after the match.
He added that adjusting to Humbert’s pace helped him manage the contest more effectively as the match progressed.
The Basel victory follows Djokovic’s triumph at the China Open in Beijing earlier in October, where he claimed his 102nd career title. However, his progress was interrupted by an early exit at the Shanghai Masters, increasing the importance of his decision to accept a wildcard entry into the Swiss tournament.
Djokovic is a seven-time ATP Finals champion and is pursuing a record 19th qualification for the prestigious season-ending competition. He missed the previous two editions because of injury, having last competed at the event in 2023, when he won his seventh title.
His position in the standings means that a strong run in Basel could prove decisive, although he must also remain mindful of other contenders competing for the remaining places in Turin.
Djokovic will next face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round on Thursday. He holds an unbeaten 8-0 record against the German, giving him a positive historical record heading into the encounter.
With the Paris Masters also scheduled before the ATP Finals, Djokovic still has another opportunity to accumulate valuable ranking points. However, his immediate priority will be extending his Basel campaign and reducing the gap separating him from the qualification positions.
