From 421st to top 10 – Bencic eyes Australian Open glory
Belinda Bencic returns to the top 10 for the first time since giving birth to her daughter Bella.
Belinda Bencic returns to the top 10 for the first time since giving birth to her daughter Bella.
The ATP Tour season began with the United Cup and two ATP 250 events in Brisbane and Hong Kong. Hubert Hurkacz helped guide Poland to glory in Sydney, while Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Bublik both lifted titles. Lorenzo Musetti also broke the Top 5 for the first time.
For the first time this year, ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Rankings, as of Monday 12 January.
[NO 1 CLUB]No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti , +2 (Career High)
Musetti has surged into the Top 5 for the first time in his career following a run to the final in Hong Kong. He is the third Italian to achieve the feat, joining Jannik Sinner and Adriano Panatta.
It is also the first time that there are two Italians in the Top 5 together in the history of the PIF ATP Rankings (since 1973), with Sinner currently No. 2. Musetti earned three victories at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open but was unable to defeat Bublik in the final.
Musetti, a two-time champion on the ATP Tour and nine-time finalist, cracked the Top 100 for the first time in March 2021 and then broke into the Top 10 in May 2025. He will aim to climb further when he next competes at the Australian Open later this month.
No. 10 Alexander Bublik, +1 (Career High)
Bublik captured his ninth ATP Tour title and fifth since June following an impressive week in Hong Kong. The 28-year-old is making his Top 10 debut in the PIF ATP Rankings, becoming the first Kazakhstani man to crack that milestone.
“The only goal for this season was to achieve the Top 10 and in the first week I have won the title and I am into the Top 10,” Bublik said after winning Hong Kong. “If you had told me that last April I would never have believed you. But it is a pleasure and I hope to continue in the same way.”
No. 12 Daniil Medvedev, +1
Medvedev has climbed one spot to No. 12 after he won his 22nd tour-level title at the Brisbane International presented by ANZ. The former World No. 1 dropped just one set at the ATP 250.
No. 53 Hubert Hurkacz, +30
Hurkacz has jumped 30 places after he helped lead Poland to the United Cup title. The 28-year-old earned four singles wins at the mixed-teams event, including Top 10 triumphs against Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz.
No. 95 Alexander Blockx, +20 (Career High)
The 20-year-old Belgian started the new season in style at the ATP Challenger event in Canberra, where he beat #NextGenATP Spaniard Rafael Jodar in the final. Blockx, who is into the Top 100 for the first time, reached the title match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December.
Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 14 Andrey Rublev, +2
No. 29 Brandon Nakashima, +4 (Joint Career High)
No. 39 Sebastian Baez, +4
No. 71 Pedro Martinez, +25
No. 72 Raphael Collignon, +12 (Career High)
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
Sebastian Baez maintained his perfect start to the 2026 season on Monday at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where he rallied past American qualifier Emilio Nava 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the second round.
The Argentine won all three of his singles matches at the United Cup last week, including victory against Top 10 star Taylor Fritz. The seventh seed was pushed to his limits in his Auckland opener against Nava but produced enough quality in the final stretch, including several stunning lobs, to advance in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
The No. 39 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will next play Jenson Brooksby after the American beat New Zealand wild card James Watt 6-4, 6-3. Brooksby reached the semi-finals in Auckland in 2023.
Cameron Norrie grew up in Auckland and made a winning start this week at the hard-court tournament, beating Hugo Gaston 6-3, 6-4. British lefty Norrie, who advanced to the final in Auckland in 2019 and 2023, will play Roberto Bautista Agut or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the second round. He holds a 9-4 record at the tournament, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
[NO 1 CLUB]Francisco Comesana downed Valentin Royer 6-4, 6-4 to set a clash with Ben Shelton, while Eliot Spizzirri defeated World No. 69 Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-3 for the biggest win of his career by PIF ATP Ranking.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]The ATP has today announced the extension of its long-standing partnership with Infosys. The global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting continues as the ATP’s Digital Innovation Partner through 2028.
Since 2015, Infosys has been instrumental in developing the ATP’s digital platforms, including ATP PlayerZone, the ATP Stats Centre and the ATP app.
In 2026, Infosys will partner with ATP on a new bespoke content series, showcasing tennis data, insights and match statistics – designed to bring fans closer to the game by telling a richer, more compelling story of on-court action. Infosys will also begin collaborating with players through a dedicated activation programme, including digital promotions and VIP hospitality at select ATP tournaments.
In 2025, the ATP and Infosys launched Version 2.0 of Carbon Tracker, the award-winning sustainability initiative to help players measure and reduce their travel emissions on tour. Since launching in 2023, more than 300 players have engaged with the tool, tracking 2.3 million kilometres of travel and offsetting 585 tonnes of carbon in 2025 alone.
Through the renewal, Infosys will continue to benefit from brand exposure across the ATP’s digital platforms, reaching a global audience that delivered 2.9 billion views across social channels and 549.4 million website page views in 2025.
[NO 1 CLUB]Continuing to advance innovation across the Tour, the ATP and Infosys have unveiled Ally, an AI chatbot powered by Infosys Topaz, designed to make it easier than ever for fans to connect with the game. The initiative reflects a shared ambition to deliver more intuitive and accessible digital experiences for tennis fans and players worldwide.
Ally delivers real-time insights to fans, answering questions on match statistics, tournament draws, schedules, and more. Users can access insights such as head-to-head comparisons, player stats, and historical records. Integrated across ATP Stats Centre, Ally simplifies the vast wealth of tennis data, helping fans stay informed and engaged.
Chris Dix, ATP Chief Technology Officer, said: “Over the past decade, Infosys has played a key role in strengthening our sport through digital solutions. As data becomes increasingly central to how we operate, we’re excited to use Infosys’s expertise to deliver more in-depth and innovative experiences for our players and fans. Ally marks the next step on this journey, using technology to reshape how fans can follow the game and making tennis more interactive and accessible for all.”
Sumit Virmani, Infosys Chief Marketing Officer, said: “With Infosys Topaz and our deep expertise in AI, we are making tennis more accessible and engaging for every fan, not just seasoned followers. Ally marks a shift from passive viewing to truly interactive participation, creating a space where even casual fans can connect with the sport through natural, intuitive conversations. This is about using AI to simplify complexity, spark curiosity, and bring the joy of tennis closer to millions around the world.”
To ensure a safe and positive user experience, Infosys has built robust guardrails into Ally, including filtering and private protection measures.
Visit ATPTour.com to discover how Ally can bring you closer to the action.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Dan Evans is one of four Britons to lose in the first round of Australian Open qualifying at Melbourne Park.
Former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic says he has been the “luckiest person” to live out his dreams as he announces his retirement at the age of 35.
Salisbury engaged to girlfriend Natalie Haden-Scott
Milos Raonic announced his retirement on social media Monday following an illustrious career in which he reached No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
“The time has come, I am retiring from tennis. This is a moment you know will come one day, but somehow you never feel ready for it. This is as ready as I will ever be. Tennis has been my love and obsession for most of my life,” the 35-year-old wrote on X.
“I have been the luckiest person to get to live out and fulfill my dreams. I got to show up every day and focus on just getting better, seeing where that will take me, and playing a game I was introduced to at 8 years old by complete luck. Somehow, this became my entire obsession and childhood, and then became my profession and life.”
The time has come, I am retiring from tennis. This is a moment you know will come one day, but somehow you never feel ready for it. This is as ready as I will ever be. Tennis has been my love and obsession for most of my life.
I have been the luckiest person to get to live out…
— Milos Raonic (@milosraonic) January 11, 2026
The Canadian star won eight tour-level titles during his career. His best season came in 2016, when he reached the Wimbledon final after defeating Roger Federer in the semi-finals. That year, he also advanced to the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the Nitto ATP Finals, reached the Indian Wells final and finished the year ranked at a career-high No. 3.
He last competed at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where he lost 7-6(2), 6-7(5), 6-7(1) to Dominik Koepfer in the first round.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Poland battle back to beat Switzerland 2-1 in the United Cup final in Sydney to win the mixed-gender tournament for the first time.
Hubert Hurkacz defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to draw Poland level with Switzerland and send the United Cup final to a deciding mixed doubles in Sydney on Sunday night.
“Stan was [the] better player in the second set and I knew I was catching him towards the end. I was finding a better game and I knew I can raise my serve game and that gave me confidence,” Hurkacz said. “Also, from the baseline, I felt like I would get some chances and there would be some opportunities for me.”
Earlier, Belinda Bencic upset Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 to improve to 5-0 in singles this tournament and 9-0 overall to give the Swiss an early lead. She is now scheduled to compete in mixed, chasing a fairytale 10-0 record to deliver Switzerland its first United Cup title
Hurkacz dropped 18 aces on the courageous Wawrinka and saved eight of the nine break points he faced, highlighting the lone chink in the 40-year-old’s armour this week. Although he claimed a critical break en route to winning the second set, the three-time Grand Slam champion converted just two of 23 break point opportunities across his five singles matches during the event.
“He’s definitely an inspiration. I was growing up watching him play, compete and win so much,” Hurkacz said. “Obviously his game style is really powerful. The shots that he can pull off sometimes, you can really admire them even when you are on the other side of the net.
“It’s a bit annoying sometimes when they come up with [those shots]. Good times for him, bad times for me, but it’s a pleasure to compete against him.”
Hurkacz won four of his five singles matches this week, capping a triumphant return from a seven-month injury layoff after knee surgery.
The 28-year-old former World No. 6 is looking for United Cup redemption after two heartbreaking near misses in the past two United Cup finals. In 2024 he held two championship points before falling to Alexander Zverev. Last year Taylor Fritz denied him in a third-set tie-break.
Belinda Bencic’s undefeated run continues. With a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 comeback win over Poland’s Iga Swiatek, the Swiss No. 1 put her country one win from their first United Cup title. She’s now 9-0 at the tournament, with five wins in singles.
“It’s always a challenge playing against her and every time I play her, I look for ways to improve and make her life a bit more difficult,” Bencic said on court. “I think the difference today was I played very freely, I was really enjoying myself out on the court and I was just really going for it.”
Bencic won 12 of the final 15 games, earning her second victory over the World No. 2. The first set seemed the tie’s first match was going to belong to Swiatek, but the pendulum quickly shifted the momentum into Bencic’s favor.
Swiatek started strong early, holding serve in the opening game with four straight points followed by the match’s first break and another hold. With Swiatek up 3-0, Bencic settled into the match, winning two consecutive games of her own, cutting the deficit to 3-2 after a backhand winner on the third break point.
The World No. 2 eventually closed out the set, winning three of the next four games, including two breaks of Bencic’s serve. Winning the set 6-3, Swiatek hit a crosscourt backhand winner that the Swiss could not reach.
The second set, however, would feature Bencic domination. Bencic started the second set winning nine consecutive points, and in the third game, she saved two break points. The following game, she’d earn the crucial break on the third chance and finished the set in 33 minutes.
“To be honest, I felt I was in the match from the very first point,” Bencic said. “I thought I was going great and I was 0-3 down. I was ‘OK, what do I have to do.’ I think I just tried to keep the level and just wait for some chances.”
After three consecutive games with service holds to begin the third, Bencic notched the turning point. With a powerful forehand to set up break point, she took advantage of the crucial point, returning Swiatek’s serve with a convincing backhand winner. Swiatek fought to the last point, holding two games of serve and saving two match points with a pair of aces. But as Swiatek — who had an uncharacteristic 36 unforced errors her opponent’s 10 — trailed 5-3, Bencic earned triple match point, and her backhand winner into the open court sealed the deal.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]