Tennis News

Auger-Aliassime climbs following Montpellier title, Mover of Week

Felix Auger-Aliassime has climbed in the PIF ATP Rankings after he successfully defended his title at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week as of Monday 9 February.

No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, +2
The 25-year-old has risen two spots to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings following his title success in Montpellier. The Canadian dropped just one set en route to his ninth tour-level title and eighth on indoor hard courts.

No. 52 Adrian Mannarino, +18
The Frenchman reached the final in Montpellier, his first at tour-level since he won in Sofia in 2023. The 37-year-old recorded three three-set wins to advance to his maiden championship match on French soil.

No. 97 Luca Nardi, +7
Nardi is back in the Top 100 following victories against Nikoloz Basilashvili and Flavio Cobolli in Montpellier.

No. 120 Titouan Droguet, +30 (Career High)
Droguet has jumped to a career-high No. 120 after he came through qualifying in Montpellier to reach his first tour-level semi-final in Montpellier. The 24-year-old beat seed Tallon Griekspoor in the quarter-finals but couldn’t overcome Auger-Aliassime in the semis.

No. 130 Martin Damm, +30 (Career High)
Like Droguet, Damm has moved 30 places after reaching the Montpellier semis as a qualifier. The 22-year-old American saved a match point in qualifying and then defeated former Top 10 stars Hubert Hurkacz and Roberto Bautista Agut to advance to the last four at a tour-level event for the first time.

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Cilic & Atmane savour the Texas barbecue spectacle: 'One of the best meals I've had'

It is rare that you will find a Croatian and a Frenchman in a barbecue restaurant in Dallas, Texas. But such is the nature of the ATP Tour that the greatest tennis players in the world, like 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic and 2025 breakthrough lefty Terence Atmane, get to savour the spectacle of the cities they visit.

The Europeans learned about local barbecue from pit masters at Hutchins BBQ, and they even were able to look into multiple active smokers and ask questions about the heat at which food is cooked, the wood that is used and more before digging into a meal themselves ahead of the Nexo Dallas Open.

“It was a fantastic day, a great experience,” Cilic said. “Coming for the first time [for barbecue] in Texas definitely makes it even more special. And then seeing the process of how the meat is prepared and how much care is taken about the food and all the preparation, it was absolutely worth it.

“We tried it in the end and it was an incredible, incredible experience, one of the best meals I’ve had in a very, very long time. So I’m definitely going to be going to be back. And of course, looking forward to start a nice week here in Dallas.”

<img alt=”Marin Cilic and Terence Atmane enjoy a day at a popular Dallas barbecue restaurant.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/09/03/55/atmane-cilic-dallas-2026-barbecue.jpg?w=100%25″ />

Cilic and Atmane visited the restaurant in the morning and there was already a lengthy line outside. The competitors at the ATP 500 event held in Texas quickly learned why when they dug into ribs, brisket, ‘Texas Twinkies’ and more.

“Honestly, today’s experience at the barbecue was just truly unbelievable. I will never forget it,” Atmane said. “And sharing this with Marin was exceptional. The meat was absolutely insane, trying to see the process of everything, to see the machine, the smokers, and to try the food was truly unbelievable.

“I’m so happy I had the chance to see this and hopefully next year I can come back.”  

<img alt=”Terence Atmane and Marin Cilic enjoy a meal at a barbecue restaurant in Dallas.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/02/09/04/35/atmane-cilic-dallas-2026-barbecue-rib.jpg” />

Cilic will begin his Nexo Dallas Open against sixth seed Learner Tien. A win for the former No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings would mark his 600th tour-level singles victory. Atmane will take on eighth seed Frances Tiafoe in the first round.

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Roger Federer attends Super Bowl, reveals favourite memory of iconic game

The world’s biggest celebrities often gather at the Super Bowl. On Sunday, Roger Federer was one of the global icons in attendance for the Seattle Seahawks’ win against the New England Patriots.

This was not the first time the ATP No. 1 Club member has been at the biggest NFL game of the year. Federer also attended the Super Bowl while he was the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2008.

“I was at the Super Bowl in ’08 in Arizona when Tom Brady was going for the perfect season and then we had the catch, I remember, on the helmet, from the Giants to win the game that Eli Manning passed,” Federer said in a social media interview with the NFL. “So that was my favourite memory obviously of being in the stadium.”

Other celebrities in attendance include Bon Jovi, Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian. Bad Bunny headlined the halftime show.

Before the game, Federer was asked which Super Bowl halftime show has been his favourite.

“From YouTube, everything I saw, [it] was Michael Jackson, the moment when he comes and he shows up, that was awesome. Then I liked Eminem and 50 Cent and Dr. Dre,” Federer said. “That’s music I also grew up with.”

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World No. 457 Suresh propels India past Netherlands in Davis Cup Qualifiers upset

Dhakshineswar Suresh pulled off a perfect weekend to propel India to its best Davis Cup result in recent history on Sunday in Bengaluru.

The No. 457 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Suresh upset No. 162 Guy Den Ouden 6-4, 7-6(4) to earn India a milestone 3-2 triumph against the Netherlands in the first round of the 2026 Davis Cup qualifiers. Suresh had already stunned World No. 88 Jesper de Jong in straight sets on Saturday, while he also teamed with Yuki Bhambri on Sunday morning for a crucial 7-6(0) 3-6, 7-6(1) doubles victory against Sander Arends and David Pel.

A Davis Cup finalist in 1966, 1974 and 1987, India has now won three consecutive Davis Cup ties for the first time since 2013-14. In 2025, they defeated Togo before stunning Switzerland to reach the 2026 Qualifiers, and having now seen off 2024 finalist the Netherlands, the Asian country is into the second Qualifier round for the first time since the format was introduced in 2019.

Standing between India and a place at November’s Davis Cup Finals will be South Korea. The 2018 Australian Open semi-finalist Hyeon Chung, who has struggled with persistent injuries in recent years, delivered the crucial blow for his country when he defeated Marco Trungelliti 6-4, 6-3 to seal a 3-2 win against Argentina in Busan.

The United States, Canada, France, and Czechia will also compete in September’s second round of Qualifiers. The USA completed a 4-0 triumph against Hungary after Australian Open doubles champion Christian Harrison teamed with Austin Krajicek to clinch the tie for the 32-time champion.

Canada rallied past Brazil 3-2 after Gabriel Diallo and Liam Draxl clinched Sunday singles wins in Vancouver, while France — led by World No. Arthur Rinderknech — defeated Slovakia 3-1. Czechia, led by World No. 21 Jiri Lehecka, eased past Sweden 3-1.

Belgium and Ecuador were the other nations to win first-round Qualifier ties on Sunday. Belgium defeated Bulgaria 4-0, while Ecuador backed up a stunning opening day in Quito to complete its upset of 28-time titlist Australia. Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo secured a 7-6(5), 6-4 doubles win against Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson to earn the South Americans an unassailable 3-0 lead, with one final singles rubber still to be played.

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Scouting Report: De Minaur leads Rotterdam, Shelton competes in Dallas, Fonseca returns to Buenos Aires

ATP Tour action will be across three continents this week, with play in Europe, North America and South America.

Alex de Minaur headlines the field at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, while Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz take the court at the Nexo Dallas Open. Both are ATP 500 hard-court events. On the clay in South America, Joao Fonseca and Francisco Cerundolo will compete at the IEB+ Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, an ATP 250.

ATPTour.com breaks down five things to watch at each event.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ROTTERDAM
1) De Minaur leads the field: De Minaur will lead the field at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam. The 26-year-old, who reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open last month, advanced to the title match at the indoor hard-court event in 2024 and 2025. He will open his 2026 title bid against Arthur Fils.

2) Former champion Auger-Aliassime: Felix Auger-Aliassime has fond memories in Rotterdam, having won the title in 2022. The Canadian will arrive in the Netherlands fresh from lifting the eighth indoor title of his career in Montpellier.

3) Can Bublik maintain good form? Alexander Bublik has been a man on a mission in recent months. The 28-year-old won four titles in the second half of last season and started this year by triumphing in Hong Kong. By winning the trophy at the ATP 250 in January, Bublik climbed into the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time. He faces a tough opening test in Rotterdam, where he faces Hubert Hurkacz.

4) Medvedev, Tsitsipas in action: Daniil Medvedev, a winner in Rotterdam in 2023, will try to bounce back from his fourth-round exit at the Australian Open. The 29-year-old is seeking his second trophy of the season after winning Brisbane. Stefanos Tsitsipas is making his eighth appearance in Rotterdam, where he reached the championship match in 2022.

5) Fils continues his return: Fils made his long-awaited return in Montpellier last week, advancing to the quarter-finals. The Frenchman had been sidelined since the start of August due to a back injury. The 21-year-old continues his comeback starting against top seed De Minaur in Rotterdam.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN DALLAS
1) Shelton raring to go: Shelton reached his fifth major quarter-final and third in Melbourne at the Australian Open and will hope to maintain that good form in Dallas. The 23-year-old American enjoyed a semi-final run at the event in 2024.

2) Fritz chasing first title of 2026: Fritz will make his fourth appearance at the ATP 500 event, arriving off the back of a fourth-round defeat in Melbourne. The 28-year-old is chasing his first title since winning in Eastbourne in June.

3) Can Foki get over the line?: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina lost four finals last year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The Spaniard will hope to break his title duck and win on the Tour for first time when he takes to court in Dallas. Grigor Dimitrov will also be in action. The Bulgarian earned a win in the first-round in Brisbane in January and will try to build up his fitness in Dallas, where he is making his debut.

4) Paul, Tien among Americans in the draw: The 2024 champion Tommy Paul and current Next Gen ATP Finals titlist Learner Tien will fly the American flag alongside Shelton and Paul. Other home hopes in the draw include Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima, Alex Michelsen, Sebastian Korda and two-time champion Reilly Opelka.

5) Harrison/Skupski riding high: Fresh off their Australian Open title Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski will seek more success in Dallas, where Harrison won the trophy in 2025 with Evan King. Marcelo Granollers and Horacio Zeballos are the top seeds.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BUENOS AIRES
1) Defending champion Fonseca returns: Fonseca captured his first ATP Tour title last year in Buenos Aires, where he became the youngest South American champion in the ATP Tour era (since 1990). The 19-year-old returns this year as a Top 35 player in the PIF ATP Rankings.

2) Can Cerundolo go one step further? Cerundolo lost last year’s final to Fonseca but will hope to lift the trophy this week. The 27-year-old Argentine also advanced to the title match at the ATP 250 clay-court event in 2021.

3) Darderi chases more clay success: Luciano Darderi has won all four of his ATP Tour titles on clay. A champion in Cordoba, Marrakech, Bastad and Umag, can the 23-year-old Italian maintain his good clay record this week in Buenos Aires?

4) Baez, Berrettini compete: Another home favourite to watch is Sebastian Baez. The 25-year-old Argentine has won six of his seven tour-level titles on clay but is yet to triumph at the ATP 250. Matteo Berrettini will make his tournament debut. The Italian has won six trophies on clay but is chasing his first success since July 2024.

5) Singles stars in doubles action: Cerundolo and Darderi will also compete in the doubles draw this week. Cerundolo will team with fellow singles player Francisco Comesana, while Darderi will play with Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni are the top seeds.

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Auger-Aliassime successfully defends Montpellier crown, sets Canadian title record

Felix Auger-Aliassime, back to raising the roof.

The top seed downed home favourite Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 7-6(4) on Sunday afternoon to successfully defend his crown at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier. Auger-Aliassime did not face a break point in a 96-minute win to secure his ninth tour-level title, and his eighth on indoor hard courts.

FAAbulous title defence ✅@OpenOccitanie | #OpenOccitanie26 | @felixtennis pic.twitter.com/IoUusPDBlC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 8, 2026

“Adrian is always a very tough opponent to play, for all players, I think,” said Auger-Aliassime in his on-court interview. “That’s why myself and all our peers on Tour have so much respect for him and the challenge he poses on the court. I knew it was going to be a tough match today, so I’m very happy. It’s amazing emotions to win again here. I’m thrilled with my whole week and especially today.”

After defeating Stan Wawrinka, Arthur Fils, Titouan Droguet and Mannarino to go back to back in Montpellier, Auger-Aliassime moved clear of Milos Raonic to set a new record for the most Tour titles by a Canadian in the Open Era. Auger-Aliassime has now won 89 tour-level matches indoors this decade, the most of any player.

Having retired from his first-round match at the Australian Open due to cramp, Auger-Aliassime will now head to the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam full of confidence following his Montpellier bounceback. Before he steps on court in the Netherlands, he will on Monday rise two spots to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Auger-Aliassime rode a fast start to the first set of Sunday’s final in the south of France. The 25-year-old won the first eight points to assume control and closed out the set with his second break of Mannarino’s serve in the ninth game.

The second set was a hard-fought affair dominated by serve. Auger-Aliassime carved out the first break point of the set at 5-4, 30/40, which doubled as a championship point. Mannarino fended it off with an unreturnable serve, but Auger-Aliassime later reeled off five consecutive points from 2/4 in the tie-break to complete a straight-sets win and take a 2-1 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

As it so often is when he competes indoors, Auger-Aliassime’s serve was the foundation of his final victory. He finished the match having won 87 per cent (39/45) of points behind first serves, according to Infosys ATP Stats, a number which was boosted by 13 aces.

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Home hopes Arribage/Olivetti clinch Montpellier crown

Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti continued the fruitful start to their partnership on Sunday by claiming an ATP 250 title on home soil at the Open Occitanie.

The fourth-seeded home favourites defeated third seeds Constantin Frantzen and Robin Haase 7-6(6), 6-1 to lift the trophy on the indoor courts of Montpellier. Arribage and Olivetti only made their team debut last September, but the pair has now won three tour-level trophies (Almaty 2025, Auckland 2026, Montpellier 2026).

The French duo let slip all five break points it earned in the first set of Sunday’s final, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Yet Arribage and Olivetti held their nerve in the subsequent tie-break before racing through the second set for a 79-minute championship-match win.

Arribage and Olivetti now lead 3-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Frantzen and Haase, having defeated the German-Dutch pair in all three of their ATP 250 title runs. The 25-year-old Arribage is now a four-time ATP Tour champion overall, while 34-year-old Olivetti has won five crowns.

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What is the Dallas tennis draw?

A rematch of the Australian Open showdown between Americans Sebastian Korda and Michael Zheng is among the highlights of the Nexo Dallas Open draw, revealed on Saturday for the ATP 500 event. The winner of that matchup is seeded to meet another American, eighth Frances Tiafoe, in the second round.

All of that action will take place in top seed Taylor Fritz’s quarter. The 28-year-old will open his Dallas campaign against countryman Marcos Giron.

Second seed Ben Shelton anchors the draw and, after an opening matchup with Gabriel Diallo, could meet Montpellier finalist Adrian Mannarino in the second round. 2024 Dallas champion Tommy Paul and Jenson Brooksby will also square off in another intriguing all-American matchup; both are potential quarter-final opponents for Fritz.

Third seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will open against a qualifier in the bottom half, as will fourth seed Flavio Cobolli in the Fritz’s top half.

Who are the seeds at the 2026 Nexo Dallas Open?

Taylor Fritz leads the field as the top seed, followed by second seed Ben Shelton, third seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and fourth seed Flavio Cobolli. Rounding out the seeded players from five to eight are Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Denis Shapovalov and Frances Tiafoe.

Who are the past champions in the Nexo Dallas Open draw?

The ATP 500 event features three former champions: returning champ Denis Shapovalov, 2024 winner Tommy Paul and 2022 titlist Reilly Opelka.

What are the first-round matches to watch at the Nexo Dallas Open?

Sebastian Korda faces Michael Zheng, Learner Tien meets Marin Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov plays Alex Michelsen and Tommy Paul takes on Jenson Brooksby.

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Auger-Aliassime fights off French qualifier Droguet, returns to Montpellier final

Felix Auger-Aliassime ended the breakout run of French qualifier Titouan Droguet with a finishing flourish Saturday at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier. The top seed and defending champion raised his level in the deciding set to return to the final at the ATP 250 with a 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 victory.

Seven of Auger-Aliassime’s eight career titles have come indoors, with his 87 match wins in those conditions the most this decade on the ATP Tour. The Canadian is through to his 21st tour-level final and his 13th indoors.

“I felt that even in the second set, my chance would come,” said the Canadian, who held firm against the big-serving Droguet. “It was good that I won the first set. It was giving me time to figure out how to break him. I think I served much better in the third set. I also returned better I think on second-serve return. I was hitting the ball more clean and really striking it well to different targets.”

Droguet, who was playing in his first tour-level semi-final and first match against a Top 10 opponent in the PIF ATP Rankings, forced a third set by stroking a majestic topspin lob at 5/5 in the second-set tie-break and following it up with one of his 14 aces.

But after saving two break points at 1-1 in the third set, Auger-Aliassime rattled off five straight games to run away with the win. He saved all three break points against him in the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats, while converting on three of his 10 break chances.

After beating Frenchmen Arthur Fils and Droguet in succession, Auger-Aliassime will face another home hope in the final: Adrian Mannarino.

“I love it. I like to play like this,” the World No. 8 said of the lively atmosphere against the Frenchmen. “It’s much better to play with such an atmosphere than to play in front of no people, or not have the people engaged in the match. It’s great, for sure.”

The final is set 🙌@felixtennis will face @AdrianMannarino for the Montpellier title.@OpenOccitanie | #OpenOccitanie26 pic.twitter.com/OXeJxim8al

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 7, 2026

Mannarino ended the run of American qualifier Martin Damm with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. The 37-year-old Frenchman recovered from a slow start to reach his 16th tour-level final and first in France. The oldest finalist in tournament history, Mannarino is up to No. 51 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

“It was a battle,” Mannarino said. “He was putting me under pressure from the first shots. I just had to try my best. I had a small chance in the second set and I made it and it was the same scenario in the third set. It went my way but it was pretty crazy.”

Mannarino is a five-time tour-level champion but is seeking his first title since he won in Sofia in 2023. He will contest his first tour-level final since that week in Sofia on Sunday.

Damm battled through qualifying at the ATP 250 event and then upset Hubert Hurkacz and Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets. The 22-year-old downed Luca Nardi in the last eight to advance to his first tour-level semi-final. He leaves Montpellier at No. 130 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, up 30 places.

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Boulter seals fourth WTA title with Ostrava Open win

Britain’s Katie Boulter claims her fourth WTA Tour title with a three-set victory against Tamara Korpatsch at the Ostrava Open on Saturday.

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