A tournament without its defending champion

On National Day, 26 October, the main draw gets underway in Vienna's Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus. Jannik Sinner was actually supposed to claim his third consecutive title here. The Italian has ended his season due to problems with his right knee and therefore cannot defend his title. Tournament director Herwig Straka acted quickly.

The coup: Alcaraz makes a comeback

This became possible because the postponement of the "Six Kings Slam" in Saudi Arabia was in the offing. Straka subsequently called Carlos Alcaraz's management. The Spaniard reached the semi-finals at his last Vienna appearance five years ago. On Saturday, he, Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini trained at the Marx Halle, which generated considerable star power there. His opening match is scheduled for Tuesday, 27 October.

Who's playing?

Besides Zverev (ATP 2), Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Frances Tiafoe and Alex de Minaur are taking part from the top ten. Jakub Mensik and Learner Tien are also in the draw. For local fans, Lukas Neumayer and Jurij Rodionov are listed as participants. According to the schedule, Neumayer faces Mensik right away.

Who takes home the trophy?

The bookmakers see Alcaraz leading the way. At Bleacher Nation, he is the favourite at odds of +137. Behind him come Zverev (+300) and Medvedev (+800).

Zverev also has good arguments. Last year he lost the final to Sinner 3:6, 6:3, 5:7. In 2021 he won the title. There's also the chance to take the number one ranking in Vienna. Medvedev won in Vienna in 2022 and is considered a perennial title contender. This is my assessment based on odds and form – there are no guarantees.

The event itself

The Erste Bank Open is Austria's only ATP tournament. It has been held since 1974, back then with prize money of $25,000. Today, the tournament is Europe's fifth-largest after the Masters 1000 events in Madrid, Monte Carlo, Rome and Paris. The prize money amounts to €2,797,985. There's a programme for families around the matches. At the spark7 Next Gen Day, over 1,500 children and young people are invited.

Practical information

  • Dates: 24 October to 1 November 2026, qualifying runs until 31 October. The final is on Sunday, 1 November.
  • Location: Wiener Stadthalle, Hall D, 1150 Vienna.
  • Admission: Doors open for first-round matches from 1:00 pm, play begins at 1:30 pm. The quarter-final on Friday starts at 2:00 pm.
  • Tickets: Available on the official tournament website. Discounted tickets are available at George. If you're already there, you can secure tickets for 2027 at the "Same Time, Same Station" stand with up to 20% off.
  • TV: Servus TV broadcasts from Monday to Friday starting at 1:20 pm.

Sources: www.oetv.at, www.oetv.at, www.meinbezirk.at, www.oe24.at, www.atptour.com, www.bleachernation.com, www.ganz-wien.at, www.erstebank-open.com