The ATP Tour returns to indoor action this week when Almaty, Brussels and Stockholm play host to an ATP 250 tripleheader.
World number 10 Karen Khachanov is top champion and defending champion at the Almaty Open, where he is joined in the draw by former world number 1 Daniil Medvedev, while Lorenzo Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime look to boost their hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals when they compete at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open in Brussels
Two other Turin hopefuls, Holger Rune and Casper Ruud, will headline the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.
ATPTour.com looks ahead to five things to watch at all three events.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ALMATY
1) Defending champion Khachanov: Khachanov returned to the Top 10 for the first time in two years in August after a memorable few months in which he reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the final in Toronto. The 29-year-old returns to Almaty this year aiming to break a three-match losing streak after early defeats at the US Open, Beijing and Shanghai. The top player will be hoping to recapture the form that helped him win the Almaty title in 2024.
Watch Khachanov hold off Diallo for the 2024 Almaty Crown:
2) Medvedev on the move: After his semi-final in Shanghai, former PIF ATP Rankings No. 1 Medvedev will look to maintain his end-of-season momentum on his debut in Almaty. He will compete as the second seed in Kazakhstan’s most populous city. After battling for his best for much of 2025, Medvedev has been reinserted into the Nitto ATP Finals qualifying picture and will head to Astana ranked 15th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
3) Italians aim for a strong end to 2025: 23-year-old Italians Flavio Cobolli and Luciano Darderi have both had great years on the ATP Tour. Cobolli has claimed two titles, including an ATP 500 crown in Hamburg, while 24-year-old Darderi has lifted three trophies. However, neither man has triumphed on any surface except clay, and they will each look to change that as the third and fourth seeds respectively in Almaty.
4) Shevchenko leads home accusation: Former Top 50 player Alexander Shevchenko enters Almaty with a 13-18 record for the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Now competing as world number 89, the Kazakhstani will hope to channel support from home, starting with his first round match against Laslo Djere.
5) Andreo / Guinard in form: Guido Andreozzi and Manuel Guinard reached three consecutive semi-finals in Asia (Hangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai) and they are the top seeds in Almaty. The Argentinian-French duo’s rivals in the draw include second seeds Constantin Frantzen/Robin Haase and defending champions Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli/Arjun Kadhe.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BRUSSELS
1) Musetti looks for a boost for Turin: The hunt for qualifying spots for the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals is heating up and Musetti is well in contention to secure his debut with four weeks to go until Turin. Musetti, who is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, enters as the top seed in Brussels.
2) Felix in pursuit: Auger-Aliassime is just 530 points behind Musetti in the Live Race and the Canadian is one of two former BNP Paribas Fortis European Open champions (alongside 2024 title winner Roberto Bautista Agut) in the Brussels field after triumphing in 2022 in the event’s former home of Antwerp. The 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime has won six of his seven tour-level crowns indoors.
3) New home for the tournament: After nine years in Antwerp, the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open has moved to Brussels for this year’s edition. Hopes for a first home champion in the history of the Belgian tournament will be led by Zizou Bergs, who will compete at number 39 in the PIF ATP rankings, while former Top 10 star David Goffin enters as a wildcard.
4) Fonseca’s indoor debut: Joao Fonseca has made a big impression indoors in his young career so far, with the Brazilian triumphing at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah, and also triumphing on his Laver Cup debut against Cobolli last month. He will play his first ATP 250 event under one roof in Brussels this week as he aims to add a second tour-level title to the one he won in Buenos Aires earlier this year.
5) Nys/Roger-Vasselin top seeds: A number of teams chasing the Nitto ATP Finals will lead the doubles draw in Brussels. Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who are ranked ninth in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, are the top seeds. Christian Harrison and Evan King, eighth in the Live Doubles Teams Rankings, are in second place.
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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN STOCKHOLM
1) Rune Eyes Repeat Success: Danish Rune enjoyed a stunning BNP Paribas Nordic Open debut in 2022 as he defeated Alex de Minaur and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the title. This year the 22-year-old returns to compete in Stockholm for the first time in two years. Rune is the top seed and will be planning a deep run to boost his hopes in Turin: he is currently 12th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
2) Ruud returns: Another Scandinavian, Casper Ruud, is one place ahead of Rune in the Live Race. The Norwegian, who reached the championship match at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals, will look to move closer to Musetti and Auger-Aliassime above him with a deep run in Stockholm, where he reached the quarter-finals a year ago.
3) Former Champion Shapovalov: After returning to the Top 30 after a long road back from injury, Denis Shapovalov will be aiming for a big finish to his 2025 season. The Canadian will be hoping to forge a repeat of good memories this week in Stockholm, where he won his first tour-level trophy in 2019. Shapovalov is 22-19 on the year, a tally that includes title runs at Dallas and Los Cabos.
4) Ymer Brothers, Borg in action: Three Swedish stars compete as wildcards in their country’s capital. Former Top 50 player Mikael Ymer makes his first appearance in Stockholm since 2022, when he upset Tommy Paul on his way to the quarter-finals. His brother Elias Ymer will also participate, while Leo Borg, son of ATP No. 1 Club member Bjorn Borg, playing his first ATP Tour main draw of the season.
5) Success of Bolelli/Vavassori Eye Stockholm: Currently seventh in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori know a good week in Stockholm could bring them closer to a second consecutive Nitto ATP Finals appearance on home soil in Turin. The Italians are top seeds in the Swedish capital, where their rivals include second seeds Francisco Cabral and Lucas Miedler.
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