The ATP 250
European Open Antwerp is set to take place between October 13 and 20 at the
Lotto Arena Antwerpen, on indoor hardcourts. With a 28-player singles draw, the
tournament will feature top names like
Alex De Minaur,
Stefanos Tsitsipas, and
Felix Auger-Aliassime, all competing for the trophy.
Five top-30
players will be the favorites in a tournament looking for a new champion. In
2023,
Alexander Bublik claimed the title by defeating Arthur Fils in the final.
However, the Kazakh will not be defending his crown this year, as he has chosen
to skip the tournament to focus on Basel and the Paris Masters in the coming
weeks.
Rising stars and top seeds prepare for action
With
players ready to begin action once the qualifying rounds conclude, the top four
seeds will receive a first-round bye and will begin their campaigns in the
second round on Wednesday, including Alex De Minaur (1st seed), Stefanos
Tsitsipas (2nd), Felix Auger-Aliassime (3rd), and Sebastian Baez (4th).
The
Australian top seed returns to the courts after skipping the Asian swing. De
Minaur (World No. 11) has been struggling with injuries in recent months. After
his US Open quarterfinal run, where he was eliminated by Jack Draper, De Minaur
reported an injury that forced him to miss the tournaments in China.
Tsitsipas
(World No. 12) and Auger-Aliassime (World No. 22) are on negative streaks,
particularly the Canadian, who has suffered three consecutive first-round
exits, including at the US Open against rising star Jakub Mensik. Sebastian
Baez (World No. 27), known as a clay specialist, arrives with hopes of making a
deep run to secure a top-30 finish by the end of the season.
There are
other interesting names to watch, especially rising young stars. Frenchman
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (World No. 50), who made headlines in recent months,
aims to break a three-match losing streak and will face a qualifier. If he
advances, he could face Tsitsipas.
Another
player to keep an eye on is
Jiri Lehecka (World No. 34), who has shown
consistency despite injury struggles. In both the China Open and Shanghai, he
achieved several wins, only losing to top-tier opponents like Sinner and Rune.