Jódar avoids Djokovic in the Basel draw until a hypothetical final

Diego Jiménez Rubio - 24 Oct 2026 | 13:25
Rafael Jódar ATP ATP Basilea 2026 Novak Djokovic Ben Shelton Arthur Fils

We analyze how the ATP 500 Basel 2026 draw looks, with Shelton and Fils as favorites, paying special attention to the paths of Rafael Jódar and Novak Djokovic.

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ATP Basel 2026 Draw, Path of Jódar and Djokovic. Photo: gettyimages

The ATP 500 Basel 2026 will offer great excitement to all tennis fans next week, and now that the draw has been made, we can determine which rivals the favorites will face to reach the final. Rafael Jódar will not be able to face Novak Djokovic before the final, but he will meet significant rivals like Alejandro Davidovich and Arthur Fils.

A fierce battle for the ATP Finals in Turin is expected. That is what is anticipated in a ATP 500 Basel 2026 filled with players immersed in this particular quest. Rafael Jódar will stake a crucial part of his chances to be in the Masters tournament, knowing that Novak Djokovic is right on his heels. In addition, Alejandro Davidovich is back in competition, while Ben Shelton and Arthur Fils look to impose their favoritism.

Rafael Jódar could face Davidovich in the quarter-finals in Basel

It has not been the worst possible result for Rafael Jódar, who will debut against Alejandro Tabilo, whom he has already defeated several times this year, having figured out his versatile left-handed game. The Spaniard will need his best level to beat the Chilean again and create the opportunity to face Valentin Vacherot or Mariano Navone. 

If he manages to advance, he would expect a Alejandro Davidovich in the quarter-finals, who will debut against the always dangerous Zizou Bergs, especially on indoor European courts. The Belgian will be a tough test to gauge whether Foki is still riding high from his success in Shanghai. The Spaniard is maximizing his chances of entering the ATP Finals race, for which he needs to replicate a performance like last year's, at the very least, where he reached the final. Holger Rune or Quentin Halys would be his opponent in the second round.

Arthur Fils emerges as a potential opponent in the semi-finals, arriving with confidence from Brussels, but also possibly facing physical and mental fatigue. He will debut against a Hubert Hurkacz, who is a serious threat, and in his path to the quarter-finals, he has unsettling rivals like Botic Van de Zandschulp or Alex Michelsen, as well as Taylor Fritz, who will have a tough debut against Stefanos Tsitsipas, and if he beats the Greek, he could face Denis Shapovalov.

Djokovic has reasons to dream big in Basel

Novak Djokovic is looking to maximize his chances to play in Turin at the end of the year, but also to feel competitive and fight for another title. He hasn't played in Basel since 2011, and his return will be against Ugo Humbert, a player who is not in the best shape but has a very dangerous game on these courts.

If he overcomes this hurdle, he will face Jan-Lennard Struff or a player coming from the qualifying rounds. Djokovic's potential opponent in the quarter-finals would be Alexander Bublik, though the wear and tear that the Kazakh will face from the Almaty tournament and the little time he will have to adapt to Basel make it possible that he could be surprised by Stricker, Borges, or a player from the qualifying rounds.

In this upper part of the draw, the first-round match between Jiri Lehecka and Stan Wawrinka stands out, which could mean the Swiss's farewell in the tournament of his home country. Additionally, Ben Shelton has been "graced" with a tough match to start, against the Norwegian Casper Ruud. The American will not have an easy time asserting his position as the top seed, presuming some relaxation on his part due to his already mathematical qualification to the ATP Finals.

Potential quarter-final matchups at the ATP 500 Basel 2026

  • Ben Shelton vs Jiri Lehecka

  • Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Bublik

  • Alejandro Davidovich vs Rafael Jódar

  • Arthur Fils vs Taylor Fritz

This is how the final draw of the ATP 500 Basel 2026 looks

Cuadro ATP 500 Basilea 2026

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jódar evita a Djokovic en el cuadro de Basilea hasta una hipotética final