A demanding but necessary start

Novak Djokovic still has gas in the tank. The Serbian aims to equal Roger Federer with 103 trophies in the Swiss's home, the ATP 500 in Basel, but for that, he will have to work hard. He demonstrated this against Ugo Humbert, who put him on the ropes, but whom he managed to come back against to debut with a victory by 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and think about his next opponent, Jan-Lennard Struff.

After his brief stint in Shanghai, although with the title from Beijing in hand, Novak Djokovic made it clear that his goal for this tough and irregular season is to qualify for the ATP Finals, a tournament he has chosen not to participate in for the past two years due to injury. However, the task he faces requires good results in both the ATP 500 in Basel and the Masters 1000 in Paris.

But his first opponent in Switzerland was one of the worst he could face in a first round and on indoor hard courts: Ugo Humbert. The Frenchman, who continues to struggle to find the consistency that would elevate him to the world's best, is quite a nuisance on this type of surface with his flat tennis and resilience.

This is how Djokovic came back against Humbert in the first round of the ATP Basel

Something noticeable from the very first point of the match. The Frenchman doesn't give the Serbian even a warm-up game and imposes an intense pace from the start, resulting in an early break point that forces the Belgrader to play catch-up. He attempts to find his rhythm, but in the rallies, Humbert seems more comfortable and secure, with a cross-backhand that is becoming a nightmare for the Belgrader.

Humbert has another chance to extend the lead, but Djokovic prevents it; however, his response is not enough to stop the Frenchman from taking a very complete set where he overwhelms the Serbian from all angles and puts the first set in his pocket by 6-4.

The second set begins and the prevailing feeling is that Djokovic is not waking up, and Humbert again enjoys two break points. It seems that the Serbian’s adventure in Switzerland will end earlier than expected, but that’s when a champion with 24 Grand Slams resurfaces.

Djokovic WINS on return 🇨🇭🎯 Former champ @DjokerNole wins his first match in Basel since 2011 coming back to defeat Humbert #SwissIndoorsBasel https://t.co/MThuQsl330

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 28, 2026

Not only does he save the two break points, but he also comes out with an extra gear in the next game, lets out a shout of relief, and breaks the Frenchman’s serve for the first time. From 0-1 and a break down to 3-0: that's what happens when you play against Djokovic, if you blink, you miss it.

Moreover, that constant and aggressive rhythm from Humbert in the first set begins to take its toll and he calls for the physiotherapist. The second set is decided in those first two games, and Djokovic takes it (6-3) without too many problems, while the duel will be decided in the final set.

Faced with such a battle, both decide to head to the locker room, and that break of more than ten minutes cools both players down. Rallies decrease, and intensity drops significantly. Both maintain their serves until in the fourth game Djokovic delivers a decisive blow in the form of a break. He knows how to suffer again and saves a break point in the next game. He raises his fist, and the crowd roars as the Belgrader sees the second round in Basel getting closer.

Still, Humbert has not said his last word and continues to try with his serve and return. But Djokovic, who has already sweat a lot in his debut, does not want to spend too much time on the court. So he does not get nervous or falter in the face of Humbert's last push; he simply executes, closes out the match (4-6, 6-3, 6-4), raises his fist, and looks at his team. This is only the beginning in Basel.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Un debut exigente, pero necesario