Novak Djokovic leads Athens field, Turin hopeful Felix Auger-Aliassime in Metz

Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Djokovic, Musetti lead Athens field, Turin hopeful Felix in Metz

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour & Julian Finney/Getty Images

Novak Djokovic, Lorenzo Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime are in ATP 250 action this week. By ATP Staff

An ATP 250 doubleheader brings the 2025 PIF ATP Live Race To Turin to a close this week, when Athens and Metz play host to high-stakes indoor hard-court action.

ATP Tour tennis returns to Athens for the first time since 1994 with the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Hellenic Championship, where former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Novak Djokovic headlines the field. Djokovic’s fellow Top 10 star Lorenzo Musetti seeks a deep run in Athens to try and claim the final open spot at the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals.

Meanwhile Musetti’s only rival for that Turin place, Felix Auger-Aliassime, is the top seed at the Moselle Open in Metz. ATPTour.com looks ahead at five things to watch at each event.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ATHENS

1) Djokovic Returns To Action: The 100-time tour-level champion Djokovic competes for the first time since reaching the Shanghai semi-finals last month. The 38-year-old is the top seed in Athens, where he will be aiming to settle quickly into his indoor groove ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals. Djokovic starts his title bid in Greece against Alejandro Tabilo or Adam Walton.

2) Musetti Plays For Turin Spot: After his early exit at the Rolex Paris Masters, Musetti will aim for a big finish to his 2025 PIF ATP Live Race To Turin in Athens. The Italian, who is ninth in the Live Race as he chases a Nitto ATP Finals debut on home soil, trails eighth-placed Auger-Aliassime by 90 points, although the Canadian could establish an unassailable lead as early as Sunday by winning the Paris final against Jannik Sinner.

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3) Stars Eye Big Finish To 2025: A host of players will aim to cap their 2025 season in style in Athens. Third seed Luciano Darderi chases his fourth title of the year, and his first away from the clay, while fourth seed Brandon Nakashima seeks his first trophy of the season. Nakashima leads a strong squad of Americans in the draw that also includes Reilly Opelka and Sebastian Korda.

4) Wild Card Wawrinka: Still going strong at 40 years old, Stan Wawrinka will close his 24th season as a pro by competing as a wild card in Athens. The Swiss former World No. 3 takes on Botic van de Zandschulp in his opening match, with the winner to take on Musetti in the second round.

5) Doumbia/Reboul Lead Doubles Field: Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul seek their second ATP 250 title of the season in Athens. The French duo enters as the top seeds in the Greek capital, where its rivals include second seeds Francisco Cabral/Lucas Miedler and home wild cards Pavlos Tsitsipas/Petros Tsitsipas, brothers of Stefanos Tsitsipas.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN METZ

1) In-form Felix: Long renowned for his prowess on indoor hard courts, Auger-Aliassime arrives in Metz in excellent form. The Canadian won his third title of 2025 under the roof in Brussels earlier this month, before reaching the quarter-finals in Basel and the final in Paris. If he defeats Sinner in the title match in the French capital, he will secure a return to the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time since 2022.

2) Can Bublik Cap Career-best Year?: Although Alexander Bublik's hopes of reaching Turin ended with semi-final defeat to Auger-Aliassime in Paris, the Kazakhstani has enjoyed a standout year on Tour. The 28-year-old will chase his fifth title of the season in Metz, where he reached the final in 2022.

3) Rinderknech Leads Home Charge: Sixth seed Arthur Rinderknech leads a set of 10 Frenchmen (not including qualifiers) in the Metz draw. Corentin Moutet is seeded eighth, with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Terence Atmane, Arthur Cazaux and Adrian Mannarino among the others aiming to ensure a home champion for the third consecutive year after Ugo Humbert’s 2023 triumph and Benjamin Bonzi’s 2024 title run.

4) Blockx In The Jeddah Hunt: Alexander Blockx is seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, and the Belgian has the chance to take a big step towards qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF this week in Metz. Blockx is in the main draw in France via a Next Gen entry spot, part of the ATP’s Next Gen Accelerator pathway, which provides increased opportunities for players aged 20-and-under in the Top 250 of the PIF ATP Rankings.

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