Swiss Indoors | Novak Djokovic overturns early deficit against Ugo Humbert to make winning return to Basel

Wednesday, 28 October 2026 at 18:54

15 years later, Novak Djokovic has returned to Basel. The Swiss Indoors was his chosen tournament this week as he gets his European Indoor hardcourt swing underway on the front foot with a hard-fought 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Ugo Humbert.

The Frenchman most certainly made his esteemed opponent work for it, especially after winning the first set. However, Djokovic found another gear or two and was able to get over the finishing line as the winner, thus continuing Humbert’s poor run of form.

The 2009 champion opted to compete in this event after the Six Kings Slam was postponed, freeing up a week to get some more ranking points on the board in his late bid to qualify for the ATP Finals.

If he wins the tournament on Swiss soil, he will be in a very good position depending on his rivals results. There was still the challenge of finding a way past Humbert. Their only meeting came back in 2019, in which Djokovic was a comfortable winner. After going behind in the first set, he improved his level and managed to craft out a commendable victory.

Novak Djokovic makes a winning return to Basel

Djokovic completes comeback win against Humbert

Humbert is always a tricky customer when it is played in these types of settings and proved that very early on. Both players got an early hold on the board, but the first to falter on serve would be Djokovic. Humbert clinically converted the solitary break point that cropped up, and that would be enough to seal the first set.

Djokovic instantly responded, with Humbert also having another chance to create more daylight later in the first set, but it was successfully defended by Djokovic who closed the gap to 4-3. He forced Humbert to see it out on his terms, and that was done with little fuss.

He could have extended his lead even further, but a break point to commence the second set was not converted. That was when Djokovic moved up the gears. He won three games in a row before failing to seal a double break advantage but most importantly had control of the set.

A medical timeout was not what Humbert needed, but he persisted as Djokovic attempted to serve it out. With a second set point, parity was restored, and it was all set up for a blockbuster finale.

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It was almost the perfect start for Humbert. He could have made it 2-0, but the golden opportunity was short-lived and he could not capitalise. The third set remained on serve for just two more games. Djokovic saw his chance and pounced on it. He backed up the break with a hold of serve and was making a charge towards the finishing line.

All Djokovic needed to do was stay on serve, and that is exactly what he did. Humbert's resistance crumbled, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion served it out expertly to march on in Basel.

Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist

Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.

Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.

He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.

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