Preview ABN AMRO Open | Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Bublik among favourites for title in Rotterdam

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev may not be in action, but it is still a very enticing ABN AMRO Open set to take place from February 9-15 with the tennis players in action looking to take home the coveted title and the rewards which come along with it.

The world number one and four played out a stunning Australian Open semi-final, in which Alcaraz managed to just squeeze through to book his spot in the final before being crowned champion a couple of days later against 10-time champion Novak Djokovic. Both players opted to sit out of tournament in Rotterdam but there is still a lot of big names in action.

These high calibre withdrawals are hugely positive news for Alex de Minaur, who has struggled to beat the best players in the world in recent times. The Aussie played some incredible tennis in the Australian Open which makes him as the favourite in many people's eyes in the Netherlands.

He made a run all the way to the final last year before his torrid streak against Alcaraz would continue with a three-set defeat. He also lost the final in 2024, that time to world number two Jannik Sinner. This time, he will be looking to avoid another final defeat with the title firmly in sight if he continues to play the tennis that he has been in 2026. It is set to be a hugely intriguing opening match against the hugely exciting and talented Arthur Fils, who has just made his return to tennis following a back injury keeping him out for an extended period of time.

Another player brimming with confidence despite a complete opposite Australian open showing is Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian was forced to retire from his first round matchup against Nuno Borges in Melbourne but has since responded in a very positive manner, making it to the Open Occitanie final where French veteran Adrian Mannarino awaits.

After he plays this, he will travel north of Montpellier into the Netherlands with quite possibly another title firmly on his mind. He knows how to win in Rotterdam, taking home the title in 2022 while coming runner-up in 2020. He takes on Alexei Popyrin in the opening match.

Alexander Bublik already has that winning feeling this year, taking home the Hong Kong Open against Lorenzo Musetti. He debuted in the top 10 in the world, showing off how far he has come as a tennis player. The Kazakh will be hotly tipped by many for another deep run in an ATP tournament, with United Cup champion Hubert Hurkacz his first task.

2023 champion Daniil Medvedev also returns. He is looking to win a title in an event that he has already triumphed in for the first time, breaking an incredible record he currently holds. Similar to Bublik, he already owns silverware from an almost flawless start to the year, taking home the Adelaide International title before Learner Tien thrashed him in the last-16 at Melbourne Park. Fortunately for him the American is not in this event as he sets his sights on a matchup against Ugo Humbert, known to be very talented indoors.

The Russian number two Karen Khachanov comes in as the fifth seed. Looking to become the fifth Russian to take home glory in Rotterdam after Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Mikhail Youzhny, Andrey Rublev and Medvedev. His first task is to take down home favourite Jesper De Jong and kick start his 2026 with some positive form.

Speaking of home favourites, there are no more as prominent as Tallon Griekspoor. The Dutch number one will surely receive a positive boost from the passionate fans as he targets a deep run in the tournament. He has a tough test in the first round with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard his opening opponent. A date with Auger-Aliassime could be on the cards in the third round.

Thanks to Jack Draper also recently withdrawing, this benefits fellow Brit Cameron Norrie who is now seeded for the event. The number eight ranked player in this tournament is up against Roberto Bautista Agut to start procedures while the seventh seed and Shanghai Masters finalist Arthur Rinderknech will go toe to toe with the 2022 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in a highly anticipated match.

Other noticeable first round ties include Stan Wawrinka making a return. The 2015 champion also reached the final in 2019 with differing results. While a title run may seem unrealistic, a second round tie against one of de Minaur or Fils is an exciting prospect. That will only be the case if he can get past Aleksandar Vukic.