PREVIEW Swiss Open Gstaad ATP: Casper Ruud returns from injury, Bublik and Wawrinka seek clay-court glory

The ATP 250 Swiss Open Gstaad 2025 will take place from July 14 to 20, bringing the European clay-court swing closer to its end with a traditional tournament that has been held for over 100 years. The tournament will feature the return of Casper Ruud following an injury, and he will arrive as the top favorite, having won the event in 2021 and 2022.

While many of the Tour's top figures take a short break after the grass-court swing, this will be an opportunity for second-tier stars to earn points in the year's last clay-court tournament before heading to the North American hardcourt swing. Alexander Bublik, Pedro Martinez, and Tomas Martin Etcheverry are among the other favored names.

On TennisUpToDate, we examine the form of the main contenders and potential surprises who can take advantage of a transition week on the ATP Tour, in search of a new champion to succeed the injured Matteo Berrettini, who won in 2024.

Undoubtedly, the biggest name will be three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud, who returns after missing the entire grass-court swing – including Wimbledon. The Norwegian was defeated early in the second round of the French Open and soon after announced he suffered a knee injury that would keep him off the courts for several weeks, preventing him from recovering for the year's third Grand Slam.

The loss of points in the two European Grand Slams caused Ruud to drop from World No. 7 to just No. 15, and this will be an opportunity to regain positions. Back in 2024, he participated in the Gstaad Open this week, falling in the first round, so it will be an opportunity to gain points while most of the top-ranked players are out of competition. Winning the title would put him on the verge of returning to the top 10.

Among the main seeds, several names have shown their comfort on clay courts, with Spaniard Pedro Martinez (3rd seed) and Tomas Martin Etcheverry (4th seed) as strong contenders on slow surfaces. Spanish and South American players always see a good opportunity to gain an advantage on clay, and this time, two who have managed to rank higher will have a chance with a better draw.

Alexander Bublik is a separate case; throughout his career, he has disavowed clay courts, a surface he had never quite adapted to. However, he was a surprise at Roland Garros, reaching the quarterfinals and defeating World No. 4 Jack Draper, in what was his best performance in a Grand Slam main draw, precisely on his least favorite surface.

The tournament will provide an opportunity for lower-ranked tennis players to secure a spot in the main draw, notably World No. 155 Stan Wawrinka, who at 40 years old continues to seek to remain among the elite of the competition. The former Roland Garros champion will be another significant name in the draw, and someone the main favorites will surely want to avoid in the early rounds.

Former Indian Wells runner-up Nikoloz Basilashvili (No. 112) is also looking for an opportunity to return to the top. After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, the 33-year-old Georgian player has the chance to appear in a main draw of an ATP 250 tournament, with a live chance to return to the top 100 after three years, if he advances a couple of rounds.

Spanish young star Martin Landaluce will be another name to watch. At 19, he has made giant strides at the top level, being the youngest in this main draw and showing why he is considered one of the players who can set the standard in the future.