Djokovic accepted the wildcard on October 16 for a tournament he has not played since 2011. The 24-time Grand Slam champion holds a 12-2 career record at the Swiss Indoors, where he beat Roger Federer to win his only title there in 2009.

Basel tournament director Roger Brennwald said the pitch had been straightforward.

“When the most successful tennis player in history comes knocking, you have to make it possible,” Brennwald told reporters.

The 39-year-old sits 11th in the Live Race to Turin and needs a strong week to force his way into the top nine for the Nitto ATP Finals, with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner out for the rest of 2026 with a knee injury.

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‘He is hungrier than ever’

Isner, speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, said the choice to show up in Basel told its own story.

“It shows his mindset. No one would be surprised. Everyone would understand if he kind of shut it down this year. No, he is hungry and hungrier than ever,” Isner said.

Querrey agreed Djokovic was in unfamiliar territory for a player who has spent most of his career locked inside the top eight before the summer.

“This is the first time ever Novak has had to chase points. He’s never been in this situation. It’s never happened before. It’s kind of a new place for him,” he said.

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Isner also warned the Basel draw was tougher than many had expected, with Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz among those listed alongside Djokovic.

“You look at the top eight seeds, holy cow, it’s loaded. This 500 week is brutal on both sides,” he said.

‘A treat for Vienna’

Alcaraz’s path to the Erste Bank Open was less obvious. The Spaniard accepted the Vienna wildcard on October 15, a day after the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh was postponed from late October to December 27-30 over security concerns following attacks on the Saudi capital.

Alcaraz has not played the tournament since 2021 and enters as the second seed behind Alexander Zverev.

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Querrey’s reaction on the podcast was blunt.

“What a treat for Vienna! It’s like winning the lottery,” he said.

Isner read the entry as a statement from a player who, by his own account, has taken significant time off this season.

“He had all that time off. He’s relatively fresh. The freshest he will probably ever be for the rest of his career, going into the fall indoor season. I think he’s fired up. He wants to prove that he is the best player in the world,” Isner said.

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“I think he wants to maybe prove he is still the guy to beat, heading into the 2027 season.”

Vienna tournament director Herwig Straka called the booking “a tremendous honour for our tournament.”

Both events run from October 26 to November 1, with Alcaraz scheduled to begin his Vienna week on Tuesday, October 28.

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