Seeds Navigate Early Pressures in Adelaide and Auckland
With the ATP 250 hard-court swing underway across the Tasman Sea, top seeds like Davidovich Fokina and Shelton confront career milestones, injury returns, and tactical tests that could shape their Australian summer paths.
Hard courts in Adelaide and Auckland hum with the sharp anticipation of an ATP 250 doubleheader, where the Australian summer’s heat amplifies every baseline exchange. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina arrives as the top seed at the Adelaide International, his career-high No. 14 ranking placing new demands on a Spaniard eager to shake off a Brisbane opener loss. Across the water at the ASB Classic, Ben Shelton and Casper Ruud lead a draw blending fresh momentum with lingering challenges, as players adjust to the season’s quickening pulse.
Davidovich Fokina tests top-seed resolve
At 26, Davidovich Fokina steps into his first top-seed role at an ATP Tour event, facing Tristan Schoolkate or Rinky Hijikata in Adelaide’s opener. His heavy topspin forehand, often fired inside-out to stretch opponents wide, must find early groove on these medium-paced courts to build confidence. A deep run here could propel him toward top-10 contention, turning the seed’s weight into a launchpad rather than a burden.
Stefanos Tsitsipas carries a perfect 3-0 singles record from the United Cup in Perth, his first matches since a back injury in September. The Greek’s one-handed backhand slices down-the-line with surgical intent, but sustaining that against a qualifier requires precise serve placement to blunt aggressive returns. As a 12-time ATP Tour champion, he thrives in these baseline skirmishes, where mental sharpness dictates the flow.
Paul and Kokkinakis chase comeback momentum
Tommy Paul, the second seed and a two-time Adelaide semifinalist, hunts his first win of 2026 after a deciding-set tiebreak defeat to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Brisbane. Returning from a ruptured tendon in his left foot that ended his 2025 season post-US Open, the American leans on crafty serve-volley patterns, mixing crosscourt approaches with net finishes to shorten points. Facing Reilly Opelka or Alexei Popyrin, he must blend physical caution with tactical aggression to reclaim his rhythm.
Thanasi Kokkinakis makes his singles return after 12 months, opening against Sebastian Korda following the 29-year-old’s unprecedented operation on his pec after the 2025 Australian Open. The hometown favorite, who lifted his maiden ATP Tour trophy here in 2022, powers aggressive inside-in forehands that suit the surface, though recovery limits demand careful overhead use. With doubles alongside Nick Kyrgios in Brisbane as warmup, Kokkinakis draws on crowd energy to reignite his baseline fire, his serves cracking amid Memorial Drive’s familiar roar.
Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool top the Adelaide doubles as 2025 Year-End No. 1 honorees, fresh from a Brisbane final. Their synchronized net play—poaching returns and lobbing with precision—exploits hard-court speed, setting up one–two combinations that pressure rivals like Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten. A strong showing reinforces their dominance, echoing the singles field’s quests for steady breakthroughs.
Shelton and Ruud anchor Auckland intensity
Ben Shelton begins his fourth straight Auckland season as the No. 8 seed, his first tour-level action since the Nitto ATP Finals in November. The 23-year-old American’s booming lefty serve sets up inside-out forehands that dominate quicker hard courts, but against Francisco Comesana or Valentin Royer, he adjusts returns to counter high-bouncing loops. This fast start tempers post-Finals expectations, channeling energy into a semifinal push that steadies his top-10 trajectory.
Casper Ruud, the second seed, builds on a United Cup upset over Top 10 Alex de Minaur in Sydney, yet third seed Jakub Mensik awaits after straight-sets superiority there. The Norwegian grinds with heavy topspin groundstrokes in crosscourt rallies, varying slice backhands to disrupt flat hitters like Mensik. His form reproduction hinges on serve holds that preserve mental poise, securing rankings points in a volatile draw.
Gael Monfils launches his final 2026 pro season at 39, the ASB Classic his poignant starting point after claiming his 13th ATP Tour title here last year. His elastic retrievals—dipping for underspin passing shots or leaping into overheads—defy time on faster surfaces, joined by former champions Alejandro Tabilo and Roberto Bautista Agut. The Frenchman’s flair carries emotional charge, turning rallies into crowd-magnet moments that honor his legacy.
Cameron Norrie, fifth seed and an Auckland native, pursues the title that slipped away in 2019 and 2023 finals, opening against qualifier Hugo Gaston. His lefty counterpunching absorbs pace with deep returns before unleashing 1–2 forehand patterns, home support fueling net advances. This bid transforms familiarity into edge, potentially unlocking a breakthrough amid the event’s compact intensity.
Yuki Bhambri and Andre Goransson head Auckland doubles, facing Brisbane winners Francisco Cabral and Lucas Miedler or the five-time champion pair Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul. Their return poaches turn second serves into breaks on low-bouncing courts, volley variations adding depth to tactical duels. These matchups promise net-focused battles, mirroring singles themes of adaptation and resilience.
As Adelaide’s moderate pace contrasts Auckland’s zip, these ATP 250 stops weave tactical adjustments with personal narratives, from seed pressures to farewell arcs. Players forge mental edges in openers that echo across the Australian Open horizon, where early momentum often defines the swing’s deeper runs.
