MONTPELLIER/WASHINGTON, February 5, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
Defending Open Occitanie champion Felix Auger-Aliassime leads all players on the ATP Tour in indoor wins this decade. The Canadian’s 86 victories have translated into seven tour-level titles, including Montpellier last year.
On Thursday evening, the World No. 8 Auger-Aliassime began defense of his Open Occitanie crown against 40-year-old Swiss legend and three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka. It’s the kind of match that was worthy of its marquee status on the day’s order of play, and both players put on a good show that Auger-Aliassime won, 6-4, 7-6 (3), to advance to the quarterfinal round.
Auger-Aliassime and Wawrinka, who announced last month that the 2026 season would be his final one on the ATP Tour, helped fill 6,700-seat Sud de France Arena in the southern France city. Their second-round match created an exciting atmosphere for this early-season ATP 250 indoor hard-court event.
A winning return for the defending champ ✅
Felix Auger-Aliassime defeats Stan Wawrinka in an entertaining battle to advance to the #OpenOccitanie26 quarter-finals pic.twitter.com/pMcJOlwTUz
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 5, 2026
As the 25-year-old from Montreal attempted to reach the last eight stage for the eighth time since the beginning of August last year and Wawrinka was chasing after his 113th tour-level quarterfinal – and first one since Stockholm in 2024 – to become the third-oldest quarterfinalist since the ATP Tour began in 1990, Auger-Aliassime broke for a 4-3 lead and soon saved a couple of break points before winning the 41-minute opening set 6-4.
As the second set unfolded, Auger-Aliassime continued to pressure Wawrinka, who was trying to become the oldest tour-level quarterfinalist on a hard court since Ken Rosewall, 44, at Hong Kong in 1978, during the Swiss star’s service games. While Wawrinka did his best to control points, Auger-Aliassime ripped a 10th-shot forehand winner to break his serve and go ahead 3-2. However, Wawrinka returned the favor and immediately broke back in the next game for 3-all. He saved a break point during his next service game, then dug himself out of a hole with his fourth ace.
“I can’t hear you!” ️
Out of this world from Felix Auger-Aliassime #OpenOccitanie26 pic.twitter.com/1HKLxgfmtj
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 5, 2026
Soon, Auger-Aliassime made it 4-all with his 14th ace – and third of the game – but had to save a break point along the way just to hold his serve. Later, the Canadian No. 1 dominated a second set tiebreaker, going ahead 6-1. With five match points at his disposal, he was unable to fend off a Wawrinka drop shot on the first one, or the second one, either, which the Lausanne native won with a third-shot backhand winner. However, Auger-Aliassime won on his third match-point try, after being pushed hard by Wawrinka.
By the conclusion, Auger-Aliassime had struck 34 winners – including 16 aces – and won 82 percent (37 of 45) of his first-serve points. He converted two of 10 break points and was broken once. Auger-Aliassime outpointed Wawrinka 78-68.
It’s a first meeting between Stan Wawrinka and Felix Auger-Aliassime! #OpenOccitanie26 pic.twitter.com/2CYbfwjIwD
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 5, 2026
Surprisingly, it was the first time that Auger-Aliassime had faced Wawrinka – and it took him until his 440th match on Tour. By comparison, it took a whopping 968 matches for Wawrinka to finally share the court with Auger-Aliassime.
“I know him very well,” Auger-Aliassime said during his on-court interview. “Growing up all these years watching him be the legendary player he is … all of us young players all dream of a career like he’s had – the winning, the resilience, the hard work, the consistency. He’s been an example for all of us young players.
“It’s crazy that we’ve never played. I actually told him in Australia in the locker room ‘We’ve never played before. It’s crazy!.’ And now it happens. It was great to share the court with him.”
On Friday, Auger-Aliassime, who is 8-2 lifetime in Montpellier, will face No. 6 seed Arthur Fils of France. The 42nd-ranked Fils outlasted 174th-ranked French lucky loser Ugo Blanchet, 7-6 (4), 7-5, in a hour and 35 minutes Thursday night behind 14 aces and 26 overall winners.
Fils is on fire
Arthur Fils defeats Ugo Blanchet to book his first Quarter-Final in 10 months!#OpenOccitanie26 pic.twitter.com/SNVfdMw2X8
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 5, 2026
Nardi beats Cobolli, again
The rankings would suggest that it was an upset. Yet, 106th-ranked Luca Nardi has always had a knack for knowing how to beat fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli. Coming into their second-round match Thursday afternoon on Court Patrice Dominguez, in their fourth career tour-level meeting, the 22-year-old Nardi played aggressively from the outset and never let the World No. 20 from Florence get into the match.
When it ended, after one hour and 14 minutes, Nardi had defeated Cobolli, 6-2, 6-3, to advance to the last eight against 160th-ranked American qualifier Martin Damm, who has been impressive in two earlier wins this week in southern France.
Another seed goes ❌
Flavio Cobolli loses out to fellow compatriot Luca Nardi 6-3 6-2! #OpenOccitanie26 pic.twitter.com/howcF2YR5e
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 5, 2026
Indeed, Nardi is through to his second ATP Tour quarterfinal (after Dubai as a lucky loser last year) and he’s earned his third career Top-20 victory. The native of Pesaro, Italy struck 17 winners and took full advantage of 27 unforced errors by Cobolli, who was a Top-2 seed at an ATP Tour event for the first time in his career and now has lost to four tour-level matches to an opponent for the first time.
“Today, I had to be very aggressive because Flavio puts a lot of pressure on you from the baseline,” Nardi said. “I tried to be near the baseline and not give him much time. I think I did a good job.
“He fights a lot and when he comes back can be very dangerous. So, I had to be focused and I’m happy with the win.”
The Italian takes out [2] Cobolli 6-2, 6-3 to book his 2nd ATP quarter-final@OpenOccitanie | #OpenOccitanie26 pic.twitter.com/so5jDUqSDX
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 5, 2026
Around Sud de France Arena
• No. 8 seed Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States, a finalist last year in Montpellier, was upset by 150th-ranked French qualifier Titouan Droguet, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, in one hour and 54 minutes on Court 1.
In a rematch of their second-round Quimper Challenger tussle last week, won by Droguet in double tie-break fashion, the 24-year-old native of Villeneuve Saint Georges, France fired 25 aces and won 86 percent (44 of 51) of his first-serve points in this second-round match. He converted his only break point at the start of the final set and it proved to be the difference. Droguet outpointed Kovacevic, 92-89.
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In Friday’s quarterfinal round, Droguet will face No. 4 seed Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, who defeated 100th-ranked Pablo Carreño Busta of Spain, 6-4, 6-4, in 66 minutes. The 29th-ranked Griekspoor, who beat Carreño Busta for the second time in three career meetings, broke a five-match losing streak dating back to last October. He won his first match on the ATP Tour this season, after starting 0-3, by hitting 18 aces and 34 winners. Griekspoor dropped just one point on his first serve, winning 96 percent (27 of 28) of his first-serve points. He outpointed his opponent 63-45 to reach his second-straight Montpellier quarterfinal.
The Italian takes out [2] Cobolli 6-2, 6-3 to book his 2nd ATP quarter-final@OpenOccitanie | #OpenOccitanie26 pic.twitter.com/so5jDUqSDX
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 5, 2026
• The doubles draw saw pair of teams advance to the semifinals via walkover. First, No. 2 seeds Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner of Germany advanced when Griekspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands pulled out due a shoulder ailment by van de Zandschulp. Then, top seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul of France moved into the last four after Czechia’s Tomas Machac and Matej Vocel withdrew. Machac retired from his second-round singles match against Arthur Gea of France in the second set with a right knee injury Wednesday night.
Doumbia and Reboul will face another all-French team, Theo Arribage and Albano Olivetti in the semifinals. The other semifinal will pair Schnaitter and Wallner against No. 3 seeds Constantin Frantzen of Germany and Robin Haase of the Netherlands, who eased past British duo Joshua Paris and Marcus Willis, 6-3, 7-6 (5) on Court Patrice Dominguez Thursday afternoon.
Thursday’s Open Occitanie results
Friday’s Open Occitanie order of play
By the numbers
Arthur Fils has reached 18 tour-level quarterfinals in his young career – tied for fifth-best among Frenchman before turning 22. By comparison, Yannik Noah is first with 34, followed by Henri Leconte and Fabrice Santoro with 25 each, and Richard Gasquet with 23. Fils is tied with Guy Forget for fifth place.
“Quotable …”
“It’s always tricky to play someone who has already played a match on the court. I’ve been practicing a lot but practice is always different than competing. I needed all my focus. I didn’t have the best start to the year. It would be nice to put together some matches this week. … I’m looking for as many matches as possible this week. … I’m very pleased with the way I played [against Carreño Busta].”
– No. 4 seed Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, during his on-court interview after reaching his second-straight Montpellier quarterfinal.
