Tennis essentials, 26 October: Sinner back in the Six Kings Slam, Wawrinka starts his farewell, Fils keeps Turin in sight

Basel and Vienna open their draws, and the Davis Cup has confirmed its teams: Monday was decided in press conferences as much as on court. The point before the first rounds.

Six Kings Slam: Sinner back, Tien squeezed out

Moved from 21-24 October to late December, the Six Kings Slam exhibition has its double defending champion back. A withdrawal when the event moved, replaced by Learner Tien, Jannik Sinner confirmed his entry by reposting the event poster and ended the suspense over his return date: the 20-year-old American, who had inherited the spot, is left out.

Alcaraz: Vienna added to the plan, Bologna confirmed

Carlos Alcaraz accepted the invitation of the Vienna ATP 500, a tournament missing from his season plan: a US Open quarter-final on his comeback, a title in Tokyo, a third-round exit in Shanghai. “I have the feeling I am not quite in the swing yet,” the Spaniard admitted before his first round against Karen Khachanov. The Spanish federation confirmed on Monday his presence at the Davis Cup final phase, from 24 to 29 November in Bologna.

Fils: a 495-point lead, and a first round between friends

For the Turin Masters, Arthur Fils holds 495 points over the first non-qualifier. Enough to see it coming, unless a De Minaur-Mensik final in Vienna and a Djokovic-Jodar final in Basel. In the Swiss draw, after Davidovich Fokina’s last-minute withdrawal, he meets Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, a childhood friend: “We always go on holiday together. We are going to have a big match. We have known each other since we were nine.”

Wawrinka: the last week starts in Basel

Stan Wawrinka plays the last official tournament of his career this week in Basel, before a farewell evening on 19 December in Geneva with Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Gaël Monfils. On Sunday he trained with Novak Djokovic, who also plays the Swiss ATP 500: “Enjoy this last ride,” the Serb told him. To those who keep sending him to retirement, Djokovic answers that he is not at 100% yet, physically on the right track.

Vienna: Zverev puts Becker back in his place

Before his Vienna debut, where he opens his draw like Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev aimed at Boris Becker. “His opinion does not interest me. Every time he said something, exactly the opposite happened,” the German said of a former champion who piles up criticism and advice about him.

Doubles: more than 150 players against the ATP cuts

More than 150 doubles players, former Wimbledon champions included, urge the ATP to reconsider budget cuts they judge drastic and capable of killing the discipline. An open letter also signed by legends of the tour.

Monfils speaks tonight, live on Twitch

Gaël Monfils goes live on Twitch on Monday evening, in his first intervention since the brutal end of his career was announced. In the very week Wawrinka begins his farewell. Yesterday’s tennis essentials set the scene, from Lorenzo Musetti’s Lyon title to the Twitch announcement.