VIENNA/STARNBERG, October 1, 2026
Tournament director Herwig Straka unveiled an impressive field for this year’s Erste Bank Open at a press conference in Vienna on September 14, with five Top-10 players already confirmed. The line-up has now been further strengthened by the addition of Australia’s Alex de Minaur, whose exceptional speed, footwork and relentless baseline game have made him one of the most difficult opponents on the ATP Tour.
Vienna has proved to be fertile ground for the 11-time ATP champion in recent years. De Minaur has reached the semi-finals of the Erste Bank Open in each of the past two editions, and he will return to the Austrian capital looking to go one step further.
In the current provisional seeding list, de Minaur sits at No. 6, behind Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe. Rising stars Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic/No. 14) and Learner Tien (USA/15) would currently complete the seeded field as Nos. 7 and 8.
Tommy Paul (USA/16) is presently the first player outside the projected seeds, followed by Brandon Nakashima (USA/17), Luciano Darderi (Italy/19), Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina/22) and Andrey Rublev (24). Like de Minaur, Rublev made his decision to compete in Vienna towards the end of the entry deadline.
The 28-year-old Russian arrives in Austria with renewed confidence after an impressive run at the ATP 250 event in Hangzhou. Rublev recorded his 400th career match win at the highest level in the semi-finals before reaching the final. The title in China ultimately went to fellow Vienna champion Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Rublev in the final. Medvedev, the 2022 Erste Bank Open champion, claimed his 24th ATP singles title, and his third of the 2026 season after Brisbane and Dubai.
Blockx set for Vienna after US Open breakthrough
Further down the entry list, Lorenzo Musetti (Italy/25), US Open semi-finalist Karen Khachanov (27) and Belgian rising star Alexander Blockx (28) add further quality to an already impressive field.
Blockx will arrive in Vienna later than originally planned. The 21-year-old had initially been selected for Belgium’s Davis Cup tie against Austria two weeks ago, but withdrew from the team shortly before the encounter after making a breakthrough run to the US Open quarter-finals in New York.
“We are delighted that Alex de Minaur has become the sixth Top-10 player to enter the tournament and that Andrey Rublev will also return to the Erste Bank Open this year,” said tournament director Herwig Straka.
“Between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, the No. 1 position in the world rankings could be at stake in Vienna. At the same time, we have other crowd favourites such as Frances Tiafoe as well as exciting new faces like Learner Tien and Alexander Blockx.”
Straka has also awarded a wildcard to Austrian Jurij Rodionov, who played a key role in his country’s recent 3-1 Davis Cup victory over Belgium, winning both of his singles matches.
“Jurij showed impressively at the Davis Cup what he is capable of. He played outstanding tennis and went beyond his limits in this tie. He more than deserves the wildcard,” Straka added.
With six Top-10 players, several established ATP stars and a new generation of rising talents, the Erste Bank Open is shaping up for another high-profile edition at the Wiener Stadthalle.
