Carlos Alcaraz was the star of the show at the Vienna Open, as the lifted the ATP 500 title for the first time in his career.
Alcaraz made a last-minute decision to play the Vienna Open following the Six Kings Slam being moved from October to December, and he rewarded the tournament’s wildcard by winning the event.
The Spaniard defeated Karen Khachanov, Nikoloz Basilashvili, Tommy Paul, Daniil Medvedev, and Alex de Minaur to win his fourth tournament of the 2026 season.
He was a major hit with fans in Vienna too, as they packed out the entire week to see the likes of Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Medvedev.
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The Vienna tournament broke its attendance record this year by drawing more than 90,000 fans across the seven days of action.
Not only that, but the Stadthalle sold out on Monday for the first time in tournament history, meaning every single day was a sell out in Vienna.
It has absolutely stunned the tournament director Herwig Straka, who celebrated the record-breaking run after the final between Alcaraz and de Minaur.
“That has never happened before,” said Straka. “There is hardly any room left for improvement, unless we manage to squeeze in a few more seats somewhere.”
Despite its ATP 500 status, the Vienna Open tends to attract the biggest players in men’s tennis year after year.
Jannik Sinner claimed the title in 2025, whilst the last few winners have included Jack Draper, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Alexander Zverev.
Andy Murray and Roger Federer have also claimed multiple titles, but Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have never won the tournament.
Neither man tended to play an ATP 500 event during this week, with the Swiss Indoors also taking place concurrently, but they would usually opt for the Basel tournament if they did.
The Vienna Open will absolutely be hoping that Alcaraz comes back in 2027 to defend his title in Austria, but that could be scuppered by the Six Kings Slam.
The Saudi Arabia event takes place in mid-October, which is just before the Vienna Open takes place, so it could cause some scheduling issues in the 2027 season if it is not moved once again.
With the Six Kings Slams’ incredibly high appearance fees, and smaller format, it is much more appealing to the top players on the ATP Tour. Players only need to play two to three matches at the exhibition event, in contrast to a whole tournament format.
If the Six Kings Slam does return for the 2027 season, it’s very likely the biggest stars will choose to play in the Middle East instead of the indoor European circuit.
