Yannick Hanfmann closed the 2025 season on an upswing after a deliberate reshaping of his team and training approach. The 33-year-old German’s victory at the Platzmann Open ATP Challenger in Hagen in early August was his first success under new coach Petar Popovic and offered early evidence that the changes were working.

The partnership with Popovic began after the French Open, when Hanfmann ended his collaboration with Juan Pablo Brzezicki. Hanfmann described the recruitment as immediate and natural. “I had originally planned to go through the grass season just with a fitness coach,” he said. “Then the opportunity with Petar came up. We already knew each other from before. He has a lot of experience. After one phone call, we met spontaneously in Stuttgart, and it clicked right away.”

On court, the effects have been tangible. Observers noted sharper match instincts, more structure in key rallies, and a calmer presence in pressure moments. Hanfmann remains explicit about his goals: “Of course, I’ve been playing more on the Tour level in recent years,” he said. “I still hope to win a title there as well. But it’s obviously very nice to win a Challenger in Germany.”

Hanfmann’s routine is intentionally mobile. Based mainly in Antwerp while still spending time in his hometown of Karlsruhe, he organizes training around tournament schedules and works closely with his fitness coach and Popovic to refine details. “I live in Antwerp and still spend some time in Karlsruhe, but most of the time I’m on the road,” he said. “As a tennis player, it’s hard to really be at home anywhere.” He also spent a week in Munich for focused clay-court preparation earlier in the year.

Competing near Antwerp added resonance to his season. He came through qualifying at the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open in Brussels to reach the second round before falling to Lorenzo Musetti. Off court, Hanfmann brings depth to his profile: born in Karlsruhe, he has lived with a hearing impairment in both ears, is a former University of Southern California standout who helped the Trojans win two NCAA titles, and maintains interests in football and basketball clubs. At 33, his changes have produced momentum rather than a rebuild, culminating in a strong showing at the Rolex Shanghai Masters to end the year.

Novak Djokovic opened his Athens campaign with a straight-sets victory over Alejandro Tabilo, prevailing 7-6 (3), 6-1 at the ATP 250 indoor hard-court event. The result carried extra weight: it was Djokovic’s first career win against the Chilean and moved him into the 225th quarterfinal of his career.

Djokovic had lost the pair’s first two meetings in straight sets, falling to Tabilo in Rome last year and again in Monte Carlo earlier this year. In Athens he reversed those outcomes, taking a close first set in the tiebreak and then closing the match decisively in the second set.

The win halted a short head-to-head advantage for Tabilo and illustrated Djokovic’s capacity to adjust after previous defeats. It also created a statistical footnote: “But only one player—Roger Federer—has ever won their first three career meetings against Djokovic, and he’ll now remain alone in that stat.” Djokovic avoided giving Tabilo a third consecutive opening win and instead progressed through to the quarterfinal stage in Athens.

The match was played on the indoor hard courts that characterize this ATP 250 stop, and Djokovic’s straight-sets scoreline reflected a steadying of his game after the earlier tight opening set. By advancing, Djokovic not only secured passage to the last eight at the tournament but also added another milestone to an already extensive list of career quarterfinal appearances.

This victory in Athens represents a clear turnaround in the short rivalry between Djokovic and Tabilo, reversing two earlier straight-sets losses and reaffirming Djokovic’s ability to convert close matches into wins at tour-level events.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios are scheduled to face each other in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition set for Dec. 28 in Dubai. The match will be played indoors at the 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena, and both players posted logistical details on their social media channels after Sabalenka confirmed during the U.S. Open that discussions for the match were underway.

Before their head-to-head meeting in Dubai, both players will take part in an exhibition in New York on Dec. 8, though they will not play one another there. Sabalenka will face Naomi Osaka and Kyrgios will play Tommy Paul in that event.

Kyrgios has outlined specific conditions for the Dubai match, saying he would get only one serve and would be hitting toward a smaller side of the court. The Australian, who has barely played in recent years because of injuries, has predicted he will win easily.

“I cannot wait to get back out on court,” Kyrgios said in an Instagram story. “Honestly I’m feeling amazing. I never thought I would be back into this position, being able to travel the world, see my fans and play some amazing tennis.”

The exhibition borrows its name from the famous 1973 meeting between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, a match King won in straight sets in the Houston Astrodome. Sabalenka enters the off-season as a four-time Grand Slam champion and one of the top attractions on the women’s tour, while Kyrgios returns to a spotlighted appearance after a period of limited competitive play.