Shelton and Fritz lead the BOSS OPEN seedings

There have been several changes to the entry list for the BOSS OPEN, which gets underway with qualifying matches on Saturday. The main reason is that the course of the French Open has not necessarily played into the hands of the tournament organizers in Stuttgart. Germany’s number one Alexander Zverev, Jakub Mensik (CZE), and Flavio Cobolli (ITA), all of whom reached the semifinals in Paris, will therefore not be able to compete at the ATP grass-court tournament at the Weissenhof.

As a result, current world number five Ben Shelton (USA) now tops the seeding list for the BOSS OPEN. He is followed by defending champion and BOSS brand ambassador Taylor Fritz (USA), as well as Alexander Bublik (KAZ) and Jiri Lehecka (CZE). This quartet receives a bye into the second round. Seeded five through eight are Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe (both USA), Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP), and Corentin Moutet (FRA).

“Alexander Zverev’s decision to fully focus on the French Open is completely understandable. We wish him all the best for the final in Paris and will be keeping our fingers crossed. A victory for ‘Sascha’ at Roland Garros would give German tennis a huge boost, which is why we will be following the action in France closely on Sunday,” explains Tournament Director Edwin Weindorfer.

The changes to the entry list also mean that four German players—Yannick Hanfmann, Daniel Altmaier, Jan-Lennard Struff, and last year’s quarterfinalist Justin Engel—have secured their spots in the main draw. As two-time Stuttgart champion Matteo Berrettini was also forced to withdraw from the BOSS OPEN due to a hip injury he sustained on Wednesday in his Paris quarterfinal against his compatriot Matteo Arnaldi, only one of the three wildcard entries has so far been awarded—to Nick Kyrgios. The eccentric Australian last played a singles match on the ATP Tour at the beginning of this year in Brisbane.

“We have a very strong and attractive field. Ben Shelton has already won two ATP 500 titles this season in Dallas and Munich. In addition, Taylor Fritz is an excellent grass-court player, having claimed five of his ten career titles on this surface. With Alexander Bublik, Frances Tiafoe, and Nick Kyrgios, we also have three players in the draw who are always capable of producing spectacular moments on court. It is also important that we have four German players in the main draw: Yannick Hanfmann, Daniel Altmaier, Jan-Lennard Struff, and Justin Engel,” emphasizes Weindorfer.

In doubles, the Munich champions Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner are among the favorites. Two additional German pairings—Daniel Altmaier with Justin Engel, as well as Yannick Hanfmann with Jan-Lennard Struff—are also in the field. In addition, Constantin Frantzen will compete in the doubles event at the Weissenhof alongside Dutchman Robin Haase.

BOSS OPEN 2026 SEEDINGS:

1 Ben Shelton (USA)
2 Taylor Fritz (USA)
3 Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
4 Jiri Lehecka (CZE)
5 Tommy Paul (USA)
6 Frances Tiafoe (USA)
7 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
8 Corentin Moutet (FRA)