Landaluce Sets Up Clash with Defending Champion Fritz

The opening day of the 2026 BOSS OPEN delivered plenty of high-quality - and highly dramatic - tennis. Spain’s rising star Martin Landaluce booked a spot in the round of 16 with a hard-fought three-set victory and will now face defending champion Taylor Fritz.

The 20-year-old Spaniard was pushed all the way by French veteran Pierre-Hugues Herbert in his Stuttgart debut. Herbert, a five-time Grand Slam doubles champion and renowned fast-court specialist, claimed the opening set 7-5. Landaluce, however, battled his way back into the match and eventually prevailed 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

In the round of 16, the young Spaniard will take on second seed Taylor Fritz. The defending champion received a first-round bye as one of the tournament’s top four seeds.

Seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina became the first seeded player to exit the tournament. The Spaniard got off to a slow start against Italy’s rising star Mattia Bellucci (ATP No. 78), recovered to take the second set in a tie-break, but ultimately fell 2-6, 7-6( 5), 1-6.

The match between Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Roman Safiullin could not be completed. Safiullin entered the main draw at the last minute as a lucky loser following the withdrawal of American Tommy Paul. With Safiullin leading 7-5, 6-7(4), 4-1, play was suspended due to rain. The match will resume on Tuesday.

There was also good news for the home fans. Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann and Jan-Lennard Struff advanced to the second round of the doubles competition with a 6-4, 7-6 (1) victory over the French-Mexican pairing of Sadio Doumbia and Santiago Gonzalez.