Nikoloz Basilashvili did not leave Vienna with the trophy, but with a result that matters in the rankings: the Georgian is now No. 88 in the ATP ranking with 681 points, 37 places higher than on 9 September 2026. The climb was built in a few weeks, between China and Kazakhstan, and carried on to the round of 16 at the Erste Bank Open.
To see how quick the jump has been, look at the numbers on his profile. With the Vienna round of 16, Basilashvili added 50 points compared with the start of the tournament: the amount the ATP awards to anyone reaching the last 16 of a 500. It is not a huge figure, but in this part of the ranking a few points are enough to overtake several opponents.
The picture of his neighbours says it all. Ahead of him is Jacob Fearnley, No. 87 with 686 points, five more. Behind him is Marcos Giron, No. 89 with 676, five fewer. One step higher, Rinky Hijikata (No. 86) has 689, eight above Basilashvili. Gaps that close, or widen, with a single good week.
The engine of the climb was the Asian autumn. In Chengdu, an ATP 250 on hard court, Basilashvili beat Jenson Brooksby 6-4 7-6(4) in the quarter-finals and reached the semi-final, where Alejandro Davidovich Fokina stopped him 4-6 6-4 6-3, coming back after losing the first set. The haul was 100 points and, as the site reported on 3 October, 21 places gained.
In Shanghai, at the Masters 1000, the story was different: in the first round against Adrian Mannarino the match ended at 6-3 2-2 in the Frenchman's favour, with the Georgian retiring. No points, and a result to file away quickly.
Then came Almaty, the best week of his season. At the indoor ATP 250, Basilashvili first beat Marin Cilic 6-2 7-5, then Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-2 6-4. In the quarter-finals he met Mannarino again and this time it was one-sided: 6-3 6-1, revenge with interest for Shanghai.
In the semi-final came an opponent of a different calibre, Stefanos Tsitsipas. Basilashvili won 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3: a first set won, a second lost on a tie-break and a third closed out 6-3. The result opened the door to the final.
In the final stood Daniil Medvedev. Basilashvili won the first set on a tie-break, 7-6, but the Russian changed gear and closed out with two clear sets, 6-1 6-3. It was a defeat, of course, but the 165 points for the final are the best single haul of his season among the results recorded by the site.
In Vienna, at the indoor ATP 500, the Georgian started well: in the first round he beat Jurij Rodionov 7-6(3) 6-1. In the round of 16, however, he met Carlos Alcaraz. The score, 6-1 7-6(11), tells two stories: a one-sided first set and a second that the Spaniard decided only in a very long tie-break, in which Basilashvili collected 11 points.
Alcaraz then moved on: in the quarter-finals he beat Tommy Paul 6-4 7-6(2) and today, Saturday 31 October, his semi-final against Medvedev is scheduled, the same player who denied Basilashvili the title in Almaty. The other semi-final pits Alexander Zverev against Alex De Minaur.
His form, after all, is good. In his last 10 matches Basilashvili has won 6 and lost 4. Widen the view to the last 30 and the balance is even: 15 wins and 15 losses. A sign that the season has not been a gallop, but that the most recent stretch has changed the outlook.
The comparison with the past helps measure the value of the climb. Basilashvili is 34.7 years old: he was born on 23 February 1992. In 2025, at tour level, he finished with 7 wins, 10 losses and no title. For the years 2021 to 2025, the site counts 85 matches, 35 wins (41%), 2 titles and 4 finals.
The high point of that period is 2021: 19 wins and 18 losses, with two titles and three finals. Then the record dropped: 9-19 in 2022 and 0-3 in 2023. That is why autumn 2026, with a final and a semi-final in two 250 events, feels like a return to levels he knew a few years ago.
Among his most frequent opponents is Taylor Fritz, faced four times with two wins each. A balance that describes a player capable of competing with the best when the day is right.
The Vienna context did the rest. The Erste Bank Open is a 500 with 32 players in the draw and in 2025 it was won by Jannik Sinner. Up to the quarter-finals 28 matches have been played, with 10 tie-breaks and 2 retirements. Stopping in the round of 16 against Alcaraz, in a draw like this, still brought 50 points.
And now? The site does not yet list the Georgian's next event. What matters is the ranking: five points separate him from Fearnley, eight from Hijikata, while Giron, just below, is five points behind. With one well-played week, the run towards the upper part of the ranking can continue.
Test yourself
3 questions on what you have just read.
1. Who beat Basilashvili in the Almaty final?
2. What was the score against Alcaraz in Vienna?
3. Where is Basilashvili in the ATP ranking now?