2024
Tommy Paul back as champion
The 55th edition of the tournament successfully attracted a strong field of players, with three top 10 players participating for the first time since 2010. This was an accomplishment that no other ATP 250 tournament achieved that year.
Top-seeded Andrey Rublev entered the tournament at the last minute as a "Late Entry" but was defeated in the quarterfinals by three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka. At 39 years old, Wawrinka became the oldest semifinalist in Stockholm's history and the third oldest on the ATP Tour since its inception in 1990.
Expectations were high for second-seeded Casper Ruud, but he, like Rublev, also exited in the quarterfinals, losing to Tallon Griekspoor in a thrilling match on center court. Earlier, Ruud had secured Norway's first-ever match victory in the tournament's history by defeating Lorenzo Sonego.
Pre-tournament favorites Grigor Dimitrov and Tommy Paul both had fond memories of the Royal Tennis Hall, where Dimitrov won his first ATP title in 2013 and Paul won his in 2021. Dimitrov achieved his 20th match victory in Stockholm, a feat accomplished by only fourteen other players.
In the final, however, Paul, a 27-year-old from New Jersey, triumphed over Dimitrov with a score of 6-4, 6-3, joining an elite group of American players with at least two singles titles at the event, including Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe, John McEnroe, and James Blake.
For Swedish participants, the week proved disappointing. Leo Borg lost to the in-form Frenchman Alexandre Müller, while Elias Ymer came very close to a significant upset against fifth-seeded Nicolas Jarry in the longest match of the tournament, ultimately losing 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) after saving a match point.
For more detailed information about the tournament and results, you can check sources such as the official ATP website or sports news outlets that cover tennis events.
2023
Monfils Doubles Up After 12 Years
This edition of the Stockholm Open did not see a newcomer emerge as the tournament champion.
Holger Rune had enjoyed a successful period leading up to the tournament, returning to the site of his first ATP title as the top seed. On the other half of the draw was the Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. Many believed another Danish triumph was likely, but those hopes were dashed in the first match when Rune lost in straight sets to Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.
One player stood out among the field, especially for the Swedish audience: Gaël Monfils. The popular Frenchman not only won a title in Stockholm (2011) and participated in several tournaments at the Royal Tennis Hall, but he also collaborates with Swedish coach Mikael Tillström from Good to Great. Monfils entered the draw using a "protected ranking" after many injury problems.
Monfils was the crowd favorite from the start, playing his usual game of high peaks and deep valleys. His unique trick shots and surprising errors kept the crowd entertained, and by the time the semifinals were over, Gaël Monfils had made it to the final.
On paper, it seemed like an easy final, as his opponent was an unknown qualifier from Moscow named Pavel Kotov. The question was who would be more fatigued heading into the final: Monfils, after long injury layoffs, or Kotov, who had played both the qualifiers and the main tournament. The final turned out to be one of the most entertaining in the tournament's history. Monfils lost the first set, and for a long time, it looked like his stamina wouldn’t hold. But when match point was struck, it was the Frenchman who raised The Swedish Royal Trophy in front of a mesmerized audience.
Elias Ymer had a good tournament but had to withdraw in the quarterfinals against Miomir Kecmanovic due to a back injury.
2022
First Danish Triumph
The 2018 champion Tsitsipas was the top seed and made it to the final as expected. There, he faced the tournament's biggest surprise, the young Danish talent Holger Rune. Rune's path to the final was filled with tough three-set matches. In the quarterfinals, he defeated second-seeded Brit Cameron Norrie and in the semifinals, Australia's Alex de Minaur.
In the final, the 2018 Stockholm Open champion could not withstand the Dane’s powerful tennis. Rune won 6–4, 6–4, and the Stockholm crowd celebrated the tournament's first Danish winner.
Leo Borg had the improbable draw of facing Tommy Paul once again. Borg managed to take the first set with a strong start, but Paul ultimately claimed the victory as expected.
Mikael Ymer made it to the quarterfinals, where he lost to Tsitsipas, while older brother Elias was defeated in the second round by Frances Tiafoe (USA) in a very tight match (6–3, 6–7, 6–7).
2021
A Long-Awaited Return
The tournament's return in 2021 was eagerly anticipated, with the organizers attracting a "new" and exciting lineup. Italy’s Jannik Sinner was the top seed, and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime was seeded second.
Although the top-seeded young stars were favorites, two other players captured the media and crowd’s attention in the early stages of the tournament. One was former world number one Andy Murray from Scotland, and the other was Leo Borg, son of 1980 Stockholm Open champion Björn Borg.
Andy Murray became the tournament’s biggest favorite and surprise. After an expected win in the first round, he upset Sinner in straight sets before falling in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Tommy Paul from the USA, in a hard-fought three-set match.
Paul’s opponent in the final was the 2019 Stockholm Open champion, Denis Shapovalov. As we know, the 2020 tournament was canceled. Paul and Shapovalov provided the full house at Centre Court with a highly entertaining final, where Paul ultimately triumphed, winning 6–4 in the deciding set. Tommy Paul thus continued a Stockholm trend where many players claimed their first ATP title at the Royal Tennis Hall.
And what about Leo Borg? He held his own against the eventual winner, Paul, and even had a slight lead in the first set (4–6, 2–6).
2020
A Pandemic Paralyzes the World
2020 was a bleak year. A pandemic originating in China spread across the globe, claiming the lives of over six million people due to COVID-19. Public services were shut down worldwide, and many major sporting events were canceled or postponed.
The Summer Olympics in Tokyo were moved to 2021, and Wimbledon and Stockholm Open were canceled. It was the first time in the history of the Stockholm Open that the tournament was called off.
