Davidovich Fokina headlines Auckland’s Adelaide Arena, Sheldon and Rudd | ATP Tour

Scouting report

Scouting report: Davidovich Fokina leads Adelaide Stadium, Sheldon and Rudd at Auckland

An executive summary of what every fan should know about next week’s content

January 11, 2026

Hard-court action continues on both sides of the Tasman this week, with Adelaide and Auckland hosting the ATP 250 doubles.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is the top seed at the Adelaide International, with Tommy Paul, Stefanos Tsitsipas and hometown favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis also taking part. In Oakland, Ben Shelton and Casper Ruud dominated the ASB Classic draw.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each event.

Five things to watch in Adelaide
1) Can Foki thrive as the top seed? : Currently ranked at a career-high No. 14 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Davidovich Fokina will participate in an ATP Tour event in Adelaide for the first time as the top seed. The 26-year-old Spaniard is expected to bounce back from a first-round exit in Brisbane when he takes on either Tristan Scukett or Lynch Hijikata in the Adelaide opener.

2) Tsitsipas aims to remain perfect: Greece’s former world number three Tsitsipas was in a positive mood in Perth last week, recording a 3-0 record in singles matches at the Greek Federation Cup. Prior to Perth, the 12-time ATP Tour champion had not competed at tour level since September due to a back injury, but he will take to the court with confidence heading into the first match of the Adelaide qualifiers.

3) Paul chases first win of the year: Like Tsitsipas, Tommy Paul also suffered an injury that ended his 2025 season prematurely. The American did not play after a ruptured tendon in his left foot after the U.S. Open but returned to action last week in Brisbane, where he lost in a final-set tie-break to Giovanni Mpesi Pericard. A two-time Adelaide semi-finalist, this year’s second seed will first face either Reilly Opelka or home hope Alexei Popyrin.

4) Kokkinakis’ comeback: Hometown favorite Kokkinakis will face Sebastian Korda in Adelaide in his first singles match in 12 months. The 29-year-old underwent unprecedented surgery on his pectoral muscle after competing in the 2025 Australian Open. Kokkinakis, who played doubles with Nick Kyrgios in Brisbane last week, returns to singles at the venue where he lifted the ATP Tour trophy for the first time in 2022.

5) Cash/Glasspool lead the doubles field: The team that wins the year-end ATP Doubles No. 1 title awarded by PIF in 2025 continues to advance this season. Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool started their season by reaching the finals in Brisbane and the British pair will now travel to Adelaide to compete as top seeds. Their draw opponents included Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.

Five things to watch in Auckland
1) Sheldon seeks a jump start: As he had done in his previous three seasons, Shelton started his season in Oakland. The 23-year-old American, currently ranked No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings, will compete in his first tour-level event since making his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals in November. Shelton’s first opponent in New Zealand will be Francisco Comesana or Valentin Royer.

2) Luther and Mensik competition: Rudd started his new year with a win over top-10 star Alex de Minaur in the Sydney Fed Cup and the Norwegian will be looking to repeat that form in Auckland as the second seed. However, his opponents in the draw included third seed Jakub Mensik, whom he won in straight sets when they met in Sydney.

3) Monfils begins his final season: Gael Monfils, 39, has announced that 2026 will be his last year as a professional tennis player and the Frenchman will be keen to showcase his world-class talent as much as possible throughout the season. The mission begins in Auckland, where he won his 13th ATP Tour title a year ago. Alejandro Tabilo and Roberto Bautista Agut are the other two former champions in the draw.

4) Norrie’s home comforts: British star Cameron Norrie, who grew up in Auckland, returns to the ASB Classic hoping he can cross the finish line to claim the title this year. Norrie reached the championship game in 2019 (l. to Sandgren) and 2023 (l. to Gasquet). The fifth seed will face qualifier Hugo Gaston in the 2026 title match.

5)Bambri/Göransson top seeds: Yuki Bhambri and Andre Goransson headline Auckland’s doubles draw. Their draw opponents include Brisbane champions Francisco Cabral and Lucas Midler, as well as five-time ATP Tour champions Sadio Doumbia and Fabian Reboul.