Alexander Zverev (Germany/ATP 3)
Alexander Zverev never tires of emphasising how much he enjoys playing in Halle. “Even back when Mischa was still playing, we used to come here with the whole family. It’s not far from Hamburg. Now I’m playing – and everyone’s here too: the children, my grandmother, my parents. It’s a family-friendly tournament; we’ve got a whole floor to ourselves at the hotel and feel very much at home here.”
With his hard-fought victory over Raphael Collignon (ATP 51), the world number three has reached the semi-finals for the eighth time in his tenth tournament of the year. In his tenth appearance in Halle, he is in the semi-finals for the fourth time in a row and is aiming to reach the final for the first time since 2017.
Zverev has a 5–9 head-to-head record against his opponent Taylor Fritz; the American has won the last six matches, and Fritz also won on grass in the Stuttgart final a year ago (6–3, 7–6).
Alexander Zverev…
… on his victory over Raphael Collignon: “I’m very, very happy that I won in two sets, because it could just as easily have gone the other way.
… on the semi-final against Taylor Fritz: “Of course I want to reach the final – that’s the aim. I’m looking forward to taking to the court. I think the crowd will be on my side too and give me a lot of support. It’ll be a tough match, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Taylor Fritz (USA/ATP 9)
Taylor Fritz is no stranger to Halle. The Californian previously competed in East Westphalia in 2016 and 2019 – but was knocked out in the first round on both occasions. He is back now because he didn’t really feel comfortable playing on the courts at Queen’s Club. In the meantime, the 28-year-old has developed into one of the best tennis players on grass: Taylor Fritz is the player with the most wins on grass in the 2020s, having won the tournament in Stuttgart in 2025 and even four times in Eastbourne.
“There are many aspects of grass-court tennis that suit me. The most important is probably that my serve really comes into its own on this surface,” says the American.
Without his outstanding serve, Fritz would probably not have reached the semi-finals at the 33rd TERRA WORTMANN OPEN either. After all, Fritz won the match against his compatriot Shelton without creating a single break point opportunity.
Taylor Fritz …
… on his victory over Ben Shelton: “He usually plays the big points very aggressively, but today he made a few mistakes. […] I don’t think fitness was the deciding factor today. If the match had gone on a bit longer, it might have been a different story.”
… on the semi-final against Zverev: “The fans will certainly be cheering him on. But I’ve played against him several times in Germany before. I don’t think that’s made a decisive difference in our matches so far.”
Frances Tiafoe (USA/ATP 26)
Frances Tiafoe is with Taylor Fritz the only semi-finalist to have previously won an ATP tournament on grass. In 2023, ‘Big Foe’, as he is known to his friends, lifted the winner’s trophy in Stuttgart.
June 2023 also saw him reach his highest ATP ranking to date, when he was ranked tenth.
This is the first time the American, whose parents are from Sierra Leone, has competed in Halle. In his spare time, the 28-year-old enjoys watching films or supporting Washington’s sports teams – whether it’s the Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Capitals (NHL) or the Washington Commanders (NFL).
Tiafoe has reached 22 semi-finals and eight finals. He has won three of them: in Stuttgart on grass in 2023, in Houston on clay in 2023, and in Delray Beach on hard court in 2018.
The American has a 4–0 head-to-head record against Daniel Altmaier; most recently, Tiafoe won 7–6, 4–6, 6–4 in the first round in Stuttgart a week ago. The match caused quite a stir: initially, Tiafoe helped the German back to his feet after he had slipped on the grass following a fall and respectfully handed him his racket; later, Altmaier felt he had been treated disrespectfully.
Daniel Altmaier (Germany/ATP 81)
As a ten-year-old boy in 2009, Daniel Altmaier watched Tommy Haas’s final victory over Novak Djokovic at the heristo-arena in Halle – 17 years later, the fan from back then could reach the final himself.
“I believe I can beat anyone – regardless of the surface. I’ve already proven that several times. I just have to believe in it, because the game is there,” said Daniel Altmaier in Halle after his first-round victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili. Following his first-ever main-draw victory in East Westphalia, the German backed up his words with actions and has now even stormed into the semi-finals – his first ever in a 500-series tournament. Back in July 2021, he reached the semi-finals of the 250-level events in Umag and Kitzbühel within the space of two weeks, but has never before reached an ATP final.
Another key factor in Altmaier’s success is his new partnership with former professional Dustin Brown, who caused a sensation in Halle in 2014 with his victory over Rafael Nadal. Altmaier says of his new coach: “He’s known me since I was nine and really enjoys it. It’s just a very harmonious relationship and it’s going brilliantly.”
Daniel Altmaier…
… on Centre Court after his victory: “We’re on the road so much. That makes it all the more special that my family were here today. I still remember watching the final between Tommy Haas and Novak Djokovic here as a little boy. Standing here on the court now is incredible. I’m just glad I get to play again tomorrow and I’m going to savour the moment.”
… in the mixed zone on the victory and his partnership with Dustin Brown: “That was another match that’s given me valuable experience. I felt confident and put into practice what we’d been working on right up to the end. I’m playing much more aggressively and getting closer to the net. These are areas where I’m not usually at my best. The fact that it’s clicked so quickly with Dustin was exactly the plan on grass.”
