Van de Zandschulp and De Jong meet crafty lefties

Dutch assets Botic van de Zandschulp and Jesper de Jong have been paired with strong left-handed players in the draw of Libéma Open 2025. Respectively Mattia Bellucci (ATP-68) and Alejandro Tabilo (ATP-61) await in the singles tournament.

On his debut in the main tournament, De Jong will meet the former world number 19, with 28-year-old Tabilo. A year ago, the Chilean won a title on grass in Mallorca. Libéma Open debutant Bellucci, Van de Zandschulp’s opponent, is in turn hunting for his first victory on grass on the ATP Tour.

Top seeds Daniil Medvedev, Ugo Humbert, Karen Khachanov and Alexei Popyrin receive a bye in the first round and will not be in action until the second round.

Grass specialists & debutants
Fifth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz – the man who retired Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2021 – faces Roberto Bautista Agut (ATP-49). The experienced rock from Spain is, like Hurkacz, a former top-10 player and already won the title on the Brabant grass in 2014. Both men have reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon before.

Another familiar face returning is Jordan Thompson (ATP-40). The Australian reached the final in 2019 AND 2023 and is ranked sixth this year. His opponent in the first round is American Aleksandar Kovacevic (ATP-76), one of the most technically sophisticated players on the tour with a velvety single-handed backhand.

Also among the many debutants on this year’s playing roster are the in-form Portuguese Nuno Borges (ATP-41), the rock-solid Argentine Tomás Martín Etcheverry (ATP-53) and young Canadian talent Gabriel Diallo (ATP-54). With this year’s top-50 breakthrough Zizou Bergs, who will play against a qualifier, the southern neighbours are traditionally represented.