The curtain falls on Wimbledon, but tennis does not stop. From Monday, July 13, two ATP 250 clay-court tournaments open the European summer window before the North American hardcourt swing.
In Gstaad, the Swiss Open welcomes an attractive field against the Alpine backdrop of the Roy Emerson Arena. Casper Ruud, a clay-court specialist, leads the entry list. The Norwegian, a two-time Roland-Garros finalist, returns to his preferred surface after a mixed London fortnight. Stefanos Tsitsipas will also compete, searching for rhythm on a surface that was long his favourite playground.
Matteo Berrettini brings his power to the Swiss draw. The Italian, whose attacking game can adapt to any surface, targets a title that would reignite his season. Alexander Bublik, unpredictable as ever, and Arthur Rinderknech round out a field that promises entertainment.
The Swiss crowd awaits Stan Wawrinka most of all. At thirty-nine, the three-time Grand Slam champion may be playing his final tournaments on the main tour. Every Wawrinka appearance on clay carries an emotional charge, the most powerful one-handed backhand in tennis history finding its purest expression on this surface.
In parallel, the Nordea Open in Båstad lights up the week on the Swedish coast. The tournament, traditionally played in midsummer on outdoor clay, attracts a field of European players who specialise on the surface. The Swedish event often serves as a launchpad for players targeting the major August tournaments.
These two events represent the last clay-court window before the switch to hard courts. Hamburg takes over the following week with an ATP 500, before the tour crosses the Atlantic for the Rogers Cup in Montreal and the American swing leading to the US Open.
For players who exited Wimbledon early, Gstaad and Båstad offer the chance to rebuild confidence and accumulate points before the second half of the season. For others, the transition from grass to clay to hard courts within three weeks is one of the calendar's most demanding physical challenges.
