A blockbuster second-round match in Montpellier pits top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime against three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka on Thursday. Tallon Griekspoor and Pablo Carreno Busta also entered the court.
(1) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (WC) Stan Wawrinka
Wawrinka appears to be turning back the clock in 2026. The 40-year-old Swiss’ last appearance at the Australian Open was a thrilling one, as he advanced to two rounds before losing to Taylor Fritz in a tight four-set match. Keeping up his good form, Wawrinka kicked off his Open Occitanie campaign on Wednesday with a 7-6(3), 6-4 win over Hamad Medjedovic.
Next up for the world number 113 on Thursday is a second-round match against Auger-Aliassime, marking their first ever match. Auger-Aliassime is No. 1 and the defending champion in Montpellier, so he is clearly coming out as the favorite for the title. The retirement in the first round of the Australian Open is not particularly concerning, as it was due to cramps rather than injury. This is the eighth-ranked Canadian’s favorite time of the year on indoor courts, so he should take care of business even though Wawrinka is still playing well in the twilight of his career.
Select: Auger-Aliassime in 2
(4) Tallon Griekspoor vs. Pablo Carreno Busta
Griekspoor and Carreno Busta will be clashing for the third time in their careers on Thursday. They split their previous two encounters; Carreno Busta survived five setters at the 2022 Australian Open before Griekspoor scored a 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3 win last spring on the red clay of Marrakech.
It’s been a rough start to the season for Griekspoor, going 0-4 in matches and 0-9 in sets. Fortunately for the 29th-ranked Dutchman, he is used to playing well this time of year on hard indoor courts and should be highly motivated to build confidence ahead of next week’s ATP 500 at home in Rotterdam. Carreno Busta is also not playing well. The 34-year-old Spaniard, who won the singles title in 2026 without retiring, came from behind in the third set against Mattia Bellucci and Miomir Kecmanovic. Only because of the strong indoor pitch area, Griekspoor can have a small edge.
Pick: Griekspoor at 3
