The 2025 EFG Swiss Open kicked off with a spectacular weekend of qualifying matches. While Casper Ruud and Alexander Bublik led a reshuffled main draw, it was young Swiss talent Henry Bernet who captured the crowd’s hearts, narrowly missing out on causing a major upset.

The 2025 edition of the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad began with a flurry of unexpected developments. The last-minute withdrawals of Alexander Zverev (private reasons) and Matteo Berrettini (injury) reshuffled the draw, promoting Norwegian 2-time winner Casper Ruud to top seed and elevating Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik to second.

While fans were naturally disappointed to lose two of the tournament’s headline names, the revised lineup still promises a strong week of tennis, with plenty of action already underway during the weekend’s qualifying rounds.

Qualifying Weekend wraps up as Ruud leads a reshuffled field
The 2025 EFG Swiss Open got underway with a weekend full of surprises, tight matches, and local hope. Despite last-minute withdrawals from top stars Alexander Zverev (private reasons) and Matteo Berrettini (injury), the alpine clay tournament is set for an exciting week of tennis. Two-time Gstaad champion Casper Ruud now leads the draw as the top seed, chasing a rare hat trick on familiar ground. Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, known for his flamboyant playing style, enters as the No. 2 seed.

Swiss teen Henry Bernet wins hearts but falls short
Local eyes were firmly on Swiss wildcard Henry Bernet, who thrilled the local crowd on Saturday with a composed 7–6(3), 6–3 win over Dmitry Popko. On Sunday, Bernet returned to a packed Roy Emerson Arena to face Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti in a dramatic three-set showdown. After dropping the first set 5–7, Bernet stormed back to take the second-set tiebreak 7–2. In a tense final set, Trungelliti took a 3–0 lead, only to see Bernet battle back to 3–4, holding multiple break points but unable to convert. Trungelliti eventually closed it out 6–4, earning one of four qualifying spots in the main draw.


      (c)Breakpoint Images -EFG Swiss Open Gstaad 2025

The home crowd roared behind every Bernet rally, creating one of the weekend’s most electric atmospheres. But it was the 35-year-old Argentine who held his nerve, mixing deep groundstrokes with smart play to seal victory.

The Four Qualifiers: Trungelliti, Buse, Passaro, Hemery

• Francesco Passaro of Italy, the top seed in the qualifying draw, cruised past Gonzalo Bueno 6–3, 6–4 after a strong opening win over Mika Brunold. Passaro enters the main draw in solid form, with clean ball striking and quiet composure.
• Ignacio Buse of Peru confirmed his growing clay-court credentials with a straight-sets win over Germany’s Patrick Zahraj: 7–6(4), 6–3. Buse had earlier ousted veteran Albert Ramos-Viñolas in a hard-fought three-set match.
• Calvin Hemery of France edged past Facundo Bagnis in a rollercoaster 6–4, 1–6, 6–1. Hemery had previously taken out second seed Yannick Hanfmann in the opening round of qualifying.
• Marco Trungelliti, who defeated Swiss hopeful Bernet, completes the list of qualifiers.

A field open for surprises
With Zverev and Berrettini out, Ruud and Bublik headline a reshuffled but intriguing main draw. Ruud, currently ranked No. 15, will be aiming for his third Gstaad title after triumphs in 2021 and 2022. Other notable names in the draw include Pedro Martínez (ESP), Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG), Laslo Djere (SRB), Arthur Rinderknech (FRA), and veteran David Goffin (BEL).

Wildcard entries include Swiss players Dominic Stricker and Jérôme Kym, while Stan Wawrinka makes his return, facing Alexander Shevchenko in the opening round. All eyes will also be on doubles, with Wawrinka teaming up with Bernet for what promises to be an emotional home crowd appearance.

Even before the main draw began, the EFG Swiss Open showed why it remains a highlight of the summer season in Gstaad: strong tennis, lively crowds, and a unique mix of local support and international flair.

Jeanette Wichmann