He beat Italy in the last 16 Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in 2 hours 40 minutes. Then he beat Australia Rinki Hijikata 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-5 in 2 hours 45 minutes to reach the last four. This made him the second-youngest Frenchman to reach the semi-finals at the event, after Richard Gasquet in 2007.
His run ended Saturday against the American Third Platoon Ben Sheltonworld number 4 who won 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours and 17 minutes. A final appearance would move Van Assche up to No. 28. “I know I can go toe-to-toe with a player like Shelton today,” he said in his press conference.
The new rankings foreshadow a season where Van Assche continues to break new ground. In July, he won his first ATP title in Estoril, defeating Alexandre Bloks 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the final. En route to that title, he defeated Rublev, then world number 14, for the biggest win of his career.
He reached the Paris semifinals in 2026 with a 16-12 record and a winless streak in five matches against top-10 players. For the former junior world No. 1, he won the 2021 Roland Garros boys’ singles title by defeating Phils.
His next stop has not yet been confirmed. “I don’t know yet. I’m still in the draw, and then I’ll see with my team,” said Van Assche, answering the question. Stockholm.
Speaking in French at his press conference, he dismissed any talk of chasing the seed. “I will be 34th in the ranking, it is a very good ranking, it is very positive,” he said. “But above all, I will try to stay focused on my game, learning new skills, progressing, and then the ranking will follow.”