The return of the prodigal son

Buse showed real potential during the 2025 season, but he hasn’t played yet in 2026.

It’s really hard to find information about Buse, apparently he had a heel problem. He played doubles last week for the Davis Cup in Germany, so he has a long trip back to make and a small adjustment to do since they were playing on indoor hard. For a first singles match of the year, I don’t think he’s coming in with good conditions at all; we still need to see if he can make up for it with his level of play because yes, to me he plays better than Passaro. Great serve, good mentality, he’s complete and can settle in the top 100 for the long term.

Passaro is more erratic, he’s capable of anything. We know him for his runs in Rome or in a few tournaments during the year (notably in Grand Slam qualifying), then usually he gets injured and disappears. For now in 2026 he’s able to play. His results aren’t crazy but I liked his last qualifying round, he’s deadly when you give him time. He’s powerful, brings intensity and a lot of weight to his shots; when his game clicks, he plays monstrous tennis.

This will be their first meeting, Passaro is in better form and has more rhythm. He seems to be playing well this week, while it will be a comeback match for Buse.