TENN360 | THE FAN'S GUIDE TO THE TOUR
tennis is more than the score.
EUROPEAN OPEN
Tour
ATP
Date of event
19-25 Oct 2026
Location
Brussels
Surface
Hard indoor
Website
Singles Title
F Auger-Aliassime
Doubles Title
C Harrison/E King
Level
250
TENN360 INSIGHT:
The European Open has done something rather brave: after nine editions in Antwerp, it packed up its tennis balls and moved to Brussels.
So this is a tournament with some history, but a brand-new chapter.
The ING Arena at Brussels Expo gives it a very different setting from its old home, with a 6,000-seat main court and the scale of a proper indoor arena. And because Brussels is the Belgian capital, the tournament suddenly has a very international feel.
There is also something rather nice about watching an ATP 250 indoors in October.
No rain.
No wind.
No checking the weather app every seventeen minutes.
Just tennis, Belgian chocolate afterwards and Brussels waiting outside.
I'd go for a side-on seat as close to the court as your budget allows.
The main court seats around 6,000, which is big enough to create a proper ATP atmosphere without becoming so enormous that you lose the feeling of being at a tennis match.
Side-on is still my favourite.
You get the best view of the whole court and can properly appreciate the speed and movement, particularly when two players start trading from the baseline.
Because this is a new arena setup for the tournament, I'd pay particular attention to the seating map when choosing your tickets rather than simply buying the highest category.
For me:
Close + side-on beats expensive + far away.
Every time.
Good.
The indoor arena setup means this won't have quite the same natural intimacy as a small outdoor tennis club, but the tournament's new Brussels home is still a manageable size compared with the enormous venues used for Masters 1000 events.
The real opportunity will be around practice sessions and the wider tournament programme.
I'd arrive early and find out where the players are practising rather than turning up five minutes before your main match.
And because the European Open has a relatively strong Belgian connection, keep an eye out for home players.
A Belgian player on court in Brussels is likely to change the atmosphere rather quickly.
I'd go if you like a tournament that feels like it is starting a new chapter.
The European Open isn't a brand-new tournament. It was first held in Antwerp and has already built a following in Belgium.
But Brussels changes the proposition.
You get an ATP 250 combined with a proper European capital, excellent food, brilliant public transport and enough things to do before and after the tennis to turn it into a very easy weekend away.
I'd also go if you enjoy indoor tennis.
There is something wonderfully uncomplicated about it.
No weather drama.
No sunburn.
No wondering whether the match will be interrupted.
Just find your seat and enjoy the tennis.
I'd make a day of it.
The new Brussels location is much more than somewhere to watch your scheduled match and leave. The tournament has been designed around the arena experience, and with the move to Brussels the organisers are clearly trying to take the event up a level.
I'd arrive early, explore the venue and watch some of the earlier tennis before settling into your main match.
And because this is an indoor tournament, I'd seriously consider an evening session.
Watch the tennis, have a drink afterwards and head into Brussels for dinner.
Or, if you're anything like me, decide that Belgian waffles count as dinner because you're on holiday.
They do.
Absolutely not.
Well, unless you count the walk from your hotel to the arena.
The European Open is played indoors at the ING Arena, so there is no worrying about sun hitting your seat, sudden showers or discovering that your carefully selected court-side position is actually a very effective place to roast yourself.
October in Brussels can be grey, wet and chilly.
Lovely.
You can leave all of that outside.
Inside, you have tennis.
I'd be much more concerned about bringing a coat for the journey home than sunscreen for your seat.
Very good.
This is one of the big advantages of the Brussels move.
The ING Arena is at Brussels Expo, and the venue is served by several public-transport options, including Metro Line 6 at Heysel, Tram 3 at Esplanade and Tram 7 at Heysel. Bus 83 also stops at Palais 12 / ING Arena.
I'd use public transport.
The tournament itself recommends it because parking is limited, and Brussels traffic is not something I'd voluntarily add to my tennis itinerary.
Once you arrive at Brussels Expo, the arena is easy to find.
And afterwards, you're in Brussels.
Which means dinner is probably going to be considerably more exciting than whatever you were planning to eat at home.
I'd skip it if what you want is a tournament with a historic tennis venue and decades of traditions attached to every corner.
The Brussels version of the European Open is still establishing itself.
The tournament has history.
The Brussels chapter doesn't. Yet.
I'd also skip it if you're looking for the scale of a Masters 1000 or Grand Slam.
This is an ATP 250, and the atmosphere is much more manageable.
And if you are travelling purely to see one particular player, I'd wait until the draw is confirmed.
Even when the entry list looks wonderful, tennis players occasionally have other ideas.
Usually after you've booked the hotel.
Power in Numbers
28
Single Draws
16,100
Centre court seat
2
Courts