The second clay-court ATP Masters tournament of the year is happening in Madrid. Once again, the event will be played over a two-week period, beginning April 24, with select first-round matches.
Since the tournament transitioned from hard to clay court in 2009, legendary home player Rafael Nadal has reigned supreme, with five titles to his name. The 37-year-old intends to play this year’s edition for one final time before heading to launch a fresh bid for a remarkable 15th French Open.
Nadal’s documented injuries in the last 15 months will mean he is not considered the favorite. So, who makes the cut in our list of top three favorites to win the 2024 Madrid Open?
Top Three Favorites To Win 2024 Men’s Madrid Open
#1. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas is back to competing for top honors. He’s also back in the Top 10, just a few weeks after leaving the elite group. The Greek showed his trademark artistry and geometric mastery of the surface by winning his third Monte Carlo Masters title this month. He joins iconic names such as Nadal, Nicola Pietrangeli, Ilie Nastase, and Bjorn Borg in winning three or more titles at the Principality.
At the time of writing, the 25-year-old extended his win streak to eight matches by reaching the Barcelona Open quarterfinal. With world #1 Novak Djokovic’s form in sixes and sevens and some of his direct rivals experiencing physical struggles, Tsitsipas is in better form than the rest of the field.
#2. Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion in Madrid. With Nadal inching closer to the retirement door, the 20-year-old has stepped up to maintain the rich tradition of a home player winning this tournament regularly. But this year, a cloud of uncertainty surrounds Alcaraz’s title defense. He is perturbed by a forearm injury that has already seen him pull out from two key events, including the Barcelona Open. He would have been the outright favorite for the title in Madrid but for the injury. Nonetheless, given his great track record of shaking off niggling injuries within a limited time period, he will contend for the title.
#3. Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev has a formidable record in Madrid. He made his tournament debut in 2017, losing to Pablo Cuevas in the quartefinal. In the subsequent six years, he reached three finals and won the title twice. In each of the last two years, he lost to eventual champion Alcaraz. The high altitude suits Zverev’s game, and he’s been almost unplayable at times. Having cracked 20 wins for the season, he’s not struggling for confidence.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
