The main draw of ATP Madrid gets underway on Wednesday. This is the second Masters 1000 tournament in the European clay swing and provides the players with slightly faster playing conditions than is usually seen on clay courts.
However, a few big names like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner have already withdrawn from the tournament, which makes the job a bit easier for the top players left in the draw.
On that note, we will take a look at three players who have the highest chance of winning the title:
#1. Carlos Alcaraz
The bright-eyed boy of the tennis world starts as the favorite to win the title in Madrid. He is the defending champion as well and has recently defended his Barcelona Open title successfully. Like almost every other top player, Alcaraz combines finesse with power and it makes the job of his opponents that much tougher.
However, the 19-year-old has been drawn in the same half as Holger Rune and Andrey Rublev and is drawn to face the former in what promises to be a humdinger of a semifinal. Alcaraz will be somewhat relieved to see Sinner out of the tournament, as the Italian has often proven to be his nemesis.
Hence, Alcaraz will continue to be his dangerous with his subtle drop shots, ferocious groundstrokes, and outstanding defense. It will be up to the rest of the players to stop him from winning his third career Masters 1000 title.
Embed from Getty Images
#2. Holger Rune
Along with Alcaraz and Sinner, Rune forms the triumvirate of players touted to be ‘the next big thing’. The 19-year-old Dane has very powerful groundstrokes and a decent net game. However, his tendency to shorten the rallies by rushing the net leads to his downfall at times.
Rune will have to imbibe a clinical approach in his game if he is to grow into a really world-class player. He is scheduled to meet Alcaraz in what promises to be a mouth-watering semifinal. However, he has to remember that if he is to win the title in Madrid, he will have to win it from the baseline and not from the net.
Embed from Getty Images
#3. Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev is usually not at his best on clay, but a weakened field and being drawn in the easier half might help him out in Madrid. The 27-year-old Russian did very well on hard courts prior to the start of the clay swing and lost to Rune in the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo.
Medvedev’s issues are the opposite of those faced by Rune. He always tries to overpower his opponent from the baseline and seldom depends on drop shots or going to the net. Moreover, his groundstrokes are usually flat and his big serve not as effective on a slower clay court.
Still, the slightly faster conditions in Madrid might suit the Russian. Still, he will have to exceed himself in order to win his sixth Masters 1000 title in Madrid.
