The 2024 ATP season is kicking off this week in Brisbane with a very interesting draw. The biggest story of the week is Rafael Nadal’s return to the circuit and his blockbuster round one matchup against Dominic Thiem, but there’s plenty of other interesting matches, including a mouthwatering face-off between Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov. We also look at the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Brisbane Day 1 Predictions
Matteo Arnaldi vs Marton Fucsovics
Head-to-head: Fucsovics 1-0 Arnaldi
Arnaldi had a very good season in 2023, steadily climbing up the rankings, and he’s expected to have a further breakthrough this year as one of the most talented young players around. On the other hand, Fucsovics’s best days seem to be behind him although he’s still a solid player. Arnaldi is expected to have a considerably better 2024 season and should be able to start it by winning this match.
Prediction: Arnaldi in 2
Yannick Hanfmann vs Sebastian Korda
Head-to-head: first meeting
Korda is another young player with very high expectations for 2024. Last year he showed some flashes of brilliance but injuries severely hindered his progress and he starts the year at a relatively modest #24 in the ATP rankings. Hanfmann is a solid player and a veteran of the circuit, but under normal circumstances Korda should be able to prevail here. Last year he played very well in Australia, with a final in Adelaide where he was very close to beating Novak Djokovic and a quarterfinal at the Australian Open, beating Daniil Medvedev on the way. He’ll be hoping to repeat or even improve on that this year.
Prediction: Korda in 2
Andy Murray vs Grigor Dimitrov
Head-to-head: Murray 8-4 Dimitrov
This is easily the most appealing match of the day on paper, between two veterans of the circuit still out there fighting to recapture their former glory. Dimitrov had an excellent 2023 season; despite not winning any titles, he had his best season since 2017, with 41 match wins, a year-end ranking of #14 and a Masters 1000 final in Bercy. He still seems to be in very good physical shape and will be looking to build on that this year and return to the top 10. Murray, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as successful in 2023, finishing the year #42 with only 16 match wins at ATP level (and some challenger titles). He played a lot of long epic matches, but couldn’t really string together any big runs. At this point in their careers, Dimitrov should have the edge in this matchup, as shown at the US Open last year.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
