Scouting Report: Alcaraz Defends Madrid Title | ATP Tour

The clay-court season rolls into the Caja Magica, the place the world’s largest stars will compete for an ATP Masters 1000 title on the Mutua Madrid Open.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz leads the sector as the highest seed in Madrid, whereas Daniil Medvedev goals to shut the hole on Novak Djokovic within the battle for No. 1 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

ATPTour.com appears at 10 issues to observe within the Spanish capital.

Alcaraz Defending Champion: Final 12 months, Alcaraz arrived in Madrid off the again of successful the title in Barcelona. The 19-year-old then went on to raise the trophy within the Spanish capital, incomes assertion wins towards Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Twelve months on and the highest seed enters the clay-court occasion in the identical circumstances, having defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas within the Barcelona ultimate on Sunday. Trying to declare the Barcelona-Madrid double once more this 12 months, the Spaniard begins towards Ugo Humbert or Emil Ruusuvuori.

Battle For No. 1: With Novak Djokovic lacking Madrid on account of harm, Alcaraz and Medvedev will look to keep up stress within the battle for No. 1 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Alcaraz, who’s defending 1000 factors from final 12 months’s title run, is at present 365 factors behind Djokovic. If Alcaraz wins Madrid, he’s assured to move Djokovic for World No. 1 simply by enjoying a match in Rome no matter how Djokovic performs in Italy.

World No. 3 Medvedev trails Djokovic by 1,895 factors. The 27-year-old, who has gained 4 tour-level titles this 12 months, isn’t defending any factors in Madrid as a result of he missed final 12 months’s occasion with an harm. It will likely be Medvedev’s second clay-court event of the season after he superior to the quarter-finals in Monte-Carlo.

Pink-Sizzling Rublev: Andrey Rublev captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Monte-Carlo earlier this month when he defeated Holger Rune within the ultimate. The 25-year-old backed that up with a run to the championship match in Banja Luka. With confidence excessive, the fifth seed will goal to win his 14th tour-level title in Madrid, the place he reached the quarter-finals final 12 months.

Tsitsipas Looking for First Title Of Yr: After reaching the quarter-finals in Monte-Carlo, Tsitsipas began to seek out his greatest stage in Barcelona, the place he reached the title match. The 2019 Madrid finalist, who has lifted 4 trophies on clay, will look to construct on that within the Spanish capital and clinch his third ATP Masters 1000 crown.

Can Ruud Regain Kind? Casper Ruud has struggled to seek out his greatest type this season, struggling third-round defeats in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo. The Norwegian did reply in Estoril, the place he lifted his ninth clay-court title earlier this month. Ruud’s greatest lead to Madrid got here in 2021 when he superior to the semi-finals. Can he get pleasure from an analogous run this fortnight?

High 10 Threats: Rune, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz are seeded sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, in Madrid. Rune, who’s making his Madrid debut, reached the ultimate in Monte-Carlo and lifted his fourth tour-level trophy in Munich final week, whereas Fritz superior to the semi-finals on the similar occasions.

Auger-Aliassime might be competing on clay for the primary time this season when he takes to courtroom in Madrid. The Canadian superior to the quarter-finals final 12 months and opens towards Jason Kubler or Banja Luka champion Dusan Lajovic.

Trio Aiming To Make Strikes In Turin Race: Karen Khachanov, Cameron Norrie and Tommy Paul are ninth, tenth and eleventh, respectively, within the Pepperstone ATP Stay Race To Turin. Khachanov reached the semi-finals on the Australian Open and in Miami earlier this season, whereas Norrie captured a clay-court title on the ATP 500 occasion in Rio de Janeiro. Paul loved a run to the final 4 on the Australian Open and superior to the title match in Acapulco. All three might be aiming for deep runs in Madrid to maneuver contained in the High 8 within the Race.

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Former Champions Zverev & Murray In Motion: Alexander Zverev and Andy Murray maintain fond recollections in Madrid. Germany’s Zverev lifted the trophy in 2018 and 2021, whereas former World No. 1 Murray triumphed in 2008 and 2015. Zverev, who has lifted six tour-level trophies on clay, reached the third spherical in Monte-Carlo earlier this month. Murray’s greatest outcome this season was a run to the ultimate in Doha.

Potential Second-Spherical Blockbusters: The Madrid draw has thrown up a number of potential early blockbusters. Medvedev may face Murray in his opener and Tsitsipas may meet former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem within the second spherical. Rublev will face former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka in his opening match, ought to the Swiss defeat Maxime Cressy within the first spherical.

Koolhof/Skupski Defending Champs: Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski overcame Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah to clinch the crown in Madrid final 12 months. Looking for their first title of the season, the highest seeds will face competitors from Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury and Roland Garros champions Marcelo Arevalo/Jean-Julien Rojer in Madrid. Singles stars Rublev, Auger-Aliassime and Fritz are within the draw.