Battle of Madrid: Who Will Reign Supreme in the Madrid Open?

Of course, the defending champion will never be taken off this list. Beating Jan-Lennard Struff in three sets in the final of the previous edition was a strong feat for Alcaraz’s climb to the top of the ATP Tour. However, given his exit in the Monte-Carlo Masters, it does seem that the Spanish star will be on odds to either win the title for the third year in a row, or even come up with a deep run. It is still uncertain if Alcaraz will recover in time to play in the Masters 1000 event, let alone make it to the final to win for the third time around. Still, if he gets to play, one should expect the star to come up with pivotal wins that would strengthen his case at the top of the ATP Tour once more.

Losing out in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters doubles was not bad for a climb in Alexander Zverev’s case, but he did lose to Stefanos Tsitsipas in that climb in the singles. Still, the German star has enjoyed some of his biggest swings in the ATP Tour this year, being able to score some massive punches against some of the best stars in the game. While he is yet to score a tournament win, the Madrid Open could prove to be his strong run. As the runner-up in the 2022 edition, Zverev still has what it takes to make a dash to the top in the Masters 1000 event with hopes of salvaging his chances in the ATP Rankings, where he currently stands at the fifth place. Who knows, maybe he can turn the tide in the clay to kickstart a boost in his current run.

Although Jannik Sinner has lost in the semis to eventual winner Tsitsipas in the Monte-Carlo Masters, it cannot be denied that the Italian star’s pace in the ATP Tour this season has been nothing short of impressive. He is already in second place in the Rankings, and he is just a Masters 1000 win away from even making a serious case for the world no. 1. Sinner has already waged war this year, winning the Australian Open and the Miami Open for a massive chunk of points. His prominence in the clay surface makes him a strong favorite to look out for, especially in a high-profile event such as the Madrid Open.

One shocking defeat after another, it seems that Novak Djokovic is losing his form, with Father Time seemingly catching up to him after all these years. He did reach the semis of the Monte-Carlo Masters, but the lack of wins in the current edition of the ATP Tour has him worried as of late. Still, we wouldn’t mind seeing a vintage Djokovic rally at the Madrid Open, where he has won the title three times in his illustrious career. No one can count out the Serbian star in any tournament – let alone when he’s starting to feel the pressure and the frustration in his games after going four months winless in any tournament he’s played in so far.

Well, he isn’t exactly in his top shape right now, with Nadal having some tough struggles in the game over the past few months. The Spanish maestro has only played in three tournaments this season – the Brisbane International, the Indian Wells Masters, and the Barcelona Open. So far, not even his prominence in the clay has saved him from struggles. However, no one should ever forget that the Madrid Masters is his domain, and we can all expect to see him put up some promising performances on the big stage. After all, Nadal is already hinting at a possible farewell to the game, especially on the clay tournaments – so what would be a better way to say goodbye than to win the title once more?