Carlos Alcaraz has arrived in Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open 2024 to resume the second half of the hardcourt swing. After his summer was plagued by an injury, the young Spaniard rose to form with a title at the French Open, his first at the venue, and his third Major crown.
Alcaraz continued his good run of form with a successful title defence at Wimbledon, beating Novak Djokovic in a re-match of last year’s final. The two crossed paths once again a couple of weeks later for the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.Djokovic got the better of Alcaraz this time to finally claim the topmost honors for the Olympics for the first time. This will be the 21-year-old’s first match since that loss. He finished as the runner-up to the Serb in the final here last year.
Alcaraz skipped the Canadian Open, and is seeded second at the Western & Southern Open. He received a bye into the second round, and here’s a look at his projected route to the final:
R2 opponent – Alexei Popyrin/Gael Monfils
Carlos Alcaraz will begin his campaign against either Monfils or Popyrin, with the latter being a safe bet to make it through his opener. The Australian is currently in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open, and will play Hubert Hurkacz for a spot in the semifinals on Sunday (August 11).
A lot of top players bowed out of the Canadian Open in the early rounds. If Alcaraz is unable to cope with the transition to hardcourts, then he could suffer a similar fate as well.
Possible R3 opponent – Holger Rune/Matteo Berrettini
Rune and Berrettini are drawn to face each other in the first round. Whoever comes out on top, is likely to be Alcaraz’s opponent in the third round. The Italian has won three titles following his comeback this year, though all have been on clay.
Rune have been a tad bit inconsistent compared to last year. He recently lost in the third round of the Canadian Open. Alcaraz leads him 2-1 in the head-to-head, and has a 3-1 advantage over Berrettini. The Spaniard will be expected to make it through this round given his record against both players.
Ruud pulled out of the Canadian Open due to an illness, and thus resumed his hardcourt swing on a disappointing note. Tsitsipas fell to Kei Nishikori in the second round of the Canadian Open, and parted ways with his father as his coach after the loss.
Ruud could also face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round, who beat him at the Paris Olympics. Tsitsipas also has a tough opener, with Jan-Lennard Struff being his first-round opponent.However, either of the two can be counted on to make the last eight if they catch fire this week. It will be difficult for either to get the better of Alcaraz, who has a combined 10-0 record against both of them.
Possible SF opponent – Daniil Medvedev/Tommy Paul
Paul and Alcaraz have a compelling rivalry, though the latter has pulled ahead after back-to-back wins over the former at Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics. They’re tied 2-2 on hardcourts, and the Spaniard ousted his rival en route to the final in Cincinnati last year.
Alcaraz leads Medvedev 5-2 in the head-to-head, and won their last three matches as well. However, the Russian, and Paul, both bowed out of the Canadian Open without winning a match.Should they falter early in Cincinnati as well, the in-form Lorenzo Musetti, or Hubert Hurkacz are other choices to make the semifinals from this section. While Alcaraz will be the favorite against both, the Italian could prove to be a tricky customer to handle.
Possible Final opponent – Jannik Sinner/Alexander Zverev
Sinner’s title defence at the Canadian Open came to an end in the quarterfinals, though his ill-health played a part in his demise. Zverev, on the other hand, has made the last eight, and will take on Sebastian Korda for a spot in the semifinals on Sunday.Both of them have performed well this year, and could challenge Alcaraz if they meet in the final. If they make an early exit from Cincinnati, then Korda, who’s in good form as well at the moment, could meet him in the summit clash.Rublev knocked out Sinner from the Canadian Open, and already beat Alcaraz at the Madrid Open this year. The Russian could also pose a threat if he makes it to the final. Taylor Fritz, Grigor Dimitrov, and Ben Shelton are a few other picks from the top half to reach the final.