Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry has defined the ATP Tour in recent seasons, and they could be set to do battle once again at the Qatar Open this week.
World No 1 Alcaraz and world No 2 Sinner are the top two seeds at the ATP 500 event, with former world No 1 Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, and reigning champion Andrey Rublev also all in action.
The draw for the event in Doha has been made and has thrown up several fascinating scenarios, and here we make our predictions for how things could pan out at the high-profile tournament.
Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s ‘miracle’ rivalry hailed by former Wimbledon champion
Holger Rune told ‘he has the level’ to challenge for Grand Slam titles once he returns from injury
First Quarter
Projected Q/F: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs (7) Karen Khachanov
Alcaraz has not been in action since his historic Australian Open victory, having made the wise decision to withdraw from the Rotterdam Open and give himself extra time to recover.
The Spaniard’s first match since Melbourne comes against world No 28 Arthur Rinderknech, an opponent he holds a perfect 4-0 head-to-head record against.
The world No 1’s favourable draw will then see him face Valentin Royer or a qualifier in round two, before a projected quarter-final versus seventh seed Khachanov, the 2024 Doha champion.
World No 18 Khachanov has been handed a challenging opener against Jaume Munar, who consistently improved across 2025.
Should he overcome the Spaniard, Khachanov could also be tested by Marton Fucscovics in round two.
Prediction: Alcaraz def Khachanov
Second Quarter
Projected Q/F: (4) Daniil Medvedev vs (5) Andrey Rublev
Both Medvedev and Rublev are former champions in Doha, with Medvedev having lifted the title back at this event in 2023.
The fourth seed faces an intriguing opener against rising star Jerry Shang, who is continuing his return from injury, and could then face long-time rival Stefanos Tsitsipas in round two.
Looking to return to top form in 2026, the Greek has a fortuitous opener against wildcard Moez Echargui — though has a 4-10 record against Medvedev on the ATP Tour.
Medvedev is projected to face reigning champion Rublev in the last eight, though the fifth seed’s form has been unpredictable in recent months.
Rublev faces Jesper de Jong in round one, and could then face Ugo Humbert in round two, with the Frenchman fresh off a run to the Rotterdam semi-final — where he beat Medvedev.
Prediction: Humbert def Medvedev
Third Quarter
Projected Q/F: (8) Jiri Lehecka vs (3) Alexander Bublik
Bublik has been one of the most-improved players of the past twelve months, and a solid start to 2026 puts him well in contention for a deep run here.
The Kazakh should see off a qualifier in his opening round, but could face an intriguing round-two contest against Arthur Fils, with the Frenchman looking to find some form on his return from injury.
Also in this quarter of the draw is eighth seed and 2025 semi-finalist Lehecka, who defeated Alcaraz at the quarter-final stage of this event twelve months ago.
The Czech’s start to 2026 has not been ideal, and he faces a tough opening match versus America’s Jenson Brooksby, who was in resurgent form across 2025.
Should Lehecka overcome that opening test, he will not face an easier match in round two, with either Zizou Bergs or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard his next opponent.
Prediction: Bublik def Lehecka
Fourth Quarter
Projected Q/F: (6) Jakub Mensik vs (2) Jannik Sinner
Sinner has not been in action since his shock Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic, and it will be interesting to see how he responds at the ATP 500 event.
The Italian faces Tomas Machac in the opening round and, assuming he beats the Czech, could face Alexei Popyrin in round two — though the Australian has not won a match since the US Open last year.
This is a very manageable draw for Sinner early on, and perhaps sixth seed Mensik will provide the world No 2’s first significant test.
Mensik’s breakthrough was a run to the final at this event back in 2024, though he has not played since withdrawing from the fourth round of the Australian Open.
However, the Czech has a good draw early on in Doha, with a qualifier in round one, before a potential clash against Zhang Zhizhen in round two.
Prediction: Sinner def Mensik
Semi-final predictions
Alcaraz def Humbert
Sinner def Bublik
Final prediction
Alcaraz def Sinner
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
Read Next: Karolina Muchova and Victoria Mboko’s prize money and ranking points from Qatar Open
The post ATP Qatar Open predictions: Can anyone stop a Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner final? appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply