The clay-court season is about to slip into top gear with the Monte Carlo Masters the first of the three ATP 1000 marquee events ahead of the French Open next month.
Adapting from hard courts in Indian Wells and Miami to the slippery, slower-paced clay court surface is a tough task, with surprise results likely in the opening weeks of the clay court story.
Here is your Tennis365 guide of what to expect as the ATP Tour’s biggest stars get ready to get their shoes and socks messy on the clay courts of Europe.
Monte-Carlo Masters
Date: April 6-13
Defending champion: Stefanos Tsitsipas
The opening clay-court event of the season for most of the big names on the ATP Tour throws up some big challenges and that often leads to some unexpected results.
The sell-out crowds at the Monte Carlo Country Club give this event a Wimbledon vibe as the rich and famous mingle with tennis fans and this could be a week for Carlos Alcaraz to send out a statement of intent.
Injury has prevented Alcaraz from shining at the Monte Carlo Masters over the last couple of years, but he has been practising hard in Spain ahead of his return to clay at the French Open champion could be the player to beat.
One to watch: Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti is a threat on clay courts and he will be a dangerous floater in this draw.
Verdict: Alcaraz to shine in the Monaco sunshine.
Barcelona and Munich
Date: April 14-20
Defending champions: Casper Ruud (Barcelona), Jan-Lennard Struff (Munich)
Carlos Alcaraz is due to lead the draw in Barcelona after he missed out on playing in front of his home fans at this tournament last year, with the French Open champion the clear favourite for the ATP 500 tournament.
However, this event is often influenced by the events in Monte-Carlo the week before and if Alcaraz has a deep run in the principality, he may be vulnerable in the early rounds in Barcelona.
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In Munich, all eyes will be on local favourite Alexander Zverev, who has been in horrible form of late.
He went to South America to play in clay court events ahead of Indian Wells and Miami as he looks to get his game in shape on the surface ahead of his latest bid to win the French Open, but he needs to find his form quickly to have any chance of realising that dream.
One to watch in Barcelona: Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the final in Barcelona last year and his win in Dubai last month suggested he should be ready to shine on his favoured clay courts.
One to watch in Munich: Francisco Cerundolo is a handful on any surface, but especially on clay. This Argentine could be a dark horse to win the title.
Verdict: Tsitsipas will be a title contender in Barcelona, but Alcaraz could blow the field away and may be back as world No 2 if he wins this tournament and does well in Monte Carlo. In Munich, look out for Cerundolo to take the trophy.
Madrid Open
Date: April 23 – May 04
Defending champion Andrey Rublev
Russian star Rublev overcame serious illness to find a way to win in Madrid a year ago and he will be under pressure to defend the 1,000 points he collected from that win in May.
He will slide outside the top 10 of the ATP Rankings if he fails to defend his title and that task will be made all the more difficult this year as Alcaraz was struggling with an injury when he played in Madrid a year ago and Novak Djokovic skipped the tournament.
With this event played at altitude, it is the fastest clay court event of the season in Europe and that opens the door for the likes of Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper to use their power game to make progress.
One to watch: Britain’s Jack Draper has not had too much success on clay so far, but he could be primed to take advantage of the slick conditions in Madrid.
Verdict: Look out for Djokovic to make a run for the title, but Alcaraz is the player to beat once again.
Italian Open
Date: May 7-18
Defending champion: Alexander Zverev
This event will be dominated by the return of world No 1 Jannik Sinner.
The sport seems to have airbrushed the reason for Sinner’s absence out of the narrative in recent weeks, with his name rarely mentioned in Indian Wells and Miami as he was absent due to his doping suspension.
Yet he will be back to perform in front of his adoring Italian fans and will be instantly installed as a favourite for this Masters 1000 tournament.
As Sinner missed Rome last year due to injury, he could take a leap forward in the ATP Rankings in this event and a showdown with Alcaraz would be box office viewing if it takes place.
One to watch: Djokovic has shone in what can be cool and wet conditions in Rome and he will be a contender to win a seventh title in Rome.
Verdict: Returning hero Sinner to win the title.
Hamburg
Date: May 18-24
Defending champion Arthur Fils
An ATP 500 tournament in Hamburg will be played the week before the French Open, with many of the biggest names on the ATP Tour already likely to be in Paris preparing for the second Grand Slam of the season.
Yet after a limited build-up due to his suspension, Sinner has entered to play this tournament and he will be keen to get as many matches in as possible.
Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are likely to be his biggest challengers, with Holger Rune and Jan-Lennard Struff also in the mix
One to watch: Rublev is a tough player to beat on clay when he gets on a roll and in a week when the field may be diluted, he is a contender for a deep run.
Verdict: Sinner is the class of this field and any field, but a run to the final may impact his preparations at Roland Garros.
The post Carlos Alcaraz to regain No 2 ranking, Jannik Sinner wins comeback event – our clay-court predictions appeared first on Tennis365.
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