The Mutua Madrid Open draw ceremony took place on Monday afternoon, resulting in a top half filled with talented players. Jannik Sinner is the No. 1 seed following Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal, but his side of the bracket is challenging, featuring Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Grigor Dimitrov. Interestingly, Ruud and Tsitsipas recently met in consecutive clay-court finals, with Ruud emerging victorious in the Barcelona final after Tsitsipas claimed the Monte-Carlo title.
Sinner may potentially face either Ruud or Dimitrov in the quarterfinals. Medvedev and Tsitsipas are on track for a showdown in the quarterfinals, although Medvedev is likely to face Sebastian Korda in the third round, a player who has troubled him in the past. Tsitsipas is set to meet Dusan Lajovic in the first round, a rematch of their recent Barcelona semifinal.
At the lower end of the draw, Carlos Alcaraz returns from injury and will face Jan-Lennard Struff, the surprising finalist, in a potential fourth-round match. Alcaraz, a two-time defending champion in Madrid, faces a tough challenge with Sinner’s rise and his own health concerns.
In the bottom half, Alexander Zverev, Hubert Hurkacz, Holger Rune, and Andrey Rublev are positioned for tough matchups. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal continues his comeback with a first-round clash against American Darwin Blanch. After a decent start in Barcelona, Nadal will be looking to advance and potentially face Alex de Minaur once again.
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