One of the talking points heading to this year’s Madrid Open was which section of the draw Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz would be placed in.
The answer to that question has been revealed even before the draw ceremony, which will be held on Monday before the official main draw starts on Wednesday, April 24.
Sinner and Alcaraz will be the top two seeds at the second major clay-court tournament of the season. That is because World No. 1 Novak Djokovic surprisingly withdrew ahead of schedule without giving any apparent reason, leading to a shuffling of seeds.
Djokovic was slated as the top seed in Madrid, but Sinner will receive that distinction. It will be the first time in his career that the Italian will lead the lineup at a Masters tournament.
The 22-year-old has had a stellar year so far, winning his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January and the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam in his first tournament as a major champion. He opened up the new season with 16 straight wins.
Sinner added to his trophy cabinet by lifting the Miami Masters at the end of March—a result that fast-tracked his rise to the top two of the rankings, replacing Alcaraz as World No. 2. It is the highest peak of any Italian player, male or female, in rankings history.
Although Alcaraz has dipped to World No. 3, he is one of two men who has defeated Sinner (2024 Indian Wells semifinal). The Spaniard went on to defend his title.
Because they are the top two seeds in Madrid, they will avoid each other until the final, should they get there. Sinner has competed twice in Madrid, with his best result coming in 2022 (round of 16). Alcaraz, for his part, is a two-time defending champion at his home tournament.
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