The February slog continues with one of the biggest weeks on the tennis calendar. While the WTA plays a 1000-point tournament in Dubai, the ATP offers a pair of 500s and a 250. Among those taking the field in Doha, Rio de Janeiro or Delray Beach are Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Bublik, Daniil Medvedev, Francisco Cerundolo, Joao Fonseca, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud and Frances Tiafoe.
It’s time to end another busy ATP week.
Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Where: Doha, Qatar
Surface: Difficult
Points: 500
Prize money: $2,833,335
Top seed: Carlos Alcaraz
Defending champion: Andrei Rublev
Drawing analysis: Whenever Alcaraz and Sinner participate in the same tournament, a head-to-head final seems inevitable – especially when no one else in the top nine of the rankings is in the field. That is the case in Doha, where world number 10 Alexander Bublik is the third seed. Neither player has a particularly difficult path on the draw. Alcaraz’s quarter is week, so the reigning Australian Open champion should go into a semi-final against Medvedev, Andrey Rublev or Stefanos Tsitsipas. Medvedev vs. Tsitsipas is a potential second-round matchup. Sinner faces a tough opener against Tomas Machac before potentially facing Jakub Mensik in the last eight and Bublik in the semi-finals.
Is called: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Bublik, Jaume Munar
Cold: Andrei Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexei Popyrin, Arthur Fils, Valentin Royer
Quarter-final predictions: Carlos Alcaraz on Jaume Munar, Stefanos Tsitsipas on Andrey Rublev, Alexander Bublik on Jenson Brooksby and Jannik Sinner on Jakub Mensik
Semi-finals: Alcaraz over Tsitsipas and Sinner over Bublik
Final: Sinner about Alcaraz
Rio opened
Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Surface: Clay
Points: 500
Prize money: $2,469,450
Top seed: Francisco Cerundolo
Defending champion: Sebastian Baez
Drawing analysis: It will be an absolute circus in Rio de Janeiro again when Fonseca is in action. Twelve months ago, the 19-year-old Brazilian was chasing a title in Buenos Aires – and that didn’t help him in Rio, where he lost straight away to Alexandre Muller. Fonseca will be well rested this time after losing his opening match in Buenos Aires to Alejandro Tabilo. A favorable draw should also help as the No. 3 will be heavily favored in his first two games before likely facing Matteo Berrettini or Lorenzo Sonego in the quarter-finals. Luciano Darderi and Sebastian Baez are on a collision course for the semi-finals at the bottom of the rankings. At the top of the draw, Cerundolo opens with compatriot Mariano Navone before potentially meeting Muller or Tabilo in the last eight.
Is called: Luciano Darderi, Sebastian Baez
Cold: Matteo Berrettini, Daniel Altmaier, Mariano Navone, Cristian Garin
Quarter-final predictions: Francisco Cerundolo on Alexandre Muller, Lorenzo Sonego on Joao Fonseca, Sebastian Baez on Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Luciano Darderi on Camilo Ugo Carabelli
Semi-finals: Cerundolo above Sonego and Darderi above Baez
Final: Darderi above Cerundolo
Delray Beach open
Where: Delray Beach, Florida
Surface: Difficult
Points: 250
Prize money: $700,045
Top seed: Taylor Fritz
Defending champion: Miomir Kecmanovic
Drawing analysis: Don’t sleep on Delray Beach just because it’s a 250 – it will undoubtedly go down as one of the best 250s of the year. Fritz, Ruud and Tiafoe are joined in a deep field by Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Valentin Vacherot, Sebastian Korda, Alex Michelsen and Marin Cilic. Korda, Michelsen and Cilic are not even placed. Look no further than the first round to appreciate the impressiveness of this draw. Matchups include Vacherot vs. Michelsen, Cilic vs. Brandon Nakashima, Paul vs. Corentin Moutet, Ethan Quinn vs. Rafael Jodar and Eliot Spizzirri vs. Gabriel Diallo. Fritz vs. Paul and Tiafoe vs. Ten are potential quarterfinal matchups, although Fritz’s participation should be questionable after a long week in Dallas when he was already dealing with some physical issues.
Is called: Pupil Ten, Valentin Vacherot, Nuno Borges, Ethan Quinn, Eliot Spizzirri, Rafael Jodar
Cold: Flavio Cobolli, Mackenzie McDonald, Gabriel Diallo, Mattia Bellucci
Quarter-final predictions: Tommy Paul about Ethan Quinn, Learner Tien about Frances Tiafoe, Nuno Borges about Terence Atmane and Alex Michelsen about Casper Ruud
Semi-finals: Paul about and Tien and Michelsen about Borges
Final: Paul about Michelsen
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