TENNIS
Alcaraz’s tough road to the US Open final
The Spaniard will have to deal with tricky opponents from the very beginning in a draw full of good players until a hypothetical final.
Carlos Alcaraz is making his last preparations at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to try to defend his crown in New York.
The Spaniard will be looking to win the third Grand Slam event of his career and lift his 13th ATP title, but the draw will not make things easy for the Murcia native, as he will have to take on dangerous opponents early on.
Carlitos has been practicing and showcasing some events these days in the US Open facilities, so the Spanish star has had some days to recover from his epic final with Novak Djokovic at the Southern and Western Open, in Cincinnati.
Alcaraz ended up losing in a match where both men had match points to close it before, but it finally went to the third set’s tiebreaker, with Nole getting his hand raised in the end.
Alcaraz’s tough 2023 US Open draw
In his opener, Alcaraz will take on Dominik Koepfer, who likes to play on hard courts and long exchanges from the baseline. Two years ago, Roger Federer needed four hard-fought sets at the French Open to defeat the German player.
In the second round, he could face the hard-hitting Lloyd Harris. The 26-year-old South African is trying to get to his best form after being out of action for several months due to injury, but if he’s fit, he could give a scare to Alcaraz if the Spanish star is not 100% focused.
His next opponent could be Dan Evans, who recently became the DC Open champion. The energic Brit likes long exchanges and his intensity tends to be a problem for many players, although it’s hard to see Evans getting the best of Alcaraz in a battle of rallies.
If Carlos manages to advance to the fourth round, he could meet another British player, Cameron Norrie. Both men have played six games before, with the world No. 1 winning four. The last time they played it was Norrie who came out on top, in the Rio de Janeiro final at the beginning of 2023.
Things will get even tougher from the quarterfinals on. The 2022 US Open champion might meet Jannik Sinner again, which will likely translate into an amazing show for the fans. Last year, both payers needed five sets to determine the winner, with the Spaniard ultimately progressing. However, he could also face Alexander Zverev, who defeated him in last year’s French Open.
If he survives that round, he will probably face either Daniil Medvedev or Hubert Kurkacz. Alcaraz already defeated the Russian player in the Wimbledon semifinals. Before that, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil had defeated Medvedev in a hard court, at the Indian Wells final this year.
Alcaraz also knows what it feels like to beat Hurkacz, as he has won all of their three meetings so far. They met twice recently, in Toronto and Cincinnati, with Alcaraz emerging victorious in three sets in very tight contests.
And in the last round of the tournament, Alcaraz could take on Novak Djokovic or Holger Rune. The Serb is expected to make it to another Grand Slam tournament final, especially after featuring in the last round of all the previous three majors this year and his impressive performance in the Cincinnati final.
Rune, who is regarded as a future superstar, has proved this year he could win a major soon if he’s fully fit, but it remains to be seen what his fitness will look like in New York.