In terms of quantity, this is the busiest week on the clay-court calendar: one 500 tournament (Barcelona) and a pair of 250s (Banja Luka and Munich). We are in between Masters 1000 events—Andrey Rublev triumphed in Monte-Carlo on Sunday and both Madrid and Rome are on the immediate horizon—but the fun doesn’t stop. The draws this week are extremely impressive, as they include star players such as Rublev, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune, and Taylor Fritz.
Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Surface: Clay
Points: 500
Prize money: 2,722,480 Euros
Top seed: Carlos Alcaraz
Defending champion: Carlos Alcaraz
Draw analysis: It’s obvious what pretty much the entire tennis world wants to see: a final between Alcaraz and Sinner. The Italian, who is seeded fourth, landed in the bottom half of the draw so a championship match featuring what has already become one of the best rivalries in the sport is possible. Sinner may be fatigued following a long week in Monte-Carlo, but he owns a first-round bye in Barcelona and also has a favorable path to at least the quarterfinals. Cameron Norrie is a possible opponent at that point, while Tsitsipas is Sinner’s projected semifinal foe.
Alcaraz, who skipped Monte-Carlo and is therefore well rested, should also coast into the last eight. The top-seeded Spaniard would likely meet either Frances Tiafoe or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the quarters before potentially facing Casper Ruud, Karen Khachanov, or Francisco Cerundolo in the semis.
Quarterfinal predictions: Carlos Alcaraz over Frances Tiafoe, Francisco Cerundolo over Nicolas Jarry, Jannik Sinner over Cameron Norrie, and Stefanos Tsitsipas over Grigor Dimitrov
Semifinals: Alcaraz over Cerundolo and Sinner over Tsitsipas
Final: Alcaraz over Sinner
Srpska Open
Where: Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Surface: Clay
Points: 250
Prize money: 562,815 Euros
Top seed: Novak Djokovic
Defending champion: None (inaugural event)
Draw analysis: Will Rublev play in Banja Luka? It’s hard to see why he would, having just triumphed in Monte-Carlo and with more Masters 1000 tournaments coming up in Madrid and Rome. The Russian is still in the draw as of Sunday night, but that could change at any point prior to the second round. If Rublev does play, he will be a heavy favorite to reach the final out of the bottom half of the bracket. No. 3 seed Borna Coric is in a terrible slump and fellow seeds Tallon Griekspoor and Richard Gasquet probably wouldn’t pose a huge threat to the world No. 6.
Of course, the overall title favorite is Djokovic. Even at a 250 event, though, it may not be a walk in the park for the 35-year-old Serb. His week could begin against familiar foe Stan Wawrinka, while Miomir Kecmanovic and Jiri Lehecka are possible semifinal adversaries. Lehecka will kick off his campaign against Gael Monfils, although given the Frenchman’s current state that is only a fun matchup on paper and probably won’t turn out to be interesting on the court.
Quarterfinal predictions: Novak Djokovic over Dusan Lajovic, Miomir Kecmanovic over Jiri Lehecka, Laslo Djere over Taro Daniel, and Richard Gasquet over Juan Pablo Varillas
Semifinals: Djokovic over Kecmanovic and Djere over Gasquet
Final: Djokovic over Djere
BMW Open
Where: Munich, Germany
Surface: Clay
Points: 250
Prize money: 562,815 Euros
Top seed: Holger Rune
Defending champion: Holger Rune
Draw analysis: Munich appears to be one of the better ATP 250s on the entire 2023 calendar. Rune, Fritz, and Alexander Zverev are among those who have opening-round byes and the unseeded contingent includes the like of Dominic Thiem, Cristian Garin, and dangerous, in-form big hitters such as Jan-Lennard Struff and Quentin Halys.
Rune is the top seed, but he has to make a quick turnaround on the heels of a tough runner-up finish to Rublev in Monte-Carlo and the top half of the Munich draw is loaded. Garin, Halys, and Lorenzo Sonego are in the 19-year-old Dane’s quarter, while Zverev and Sebastian Baez are also in the top half. Fritz finds himself in a much softer bottom half, although you never know when Thiem will suddenly get back on track and No. 7 seed Roberto Carballes Baena cannot be discounted after beginning his clay-court swing with a title in Marrakech.
Quarterfinal predictions: Cristian Garin over Holger Rune, Sebastian Baez over Alexander Zverev, Botic van de Zandschulp over Roberto Carballes Baena, and Taylor Fritz over Dominic Thiem
Semifinals: Garin over Baez and Fritz over Van de Zandschulp
Final: Fritz over Garin
who ya got?
Of course Rublev will play, why wouldn’t he?!
Keep in mind that this is Serbia Open just moved to Banja Luka temporarily this year, Rublev is defending Champion, he has beaten Nole in the final last year, bageled him in the 3rd.
Should be very good tournament, Stan in the second round isn’t ideal draw for Nole.
Alcaraz, Joker, and Fritz….Fun week of tennis ahead!
Those are mine.
Alcaraz, Joker and Zverev.
Those are my title winners, too. Charlie, Nole,and Sascha.
But the only one I feel good about is Charlie in Barcelona.
And I hope the weather in Banja Luka improves.
If Nole doesn’t manage to up his game he is better off not going to Paris, so far (Monte Carlo and Banja Luka) he is way below his standard, for whatever reason.
That kid yesterday gave him hard time, which is not acceptable, even he is talented kid, won RG 2021 when Nole won his RG.