Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev will begin their Madrid Masters campaigns when seeded players start taking the court on Friday. Alcaraz awaits Alexander Shevchenko, while Zverev is going up against Borna Coric.
Alexander Shevchenko vs. (2) Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz will be back in action after missing Monte-Carlo and Barcelona when he begins his title defense at the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday. The 20-year-old, who has been dealing with a right-arm injury, has won this tournament twice in a row. He defeated both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic en route to the 2022 title before taking advantage of a far more surprising road to the trophy last spring.
Up first for Alcaraz on Friday is Shevchenko, whom the No. 2 seed has never faced. Shevchenko is a talented 23-year-old from Kazakhstan whose results are generally all over the place. He can be great at times and terrible at others. The good Shevchenko was on display in round one, as he knocked off Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 on Wednesday. Although the world No. 59 is dangerous, this matchup all comes down to Alcaraz’s health. If the Spaniard is 100 percent or even anywhere close to 100 percent, he should roll into round three.
Pick: Alcaraz in 2
Borna Coric vs. (4) Alexander Zverev
Zverev and Coric will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers on Friday. The head-to-head series is all tied up at 3-3, and this proverbial rubber match marks their first-ever meeting on clay. While both guys are all-court players, Madrid specifically figures to give Zverev a sizable advantage. The fifth-ranked German has won this event twice and also finished runner-up to Alcaraz in 2023. More success should be in the cards this fortnight, as Zverev heads into it with a 20-8 record this season that features semifinal performances at the Australian Open and Miami Masters.
Coric did well to beat Benjamin Hassan 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday, but he is still saddled with a losing record for the year (7-8). The 34th-ranked Croat is just 3-6 in his last nine matches, which includes a 7-5, 6-2 loss to Facundo Diaz Acosta in his opening match last week in Barcelona. Conditions in Madrid are great for Zverev, so he will likely cruise past Coric for a place in the last 32.
Pick: Zverev in 2
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Zverev in 3.
Carlos in 2.