Shanghai Masters 2024 draw preview: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner locked in same half, Novak Djokovic paired with Alexander Zverev
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been locked in the same half of a very interesting men's singles draw at the Shanghai Masters.
Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic (Via Imago)
One of the biggest tournaments of the Asian swing, the Shanghai Masters, is just around the corner. The men’s singles draw was made public on Monday (September 30) and a week of thrilling tennis action is in store.
Reigning US Open champion Jannik Sinner is the top seed at the season’s penultimate Masters 1000 tournament as defending champion Hubert Hurkacz withdrew from the tournament due to an injury. Sinner, who crashed out in the fourth round last year after losing to Ben Shelton, has won two Masters 1000 titles this season and will be one of the title favorites.
The other big name at this year’s Shanghai Masters is fourth seed Novak Djokovic, who returns to ATP action for the first time since his third-round exit at the US Open. Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev round out the top five seeds.
Tournament Details
- Tournament: Shanghai Masters
- Date: October 4-13
- No. of Entrants: 64 (Singles)
- Venue: Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai
- Surface: Outdoor Hard Court
- Defending Champion: Hubert Hurkacz
Top Seeds
- Jannik Sinner
- Alexander Zverev
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Novak Djokovic
- Daniil Medvedev
- Andrey Rublev
- Taylor Fritz
- Casper Ruud
- Grigor Dimitrov
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Tommy Paul
Shanghai Masters Draw Preview
Top half: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz the big names
Top seed Jannik Sinner headlines the first half of the draw and is one of the favorites to reach the quarterfinals. After getting a first-round bye, he will begin his campaign against either Taro Daniel or a qualifier.
The Italian, who is in great form right now, has already won six titles this year, including the Australian Open and US Open. He could face Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round and Ben Shelton in the fourth round, and should be able to come through unscathed.
The other big name in this half is Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard, who will face Shang Juncheng or Coleman Wong, has also won two Majors this year, the French Open and Wimbledon. The Olympic silver medalist might face Nicolas Jarry in the third round and Ugo Humbert in the fourth.
The World No. 1 could potentially meet either Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in what would be a blockbuster quarterfinal clash. With both players capable of beating anyone on the men’s circuit, Sinner is currently in red-hot form and should be able to make it to the semifinals.
Alcaraz might face either Casper Ruud or Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals, two very good players who might give him some trouble. But the youngster is known to rise to the occasion and should be able to beat either player to meet Sinner in the semifinals.
Seeded players in the top half: (1) Jannik Sinner, (3) Carlos Alcaraz, (5) Daniil Medvedev, (8) Casper Ruud, (10) Stefanos Tsitsipas, (11) Tommy Paul, (14) Ben Shelton, (16) Ugo Humbert, (18) Felix Auger-Aliassime, (19) Alejandro Tabilo, (21) Arthur Fils, (22) Sebastian Baez, (25) Nicolas Jarry, (29) Matteo Arnaldi, (30) Tomas Machac, (31) Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Possible semifinal: Carlos Alcaraz beats Jannik Sinner in three sets.
Bottom half: Veteran Novak Djokovic eyes maiden ATP title of 2024
Novak Djokovic, who returns to the tournament after a five-year break, will begin his campaign with a second-round match against either Alex Michelsen or Yunchaokete Bu. He could face fellow veteran Stan Wawrinka in the third round, followed by a clash with Frances Tiafoe.
The Serbian, who won the title in Shanghai a record four times, will face either Grigor Dimitrov or Andrey Rublev, in the quarterfinals. At his physical and mental best, which was not the case at the US Open, Djokovic should comfortable beat either to reach the last four.
Alexander Zverev, who is currently enjoying the best season of his career, is the other big name in this half. He is expected to be fully recovery from pneumonia, which forced him to withdraw from the China Open. The German, who will face a qualifier in the second round, could meet either Jordan Thompson or Tallon Griekspoor in the third round and Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth.
Zverev’s toughest test in Shanghai could be in the quarterfinals, where he could potentially face Taylor Fritz. Having lost to the American thrice this year, this is where the Hamburg native’s run could end.
Seeded Players: (2) Alexander Zverev, (4) Novak Djokovic, (6) Andrey Rublev, (7) Taylor Fritz, (9) Grigor Dimitrov, (12) Holger Rune, (13) Frances Tiafoe, (15) Lorenzo Musetti, (17) Jack Draper, (20) Alexei Popyrin, (23) Alexander Bublik, (24) Karen Khachanov, (26) Jordan Thompson, (27) Francisco Cerundolo, (28) Flavio Cobolli, (32) Brandon Nakashima
Possible semifinal: Novak Djokovic defeats Taylor Fritz in straight sets.
Final predictions for the Shanghai Masters
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have become pretty accustomed to facing each other in big matches recently. All seven of their clashes so far have come either in the semifinals (3) or finals (4). They most recently locked horns in the Paris Olympics final, where Djokovic came on top to clinch the elusive gold medal.
With Alcaraz gunning for revenge and Djokovic having been away from action for a while, the Spaniard is the favorite to come out on top — not before the Serbian gives him a run for his money. The 21-year-old could well add a fourth title to his name this year with his fourth career win against the 24-time Major winner.
Anirudh Velamuri
(43 Articles Published)