Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz head the star-studded entry list for 2023 Barcelona Open
Entry list for the prestigious ATP-500 clay court tournament is out as the Barcelona Open is set to be held from 15th April to 23rd April.
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Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal
The Real Club de Tennis Barcelona will host the 70th edition of the Barcelona Open, with Carlos Alcaraz as the defending champion, having defeated Pablo Busta in a convincing manner in the 2022 finals.
That’s not all, Rafael Nadal, a 12-time champion and the most decorated player of the event, will join the competition following the recovery of his torn iliopsoas muscle, which he picked up at the Australian Open this year. With the fans doubting whether he will return to his old self, Nadal would be eager to prove the crowds wrong. He will be joined by fellow Spaniard and current World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Having won the fiercely contested Indian Wells 2023, Alcaraz looks to be in staggering form and is one of the front-runners to win the title.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, an elite clay-court player and a former Roland-Garros finalist, will also appear in the event. Tsitsipas has faced Rafael Nadal twice in the finals of the Barcelona Open (in 2018 and 2021), falling short on both occasions. He would be itching to avenge those losses this year. Joining them is another Roland Garros finalist and former world No. 2, Casper Ruud. Having won 8 clay-court titles so far in his career, Ruud is one of the best players in the world and is one to watch out for.
Daniil Medvedev, who has a rather modest record on clay courts, has also signed up for the event. Even though the former World No. 1 has been at variance with clay courts throughout his career, he has also shown that he can perform well when he is in good form by reaching the quarter-finals and semi-finals of multiple ATP clay court events, including the Barcelona Open (2019 semi-finalist). Jainik Sinner, the young and upcoming Italian talent, will also be competing for the title. His consistent baseline game is very effective on clay, and he is set to have a deep run in the tournament.
Other notable names taking part in the tournament include Diego Schwartzman, Grigor Dimitrov, Francis Tiafoe, Cameron Norrie, Karen Khachenov, and Alex de Minaur.
Related: “Because of a certain Rafael Nadal,” David Ferrer laments on his ill luck at the Barcelona Open
Will Medvedev put up the hard court like numbers on clay?
As discussed earlier, Daniil Medvedev, who is yet to win a clay court title at the highest level, has struggled on clay courts throughout his career. There are a couple of reasons why the Russian have underperformed on clay. Medvedev is known for his strong serve and attacking baseline play, which is both more effective on hard courts where the ball bounces higher and faster. On clay, the ball bounces lower and slower, which can make it more difficult for him to hit winners. Medvedev had also struggled with his fitness, movement, and footwork in the past, losing the majority of the longer rallies.
However, in the past couple of years, Medvedev has significantly improved in that criteria, playing longer rallies with better movement, more precision, and accuracy. He has improved his results on clay too, reaching the top 8 of most ATP clay court tournaments he participates in. Medvedev’s clay court game is constantly improving, which is a great sign for him and his fans. Looking at the incredible 2023 season he is having, it will be interesting to see how he fares in the Barcelona Open.
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