Carlos Alcaraz will be travelling to play in China for the first time. He will have his eye on the two major titles on offer, the China Open in Beijing and the Shanghai Masters. With combined prize money of over $1,800,000 and 1,500 ATP points, winning the two tournaments will help Alcaraz close in on Djokovic in the race for the year-end No.1.
Djokovic’s lead in ranking points is too large for Alcaraz to catch up so soon. But with the Serb missing the Asian swing, Carlos Alcaraz has a wonderful opportunity to narrow down the gap. The World No.2 will want to win both tournaments and get within touching distance of his rival.
First time in Asia for Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz recently embarked on his maiden China swing. He shared an Instagram story of him in-flight en route to the Asian country.
The first tournament on Alcaraz’s schedule will be the China Open in Beijing. The ATP 500 event will begin on September 28 and end on October 4. The Spaniard is the top seed in a field full of talented players. Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Jannik Sinner are some of the other seeded players. They will pose a stern challenge to Carlos Alcaraz in the fight for the title. The winner is set to receive a $679,550 cash reward and 500 ATP points.
Immediately after that, the Shanghai Masters will be up next for Alcaraz. The ATP 1000 tournament is back on the calendar after four years. Medvedev is the reigning champion, winning it in 2019 after which it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Russian will be back again and will be the two-time Grand Slam winner’s biggest hurdle. Djokovic was initially set to feature but pulled out later. Alcaraz will fancy the $1,262,220 prize and 1000 ATP points up for grabs for the winner.
Carlos Alcaraz, though, will not overtake Novak Djokovic in the rankings even if he wins both events. However, it will certainly bring him close. With the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals coming up, the 20-year-old will want to get as close as possible and snatch that year-end No.1 ranking. Not to forget, there’s also a bounty of over $1,800,000 for the taking in China.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz’s race for the year-end No.1
Djokovic recently announced his decision not to participate in the Shanghai Masters. This meant that the World No.1 would not be defending his title that he won in 2019. After helping Serbia reach the Davis Cup finals, he spoke about his withdrawal from the Chinese tournament. He said the Asian country has given him some of the best support he has seen and he wishes to back playing in China soon (via Eurosport).
The 24-time Grand Slam winner had no points to defend in China, hence decided to opt out. Djokovic chose to take much-deserved rest after a hectic Slam season.
Djokovic will be seen in action next at the Paris Masters, where he will be defending 600 points after his runner-up finish last season. Alcaraz can run him really close in terms of points. The Spaniard did not participate in the ATP Finals last year, while his veteran opponent won it.
Hence, Djokovic will have the task of defending 1500 points while Alcaraz stands nothing to lose. Having exchanged the No.1 rank multiple times over the last year, the duo are once again locked in a race. This time, it’s for the prestigious year-end No.1 title. Djokovic has a huge lead right now and is in great form so he will be the favourite to run away with the title.
