Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev will face off in the second round-robin match of the 2023 ATP Finals. Both will look for a change in fortunes after losing their respective opening encounters. Alcaraz comes into the clash amid a rough patch, while Rublev looks in better form comparatively. The Spaniard may not be able to break his streak against the Russian.
Alcaraz got his maiden ATP Finals off to a losing start. Alexander Zverev got the best of the two-time Grand Slam champion after three sets. That marked Alcaraz’s third consecutive loss. He exited the Paris Masters in the second round against Roman Safiullin, receiving a bye in the first like all seeded players. Before that, he met with a premature end in the Shanghai Masters at the hands of Grigor Dimitrov.
Rublev, on the other hand, made it to the semi-finals of the Paris Masters, losing only to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. He also made it to the same stage in the Vienna Open, a tournament that Alcaraz did not feature in. The World No.5’s biggest recent achievement is finishing as the runner-up in the Shanghai Masters. Not only does Rublev have more match practice than Alcaraz recently, but he has progressed deep in his last three events.
The duo have surprisingly never squared off against each other before despite being top-10 regulars. Given he is suffering a poor run of form, facing an unknown opponent could be disastrous for Alcaraz. He is not well-equipped to take on a new challenger right now, especially someone who is putting up good performances.
Rublev may have lost his first ATP Finals clash against Daniil Medvedev meekly, but he still has his momentum going. Out of the pair, the Russian looks more likely to bounce back from his loss. He also made it to the semi-finals last year. However, Alcaraz is no walkover. Given his obvious pedigree and talent, expect him to put up a serious fight. He may spring back to his best form but currently, pick Rublev to win in three sets.
A loss could be disastrous for Alcaraz. Not only would it all but end his hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals, it would also jeopardize his World No.2 rank. Medvedev is closing in on the second spot and the Spaniard bowing out with less than two wins gives him a golden opportunity to surpass him. The 2021 US Open winner, however, will have to go all the way and lift the trophy.
Carlos Alcaraz is not alone in having a poor ATP Finals debut outing
Carlos Alcaraz, despite finishing as the Year-End No.1 in 2022, missed the ATP Finals last year due to injury. 2023 marked his maiden appearance in the season-ending championship but it got off to a shaky start as he looks resigned and low. However, he can draw solace and inspiration from the fact that his legendary rival, Djokovic also suffered a poor debut campaign in the ATP Finals.
Djokovic first qualified for the year-end tournament in 2007 as a 20-year-old, the same as Alcaraz now. He was grouped with Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet in what was then called the Tennis Masters Cup. The Serb looked listless in the competition, losing all his fixtures in straight sets. He did not win more than four games in a single set he played. He finished bottom of the group as the two Spaniards qualified.
Alcaraz can take heart in the fact that just by taking a set off Zverev in his opening loss, he has already done better than what Djokovic did in his debut outing. All is not lost for the World No.2 who can never be dismissed as a formidable opponent, however poor his recent form may be. The Carlos Alcaraz vs. Andrey Rublev clash will surely be an exhilarating affair.
