![]() Upheaval could strike the second quarter-it's already rocked Casper Ruud the highest seed in this section. I think our rivalry will extend over time."Īlcaraz is even sharper and a more polished player now than he was just a year ago and should go deep in the draw again. I hope to improve on the previous two games if I have to play with him. "Carlos is one of the most complicated and complete players I have ever faced," Tsitsipas said after that 2022 Miami defeat. That defeat left Tsitsipas calling Alcaraz one of the most complete players he's ever faced. In fact, you could put to Alcaraz rallying from 2-5 down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-3 on Grandstand court in Miami last March a key component to his title run that saw him become the youngest man to win the Miami Open. Going to coast-to-coast and adjusting to Miami conditions, which can sometimes be breezier than Palm Springs, could pose problems for Alcaraz.Īnother factor in Alcaraz's favor: Miami fans unleashed Alcaraz mania last year adopting the dynamic Spaniard as a favored son. Remember, Alcaraz is off to a sizzling 14-1 start this season winning two titles and reaching three finals in three tournament starts. Still, given Alcaraz's all-court acumen, physicality, speed around the court, his skill mixing his sledgehammer forehand with feather duster drop shots he should navigate this challenge to make another deep run. It's a challenging draw given Paul is an Australian Open semifinalist, Rune defeated an injured Alcaraz en route to the Rolex Paris Masters title last November and Rublev and Alcaraz have yet to meet in a Tour-level match. If seeds are successful, the rest of Alcaraz's path would be: No. The 19-year-old Spanish phenom is playing to become the first man to win the double since recently retired GOAT candidate Roger Federer, who defeated Nadal in the Miami final two weeks after knocking off Stan Wawrinka in the final at INdian Wells.Įmpowered by snapping Daniil Medvedev's 19-match winning streak in a commanding Indian Wells final, Alcaraz faces either Facundo Bagnis or a lucky loser as he opens his Miami title defense followed by either two-time champion Andy Murray or Dusan Lajovic. Only eight men have completed the Sunshine Double sweeping Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back and while the top-seeded Alcaraz is currently reigning Indian Wells and Miami champion, he knows there are major obstacles in his path to a successive Sunshine Double sweep. If you've watched Carlos Alcaraz since his Masters 1000 breakthrough in Miami last spring, you know this man is driven to reach rare air. Winning the Sunshine Double is about as easy as leaping over the life-sized Dan Marino statue that greets visitors outside Hard Rock Stadium. Here are our five top takeaways from the 2023 Miami Open draw. Miami Open tournament director James Blake, accompanied by Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul, helped conduct the Miami draw this afternoon. ![]() Now, Alcaraz, who turns 20 on May 5th, sets his sights on becoming the youngest man to ever sweep the Sunshine Double the same season. Reigning US Open and Miami Open champion Alcaraz is the ninth and youngest man to win both stops on the Sunshine Doubles-Indian Wells and Miami-in the course of his career. The 19-year-old Alcaraz dismissed Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in the Indian Wells final on Sunday for another coming of age championship. Carlos Alcaraz continues to beat the clock. 1 Carlos Alcaraz bids to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to sweep the Sunshine Double.
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