The whole tennis world, this SBOTOP writer included, was robbed of seeing both icons, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal share the clay court of the Madrid Open.
The World No. 1 and 24-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic, headlined the Madrid Open 2024 news stories after announcing that he pulled out of the tournament in the Spanish capital.
Djokovic and his camp have not yet released a concrete statement to explain his absence, and he is set to be replaced by Frenchman Luca Van Assche.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play in Madrid this year… I’ve planned to play in Rome, so I hope I’ll be able to do that, if I prepare well,” the 36-year-old told reporters.
Uncharacteristically, the Serbian has yet to win a title this season and has only participated in four tournaments this season. “This year has been a bit different for me; I haven’t yet found my best level of tennis, and I hope I will at Roland Garros.”
His decision to pull out of this iteration of the Madrid Open makes it his third withdrawal in four years from the Clay Court of Madrid.
The next chance to witness Djovokic’s greatness on the court could be next month at the French Open.
An old statesman faces a young buck
After being defeated in the second round by Alex de Minaur in straight sets, the living icon, 37-year-old Rafael Nadal, has yet to make significant strides this season due to injuries, but the Spaniard is set to compete in the Mutua Madrid Open.
However, the veteran is faced with a race against time as he faces off against 16-year-old Darwin Blanch. Nadal’s raw skill and longevity deserve the utmost respect and admiration from fans and pundits alike, but it will be interesting to see how a newly recovered 37-year-old Nadal fares against the fresh legs of a feisty youngster in Blanch.
If the Nadal does get the win, he will set up a quick rematch with world number 11 de Minaur.
Meanwhile, the young Darwin Blanch takes the challenge head-on, despite the monumental status of Nadal. “I’m really excited, obviously a little bit nervous,” said the 16-year-old. “But I’m just really happy to be playing against Rafa. I’m ready to go out and just enjoy every moment.”
Alcaraz not 100 per cent?
The two-time defending Madrid Open Champion, Carlos Alcaraz, was awarded a bye in the first round, and is set to face the winner between Arthur Rinderknech and Alexander Scevchenko to start his title defence.
However, it’s much easier said than done, especially with recent reports of the Spaniard’s doubts about his fitness going into the tournament.
Avid tennis fans were wondering if Alcaraz would make it in time to defend his Madrid Open title after pulling out of his second-round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Monte-Carlo Masters. He then withdrew from the Barcelona Open in hopes of giving him enough time to be 100 per cent in Madrid.
“There are still days until my first match, today I trained more intensely, things are going well, I have good feelings. I don’t want to rush, I don’t want to get into trouble with myself,” Alcaraz stated.
The two-time Madrid Open champion humbly admitted that he’s still not 100 per cent and will be happy if he survives a few games in the tournament.
“I can’t say I’m going to play my 100% because I don’t know, I don’t take anything for granted. Right now, with the feelings this morning and the mentality I have, I would be happy with playing 3-4 games,”
Perfect storm for Jannik Sinner
With Djokovic out of the way and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz not in his best form physically, all eyes shift to World No. 2, Jannik Sinner.
The absence of Djokovic makes Sinner the top seed and the Madrid Open 2024 odds favourite. The Italian has a great opportunity to come within striking distance of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic should he triumph in Madrid.
“I don’t want to put pressure on myself. I’m living a very positive moment, winning a lot of matches; I just try to keep going like this,” Sinner stated in a press conference prior to the tournament. “In my mind, I know that I can and have to improve if I want to win more.
Riding a meteoric rise in the realm of tennis, Sinner humbly dismissed the idea that he’s the best tennis player in the world and urged not to be compared with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
“I have a lot of respect for both of them. I just try to play my game, trying to understand what works best for me and then we see what I can achieve,” Sinner stated.
But if Sinner does find success in Madrid, then maybe comparing him to his fellow rivals won’t be such a lofty statement.
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