In addition to the Japan Open, this week another ATP 500 is also being played. This is the case of the China Open, where there may not be as much condensation of players but there are 3 of the 5 best players in the world. In this article we are going to talk precisely about the great favorites to lift the trophy and we will finish talking about other candidates that could surprise, which seems unlikely on paper.
The world No. 1 is back in competition for the first time since he won the US Open. He does it in a tournament where he defends the title, after having beaten Daniil Medvedev in the final last year, the day he managed to turn the trend of his rivalry with the Russian and when he started to become the most consistent and regular player on the planet. The Italian starts the Asian tour being perhaps the top favorite to win the title. In addition, it should be remembered that he has only lost 2 matches on hard court so far this season.
He won the only match he played in the Laver Cup after being physically injured. Despite that, if he is well, the finalist of the 2016 edition will be one of the candidates. His main problem is that he may meet Sinner in the quarterfinals. If he manages to beat him, he will be very dangerous for the rest of the players in the draw. The Bulgarian is living a second youth, completing his best season since 2017.
He comes from playing the final of the Chengdu Open. This can mean two things, that he arrives tired and does not get very far or that he is confident and passes one round after another. The Italian is on the same side of the draw as his compatriot Sinner and Dimitrov, but he would not cross paths with them until a hypothetical semifinals. Since Roland Garros and the clay court season, he has turned around a more than complicated first months of the year for him.
He has not been at his level in the Laver Cup and has only beaten Sinner or Alcaraz in one match since the US Open 2023, having played 10 of them. But if there is one player in this China Open capable of doing it, it is the Russian. When he is at his best, he is clearly one of the most dangerous players in the world.
After a catastrophic North American hard court tour by his standards, the Murcian has recovered his smile in the Davis Cup, qualifying with Spain for the Finals in Malaga, and in the Laver Cup, where he has been the real MVP, winning 8 of the 13 points in Europe and giving the title to his team in the decisive match. He is, as in all the tournaments where he appears, the great favorite along with Sinner. Last year they met in the semis, with victory for the Italian. Carlitos will want a rematch and this time they would not meet until the final.
Other candidates
Andrey Rublev is living the most irregular season of his career, showing that he can beat anyone, as in the Madrid Open, but he can also lose against a player unknown to the general public. Juncheng Shang comes from winning his first ATP tournament at the age of 19, he is local and could cross in the second round with Musetti, whom he has beaten in the final of Chengdu. They seem to be the two names with more options to make a surprise, although it is expected to be difficult to achieve it.