Tournament Preview 2024 Atlanta Open: The final stand of post Wimbledon staple featuring Shelton, Tiafoe and Mannarino

The Atlanta Open is an ATP 250 event that begins the North American swing, which concludes each year with the US Open. It will run from July 22nd to the 29th, and some big names, such as Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, will attend. So, let’s take a look at how it might go.

The hard court event will be held in the Atlantic Station neighbourhood of Atlanta and will feature a good list of players. Some players that will be participating, such as Ben Shelton, opted against playing at the Olympics in favour of events like this one, while others, such as Adrian Mannarino, simply didn’t make the cut. Either way, it’s going to be a very interesting event as it generally is, so let’s see how it might go.

Shelton the favourite

The top name at the event will be Ben Shelton, who will certainly be the favourite on paper. The American is the top seed at the event, which earned him a first-round BYE, so his first match will be either against Andres Martin or a qualifier. It’s a measured start for the American and a good draw, though he’s going to be the proverbial favourite against most players.

Being back on home soil should boost his chances as most of these upcoming events play exactly like most US players like them to play. Also, the last time he played in a US event was in Houston, where he won the trophy, so his skipping the Olympics wasn’t just about getting away from the clay. It’s because he thinks that it’s more beneficial for him to play these events, and he’s right.

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A foreign invader

One interesting thing about the upcoming Atlanta Open is that since it began in 2010, it has only been won by players from two countries. The first one is obviously the USA, as players from that country won 10 of the 13 editions, including last year when Taylor Fritz won it. The other country is Australia as Alex de Minaur won twice (in 2019 and 2022), and Nick Kyrgis won in 2016. As the 2nd second seed, Adrian Mannarino has a chance to upset the order, but the Frenchman hasn’t had a very good year, with only eight wins and 19 losses. He’s had some decent showings in Atlanta in the past, and his flat style of play can be tricky to deal with, but it seems unlikely that tradition will be broken.

A repeat final

The third seed at the event is Frances Tiafoe, and if we look at Adrian Mannarino's form, he’s the most likely to come out of the bottom half. If he plays as well as he can, then the American will certainly make the final, and if he meets Ben Shelton there, we’ll have a repeat final of sorts. The last ATP event before this upcoming slate of events was the Houston Open.

The final was played between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, with the latter winning the trophy. Tiafoe has played pretty well in Atlanta over the years, making the semi-final in 2022, so there are reasons to believe that he can do it again. The draw was pretty good, as he has a first-round BYE and then Aslan Karatsev in the second round. That’s a very beatable opponent.

Frances Tiafoe is one of the top seeds at the Atlanta Open.

The return of a giant

If you haven’t been following what was going on in Newport this past week, you might have missed that Reilly Opelka returned to the ATP Tour. The Amerian has been away from tennis for a long time due to various injuries, but he returned to Newport this week and played well.

He made the semi-final on the grass event, but now he’s going to be back on hard courts, which is the surface he prefers to play on. Opelka was one of the best players in the world at the time when the injuries started to plague him, so getting him back on the courts is a great thing.

The timing of his comeback is also pretty great because he’s going to have a few weeks to get back to his best shape ahead of the US Open, where he’ll always be a threat with his serve. The draw put Opelka against compatriot Aleksandar Kovacevic, but judging by his level in Newport, winning this match isn’t going to be a massive problem for him.

Dark Horses

There are a couple of notable players who we haven’t mentioned so far who could do some damage. Denis Shapovalov has had a pretty decent campaign, but we haven’t heard from him because he hasn’t really had a good breakthrough. Perhaps a return to the US might improve his game, as it’s centered around his serve. The only issue could be facing Davis Goffin in the first round.

Thanasi Kokkinakis is another player who has performed pretty well this year and has traditionally done greatl in the US. He will certainly be a threat if he can find his serve and best tennis. Kokkinakis has played there a few times and knows the courts well, so he should be familiar with them. Similarly to Shapovalov, having to face a good player in the first round could be a problem, but he can beat Borna Coric with his best tennis.

Another player to look out for is Brandon Nakashima. He’s an American who loves to play in conditions like these. His good serve and pretty solid baseline play will make him a problem for many players if he can find his best tennis. He’s quietly had a really good year, so that’s a name to look out for as well.

Overall, it promises to be a really interesting event, so stick with us for all the daily from that event and all the other events going on at the same time.

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