Preview Abierto GNP Seguros (Monterrey Open) 2024 as Collins, Navarro and Svitolina headline pre US Open upgraded tournament

The Abierto GNP Seguros (Monterrey Open), part of the highly competitive 500 series, is set to feature a strong entry list just a week before the US Open (19-24 August), promising an intense and thrilling competition.

The event has gone through several iterations in its history. It was created back in 2009 as a WTA 500 event, which is higher than the regular 250 events. It held that status for a couple of years before being demoted in 2020 to a WTA 250 event. This year, though, it was promoted back to a WTA 500 event, and it made an impact on the quality of players attending even if the calendar position is not that great.

We have a pretty good draw with some pretty big names attending, even though the US Open begins in only a week. Generally, most top players prefer to be on-site the week before a Grand Slam and prepare for that event. These events one week before don’t generally feature strong entry lists, but this one has a pretty strong one, with the top seed being Danielle Collins, so let’s see how it might go.

Danielle Collins is the top favourite simply because she’s the strongest player in the draw both talent-wise and rankings-wise. It’s in the name—top seed. The American wasn’t in action last week due to an injury but will return to tennis this week, hoping to pick up some form ahead of the US Open. We know that this is her final season, so we’re getting close to her retirement and it's a shame because this year has been her best in terms of results.

Due to her retirement, the American is highly motivated about finishing her career on a high note. She had some amazing performances earlier this year, and that’s likely to continue in the coming weeks As the top seed, she has a first-round BYE but will face either Erika Andreeva or Anhelina Kalinina in the second round. Both are capable players and Collins will have to take it seriously.

The second favourite to win the trophy is her compatriot Emma Navarro, who first proved herself as a solid player playing in the lower ranks of the US tennis circuit. Since becoming a full-time WTA pro, Navarro has done nothing but amaze across several surfaces. She’s been particularly solid lately with a couple of notable performances, so she’s certainly a name to watch in Mexico.

The draw is a bit tricky, as she might face either Ajla Tomljanovic or former finalist Camila Osorio in the second round. She’s a better player than both, but those are pretty tough players to face so early in the second round. It actually proves the strenght of the draw.

Another player we have to mention as a favourite is Elina Svitolina, who is mostly a favourite because she has a really solid track record in Mexico. She’s performed well here and won this event in 2020, so she’ll certainly be a name to watch. As always, her performances have been pretty solid, including this year.

The Ukrainian is the fifth seed this year and will begin either against Elisabetta Cocciaretto or Elina Avanesyan. Both are pretty solid players and won’t be easy outs for the Ukrainian, but as a former champion, it’s certainly not a matchup she should not fear in any case.

Keep an eye out for potential dark horses, with players like Ekaterina Alexandrova poised to surprise from the shadows. The unique conditions of Monterrey's courts could provide the perfect stage for unexpected victories.

There is some altitude in play, and generally, very aggressive players like Ekaterina Alexandrova do well at the event. She’s not been playing very good tennis this year and is in need of wins, which is likely why she came here.

If she can pick up some wins ahead of the US Open, she might get her season back on track. That’s the goal for now; she has a good chance to do so because she has a good draw. She’ll face a Mexican player in the 2nd round, and that should not be a huge problem.

Another player we have to mention is fellow Russian Veronika Kudermetova. She’s only the 8th seed because her ranking dropped considerably, but we’re talking about a player who demonstrated top 10 level a few times in her career.

Kudermetova might not have played very strong tennis lately, but the Russian is capable. The conditions in Mexico should suit her well, and if she can win a few matches and gain confidence, she can certainly go all the way. One thing to note though is that she last played at Wimbledon so it's been a while since we saw her in action. That will show but as an aggressive baseliner with very precise shots she'll always be a problem.

The level might not have been very impressive overall even before her absence but with a good draw of getting a clay specialist here, Kudermetova should be in line for at least one win.

What is interesting to note is that we’ll definitely get a new champion. Last year’s final was played between Donna Vekic and Caroline Garcia, and Vekic won that one. Neither of them is playing at the event this year, so we’ll certainly get a new champion.

It's worth noting that this event has undergone a significant change in its calendar position. From being a March event last year, it has now shifted to August, a change that could potentially impact the game dynamics and conditions.

In any case, it should be a very interesting event with a couple of big names hoping to pick up some form ahead of the US Open. Quite a few of them have struggled so far and generally need wins, so expect to see some motivated players. That’s always a good indicator of a competitive and fun tournament.

The conditions only add an interesting wrinkle into the whole thing so stick with us to get all the latest from the event daily.