The difference between Alcaraz and Nadal in the standings it is 1,000 points, so the man from Manacor, by equalizing this gap, manages to surpass the Murcian. Each victory in the group stage distributes 200 points, winning in the semi-finals 400 and the prize for winning the tournament is 500. In total, the undefeated winner gets 1,500 points, in addition to a prize of 4.7 million euros, the major of the ATP circuit. For Nadal It would be the sixth time he finished the course as the best, taking off in that stat from Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors, leveling Pete Sampras and staying one behind Djokovic, who has achieved it seven times.
The draw made at Tour was benevolent with Nadal, who will face three tennis players in the group stage whom he dominates head-to-head. The Spaniard beat Ruud this year in the Roland Garros final, who after his final at the US Open only won two matches on the circuit. He dominates Auger-Aliassime 2-0 in his personal history, with victories at Madrid 2019 and Roland Garros 2022. But the Canadian has raised his level a lot since Nadal beat him in five sets in Paris. He’s won 16 of the last 17 games he’s played and won titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel along the way.
Only Fritz knows what it’s like to beat Nadal. He did so this year in the Indian Wells final, in a match marred by the Spaniard’s broken rib and the American’s ankle problems. Nadal got his revenge months later at Wimbledon, in a match Nadal played with a torn abdominal. Their first confrontation dates from Acapulco 2020, with a simple victory for the Balearic Islands.
It will be in the semi-finals that Nadal will be able to face Djokovic, who has not won this title since 2015, Medvedev, winner in 2020, Tsitsipas, winner in 2019, or Rublev, who in his two appearances in the competition did not never passed the final stage. .groups.
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