Scouting Report: Alcaraz Defends Rio Crown; Rublev & Hurkacz Star In Doha & Marseille

An action-packed February on the ATP Tour next week sees Rio de Janeiro, Doha and Marseille host some of the world’s top players.

The season’s first ATP 500 action on clay takes place at the Rio Open presented by Claro, where defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Cameron Norrie and Lorenzo Musetti lead the field.

Meanwhile a pair of ATP 250 events — one outdoors and one indoors — also feature a host of top names. Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev are the top seeds under the Doha sun at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, while Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner headline under the roof at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each event.

View Draws: Rio de Janeiro | Doha | Marseille

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN RIO DE JANEIRO
1) Alcaraz Defending Champ: The then-World No. 29 Alcaraz’s run to his maiden ATP 500 crown at the Rio Open presented by Claro a year ago was the first of five titles in 2022 for the Spaniard, who became the youngest No. 1 in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history just seven months after his triumph in Brazil.

He returns to the Jockey Club Brasileiro this year as the World No. 2 and top seed. Recent injuries forced Alcaraz to stop competing for more than three months prior to the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires. But the 19-year-old will look to continue his return to top form in the first round against 22-year-old Brazilian wild card Mateus Alves.

2) Can Norrie, Musetti Back Up Clay Success?: Both second seed Norrie and third seed Musetti lifted their maiden ATP Tour trophies on clay in 2022, in Lyon and Hamburg, respectively. Norrie, who will compete in another final on the surface in Buenos Aires on Sunday, takes on a qualifier first up in Rio, as will Musetti.

3) Former Winners Eye Rio Repeat: Prior to Alcaraz, the four champions in Rio were Cristian Garin (2020), Laslo Djere (2019), Diego Schwartzman (2018) and Dominic Thiem (2017). All four are back in Brazil seeking another success this year. Thiem opens against home favourite Thiago Monteiro and could play Norrie in the second round.

4) Bellucci Says Goodbye: A legend of Brazilian tennis, Thomaz Bellucci will bring his professional career to a close this week in Rio. The 35-year-old, who made his ATP Tour debut in 2008, lifted four tour-level titles and reached a career-high No. 21 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2010, making him the second-highest ranked Brazilian of all time after former World No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten. Bellucci will play sixth seed Sebastian Baez in the first round and partner Monteiro in doubles. 

5) Home Hopes Seek Doubles Glory: Each of the top two seeded pairings in Rio contain a home favourite. Rafael Matos and his Spanish partner David Vega Hernandez, who lifted four ATP Tour titles together in 2022, are the top seeds, while Marcelo Melo and Colombian Juan Sebastian Cabal are seeded second. Defending champions Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini are seeded third.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN DOHA
1) Rublev Top Seed: The 25-year-old Rublev holds fond memories of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, where he reached his maiden tour-level hard-court final in 2018 and lifted the trophy in 2020. The Top 10 star will seek to bounce back quickly from his early defeat to Alex de Minaur in Rotterdam when he takes on Tallon Griekspoor or Quentin Halys in his opening match at the Khalifa International Stadium.

2) Felix, Daniil Debuts: Medvedev delivered an imperious performance on Friday to end Auger-Aliassime’s Rotterdam title defence at the quarter-final stage, and the pair would meet again should they reach the semi-finals in Doha. Both players are making their debut at the ATP 250 event in Qatar, where Auger-Aliassime is seeded second and Medvedev third.

3) Can Zverev Build Big Run?: Alexander Zverev’s bid to recapture his best form after a long-term ankle injury takes the German to Doha, where he is the fourth seed on event debut.

The 25-year-old will face a tough opening test against two-time champion Andy Murray or Lorenzo Sonego. Despite a 3-5 tour-level record for 2023, the 19-time ATP Tour titlist Zverev will carry with him confidence from wins against Stan Wawrinka and Adelaide-2 champion Soonwoo Kwon in recent weeks.

4) RBA Chases Doha Hat-trick: Roberto Bautista Agut hit some red-hot form to capture his second Doha crown a year ago. The Spaniard, who also lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2019, dropped just one set in last year’s title run and is seeded fifth this time around as he seeks his ninth ATP Tour title on hard courts, and his 12th overall.

5) Mektic/Pavic Lead Doubles Field: Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic began their year by clinching their 15th tour-level title as a team in Auckland. Despite a first-round exit in Rotterdam last week, the Croatians will be confident as the top seeds at an event where Pavic triumphed in 2018 alongside Oliver Marach.

Among their rivals in Doha are Australian Open finalists Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski, who are seeded second, and third seeded Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden. Bopanna is also a former champion, having won in 2020 alongside Wesley Koolhof.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN MARSEILLE
1) Red-Hot Sinner: The 21-year-old Sinner has enjoyed a standout February so far on European hard courts. He lifted his seventh tour-level title in Montpellier a week ago and is set to take on Tallon Griekspoor in the Rotterdam semi-finals on Saturday night. Can the Italian, who is seeded second for the Open 13 Provence, continue that form under the roof in Marseille?

2) Hubi Top Seed: Hurkacz arrives in the south of France with a 6-4 record for the year and the Pole will be keen for a deeper run at an event where he reached the second round in 2019 and 2020. The 26-year-old Hurkacz, the top seed, is chasing his first ATP Tour title since Halle last June. He opens against home favourite Arthur Rinderknech or Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi.

3) Gasquet Leads Home Charge: The seventh-seeded Richard Gasquet, who lifted his 16th ATP Tour title in Auckland in January, is the highest-ranked of seven Frenchmen (not including qualifiers) seeking to become the first home champion in Marseille since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2017. Among the home hopes joining Gasquet in the draw are Benjamin Bonzi, Rinderknech, and #NextGenATP talents Arthur Fils and Luca Van Assche.

4) Grigor, Stan Look To Make Marseille Mark: Fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov is chasing his first match win on his third appearance in Marseille, but the Rotterdam semi-finalist will hope his consistent 2023 form can help break that duck this week. Another former World No. 3, Stan Wawrinka, was a quarter-finalist in 2015 and 2016 but will hope to improve his 3-4 overall event record with a deeper run this time around.

5) Frenchmen Lead Doubles Field: Edouard Roger-Vasselin is a two-time champion in Marseille, and the home favourite and Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez are the top seeds in the doubles draw. The man Roger-Vasselin won alongside in 2012, Nicolas Mahut, is seeded second with Fabrice Martin, while Belgian duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen are the third seeds.