Madrid, April 20 (IANS) World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will headline the Madrid Open as he sets his sights on a fifth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title, with the draw for the prestigious clay-court event unveiled on Monday.

The Italian, who has been in dominant form across the Masters circuit, will open his campaign against a qualifier. If he progresses as expected, he could run into Canada’s Gabriel Diallo in the third round. Further challenges may come from Tommy Paul in the fourth round, while Alex de Minaur looms as a potential quarter-final opponent.

De Minaur’s section, however, features a mix of emerging and experienced players. Brazil’s Joao Fonseca and Spain’s rising prospect Rafael Jodar are both placed in the same quarter. Jodar, just 19, arrives in Madrid on the back of strong performances, including a title in Marrakech and a semi-final showing in Barcelona, and could face De Minaur in the second round if he gets past Jesper de Jong. Fonseca, meanwhile, begins against either Zizou Bergs or former US Open champion Marin Cilic.

Looking deeper into Sinner’s potential route, the semi-final stage could pit him against a formidable trio comprising Ben Shelton, Lorenzo Musetti or Arthur Fils. Shelton and Fils both arrive in red-hot form after title-winning runs in Munich and Barcelona, respectively, and are projected to meet as early as the fourth round. Musetti, last year’s semi-finalist in Madrid, opens against either Hubert Hurkacz or a qualifier, with possible later clashes against Jiri Lehecka or Jack Draper.

Sinner’s recent dominance has been remarkable, having lifted Masters titles in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo. Across those four tournaments, he has dropped just a single set, underlining his consistency and control on tour. Notably, the Italian has yet to advance beyond the quarter-final stage in Madrid, a record he will be eager to improve.

In the bottom half of the draw, second seed Alexander Zverev is on course for a potential quarter-final showdown with Daniil Medvedev, who holds a 14-8 advantage in their head-to-head record. Zverev, a two-time champion in Madrid, begins against either Nuno Borges or Mariano Navone, and could later face Ugo Humbert and Jakub Mensik in the early rounds. Medvedev, meanwhile, is projected to meet either Flavio Cobolli or Learner Tien in the last 16.

Elsewhere, third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime will begin against Sebastian Baez or a qualifier, while eighth seed Alexander Bublik could be set for a clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas. Defending champion Casper Ruud is also in this section and opens his campaign against either Jaume Munar or Alexander Shevchenko.

The tournament, however, will be without two of its biggest draws, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, both of whom have withdrawn due to fitness concerns.

“There are some news that are incredibly hard to share. Madrid is home, one of the most special places on my calendar, and that’s why it hurts so much not to be able to play here for the second year in a row. It hurts especially not to be in front of my people, in a tournament that means so much. Thank you for the unwavering affection, and I hope we see each other soon,” Alcaraz had written on social media.

Meanwhile, Djokovic, who pulled out as he continues his recovery, posted on X, “Madrid, unfortunately I won’t be able to compete this year. I am continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!”

The fourth ATP Masters 1000 event of the season gets underway on Wednesday, with the final scheduled for May 3.

–IANS

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