Carlos Alcaraz has been handed a tough draw at the Erste Bank Open. Alcaraz will return to Vienna for the first time since 2021 and will face the dangerous Karen Khachanov in the opening round.
Alcaraz suffered a shock defeat to Zizou Bergs in the third round at the Shanghai Masters and will look for a better outing in Vienna. Meanwhile, this will be Alcaraz’s first match on Indoor courts this season, and Khachanov, with his powerful serve, can make life tough for the Spaniard. Alcaraz, however, holds a significant head-to-head advantage over the Russian, winning all of the previous six games.
If Alcaraz manages to beat Khachanov, he could face either Nikoloz Basilashvili, who is having a great run in Almaty and is set to face Daniil Medvedev for the title, or home wildcard Jurij Rodionov in the second round. Tommy Paul is also a very dangerous opponent on hard courts, and Alcaraz could potentially face him in the quarterfinals, while the in-form Medvedev could await him in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev occupies the other half of the draw. The German has had a brilliant year and a title run in Vienna could strengthen his bid to reach the top of the world rankings. Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe are on the same side of the draw, with Tiafoe likely to face Zverev in the quarterfinal. The American, however, will have to navigate a tough opening round match against Lorenzo Musetti. Cobolli, meanwhile, will face Grigor Dimitrov in the first game, while De Minaur will take on a qualifier.
Novak Djokovic Returns To Basel
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic will return to Basel for the first time since winning the tournament in 2009. Novak, currently ranked 11th, is chasing an ATP Finals berth; however, even a title win might not be enough for him to secure a place without other results going his way. The Serb will face a tricky Ugo Humbert in the first round. If he progresses to the semifinal, the 24-time Grand Slam champion could face Ben Shelton.