Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain, 2023 - Masters 1000

[tented]

DATE: April 26 - May 7, 2023
SURFACE: Clay
PRIZE MONEY: €7,705,780
SINGLES DRAW: 56
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Carlos Alcaraz

Seeds:

1. Carlos Alcaraz
2. Daniil Medvedev
3. Casper Ruud
4. Stefanos Tsitsipas
5. Andrey Rublev
6. Holger Rune
7. Felix Auger-Aliassime
8. Taylor Fritz
9. Frances Tiafoe
10. Karen Khachanov
11. Cameron Norrie
12. Hubert Hurkacz
13. Alexander Zverev
14. Tommy Paul
15. Lorenzo Musetti
16. Alex de Minaur
17. Borna Coric
18. Pablo Carreno Busta
19. Dan Evans
20. Roberto Bautista Agut
21. Denis Shapovalov
22. Sebastian Korda
23. Botic van de Zandschulp
24. Francisco Cerundolo
25. Sebastian Baez
26. Miomir Kecmanovic
27. Grigor Dimitrov
28. Yoshihito Nishioka
29. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
30. Tallon Griekspoor
31. Jiri Lehecka
32. Ben Shelton

The Tournament:

The Madrid Open, currently sponsored by Mutua Madrileña and known as the Mutua Madrid Open, is a joint men's and women's professional tennis tournament, held in Madrid, during early May. The clay-court event is classified as an ATP Tour Masters 1000 on the ATP Tour and a WTA 1000 event on the WTA Tour. In the past, it has also been known as the Madrid Masters. The tournament is traditionally played on a red clay surface. The event was played on blue courts in the 2012 tournament edition, with the ATP deciding against blue thereafter.

Ion Țiriac, a Romanian billionaire businessman and former ATP professional, was the owner of the tournament between 2009 and 2021. According to Digi Sport which interviewed Țiriac in 2019, the tournament brings to the city of Madrid annual benefits exceeding €107 million. In 2021, Țiriac sold the tournament to New York–based giants IMG for approximately €390 Million.

About Madrid:

Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.6 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and its monocentric metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU. The municipality covers 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi) geographical area.

Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula. Capital city of both Spain (almost without interruption since 1561) and the surrounding autonomous community of Madrid (since 1983), it is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The city is situated on an elevated plain about 300 km (190 mi) from the closest seaside location. The climate of Madrid features hot summers and cool winters.

Tourism Guide:

 

[tented]

The Draw:

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Potential QFs ( if the seeds hold)

(1) Alcaraz vs Rublev (5)
(6) Rune vs Ruud (3)
(4) Tsitsipas vs Auger Aliassime (7)
(2) Medvedev vs Fritz (8)

 

[El Dude]

Rude vs Ruud.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Potential QFs ( if the seeds hold)

(1) Alcaraz vs Rublev (5)
(6) Rune vs Ruud (3)
(4) Tsitsipas vs Auger Aliassime (7)
(2) Medvedev vs Fritz (8)

Now I understand why Djokovic withdrew…

 

[Moxie]

Rude vs Ruud.

IF they both get there. Ruud has been underperforming basically since the RG finals last year. And Rune, well, what with the ankle, the shoulder, etc., we'll see how far he goes.

 

[El Dude]

IF they both get there. Ruud has been underperforming basically since the RG finals last year. And Rune, well, what with the ankle, the shoulder, etc., we'll see how far he goes.

As you know, I like to view players through how they compare to other players from a statistic perspective. I sort of see it as an analytic/conceptual augmentation for real-world (eyeball) distinctions. Anyhow, from this perspective, Ruud is a bit similar to players like Nishikori and Ferrer, though he hasn't even sniffed their peak Elo yet (his is 2163, Nishikori 2296, Ferrer 2348).

Anyhow, in one of my stat systems, Ruud put together a surprisingly good year - he received 20 "Premier Event Points," which is near-elite level - a career year for a 2nd tier type, a solid season for a lesser great (e.g. Andy Murray has seven seasons in the 18-30 range, with his 53 in 2016 being top 10 all-time), or a bad season for a great (Novak's 2010 was 20, Roger's 2019 was 23).

Anyhow, of players born after Andy and Novak in 1987, the best seasons according to PEP are:

1. 29 Medvedev, 2021
2. 28 Zverev, 2021
3. 25 Alcaraz, 2022
4. 24 Del Potro, 2009
5. 21 Thiem, 2019
6. 20 Thiem, 2020
7. 20 Medvedev, 2019
8. 20 Ruud, 2022

Meaning, Ruud's 2022--according to this system--was tied for 6th best among players born in 1988 or later. Better than any season by Cilic (his best was 15), Tsitsipas (17), Dimitrov (15), Raonic (16), or Nishikori (17). Tsonga and Berdych both maxed out at 13, Soderling's best year was 16, Ferrer's was 24.

How did he accumulate that many PEPs? Well, through being very Ferrer-like: doing well at, but not winning any big titles. He reached two Slam finals, the Tour Finals, and a Masters final, as well as two Masters SF - but didn't win any big title, or any ATP 500s, winning only 3 ATP 250s. A truly weird season.

In fact, I don't know if a player has ever reached four big title finals in a year without winning one. Scratch that, Jimmy Connors did in 1975, reaching three Slam finals and one Masters finals, and only won ATP 250 equivalents - but 9 of them, and enough to be the ATP #1 (though according to PEP, Connors was tied for third with Vilas at 26, behind both Ashe with 30 and Borg with 29). So Ruud's 2022 was almost like a lesser version of Connors' 1975, from a stat perspective.

In 1983, Lendl reached 6 big title finals - including two Slams and both tour finals - and only won one, a Masters. But of the 130 times that a player has reached 4 big title finals, I think (but am not sure) Connors in '75 and Ruud in '22 are the only times they didn't win at least one. But I just eye-balled the list, so am not 100% sure.

Ferrer never reached 4 big title finals in a year, though did reach 3 in 2013, losing all of them. As I said elsewhere, Ferrer was 1-8 in big title finals. Ruud is 0-4, and in just a single year. Nishikori and Raonic were both 0-5 for their careers.

 

[Jelenafan]

IF they both get there. Ruud has been underperforming basically since the RG finals last year. And Rune, well, what with the ankle, the shoulder, etc., we'll see how far he goes.

Rune:

What injuries? My turn to serve……

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

IF they both get there. Ruud has been underperforming basically since the RG finals last year. And Rune, well, what with the ankle, the shoulder, etc., we'll see how far he goes.

Well it took Ruud to win back to back matches at Estoril this year, he finally won a tournament, I agree he has underperformed so far this year. I honestly feel if players are coming into Madrid with niggling injuries, it would be wiser, to withdraw and wait till Rome, than play in high altitude conditions with fake clay like in Madrid, I really dont take much results of wins in this tournament, till we get to the real 'red clay'.,eg Rome!

 

[El Dude]

I don't know if he has underperformed, or rather just took a natural dip after his crazy rush late last year. Maybe we're in a bit of a consolidation period.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Top Half of the draw play Wednesday and Friday
Bottom half play Thursday and Saturday

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Top Half of the draw play Wednesday and Friday
Bottom half play Thursday and Saturday

The whole clay season is asterisked without Nadal.

 

[Kieran]

The whole clay season is asterisked without Nadal.

I don’t know - Alcaraz looks like a real deal clay player as well hard courts…

 

[Nadalfan2013]

I don’t know - Alcaraz looks like a real deal clay player as well hard courts…

Nadal has won 67% of his matches against Alcaraz. Therefore Nadal’s absence is a big asterisk. Meanwhile Djokovic has won 0% if his matches against Alcaraz, this means that Djokovic’s win at the AO is asterisked due to Alcaraz’ absence. I hope you can see the difference as this is pure mathematics and therefore 100% proven.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

The whole clay season is asterisked without Nadal.

Hold your horses the whole clay season is not over as yet

 

[Kieran]

Nadal has won 67% of his matches against Alcaraz. Therefore Nadal’s absence is a big asterisk. Meanwhile Djokovic has won 0% if his matches against Alcaraz, this means that Djokovic’s win at the AO is asterisked due to Alcaraz’ absence. I hope you can see the difference as this is pure mathematics and therefore 100% proven.

You need to make it simpler for me, actually…

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

You need to make it simpler for me, actually…

I need a strong black expresso to fathom that out, maybe a double

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Nadal2013

Most Rafa fans around here take up a petitiion/ and or pray the Rafa skips Madrid, I can speak for Tented, Rafanoy ( when he is around) AP, Moxie, Keiren, and myself, so even if Rafa was playing the whole clay tour this year, it is a tournament I wish he would miss, I understand being in Spain, he feels obligated, Rafa is in Madrid doing work at present for his sponsors

 

[Nadalfan2013]

You need to make it simpler for me, actually…

Nadal > Alcaraz > Djokovic

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

"In 1983, Lendl reached 6 big title finals - including two Slams and both tour finals - and only won one, a Masters. But of the 130 times that a player has reached 4 big title finals, I think (but am not sure) Connors in '75 and Ruud in '22 are the only times they didn't win at least one. But I just eye-balled the list, so am not 100% sure."

Wasn't this the year Lendl won 15 titles, or was that 82?