Carlos Alcaraz has confirmed that he will play at the 2023 China Open in late September and early October.
World number two Alcaraz was one of the first ATP players to confirm his attendance at the China Open, which takes place at the National Tennis Center in Beijing. The announcement came shortly after the Spanish player's semi-final elimination against Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Roland Garros.
It will be the 20-year-old's first ATP appearance in China as both men's and women's competitions have been banned in the nation since 2021 after the disappearance of Chinese player Peng Shuai. However, Alcaraz appeared positive about his first opportunity to appear at the China Open as he praised the supporters and country in an official statement.
"I have heard that the places are great, the fans are very passionate and China has an incredible history and culture."
Despite Alcaraz's confirmation for the late season event in Beijing, the 20-year-old is likely to be focussing on the upcoming 2023 Grand Slams at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Other than his recent semi-final loss to eventual Roland Garros winner Djokovic, Alcaraz has enjoyed a fine first half of the 2023 season. So far this year, the Spanish player has won the Madrid Open, Barcelona Open, Indian Wells and Argentina Open and will look to defend his 2022 US Open title in this year's final Grand Slam.
The 20-year-old will be hoping to continue his fine form into the second half of the campaign and to also join some of the former greats who previously achieved success at the China Open. In 2019, Austrian player Dominic Thiem won the most recent event in Beijing when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
Other former winners of the China Open include Djokovic, who won the competition four times between 2012 and 2015, while Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray have also won the tournament in recent years.
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