Carlos Alcaraz played against Jan Lennard Struff in the Madrid Open final last year, and they will face each other once more this year.
This year's match is not a final, though, so the stakes are a bit lower. However, it's certainly still an important match. Struff has a lot of points to defend, and Alcaraz wants to win the ATP Masters 1000 trophy again, so neither of them will take this match lightly.
Alcaraz has been battling physical issues for a while, but they haven't really impacted his play on the court. It looks as fine as ever, but Struff might cause him some problems.
The German caught fire on the clay season once more and is currently sitting on a 6-match winning streak. Actually, his only loss in recent weeks was against Jannik Sinner, who is arguably the best player in the world right now.
They have played three times so far, and Struff actually won one of those matches. It happened at the 2021 Roland Garros, where he bested him in three sets. That's an impressive win, but it came before the Spaniard really broke out.
Since then, the 20-year-old has won the matches they have played, but last year's in Madrid went to three sets, so Struff has some things to say in this matchup. His serve is a major weapon in these conditions, as is his aggressive play.
| Carlos Alcaraz | Jan Lennard Struff | |
| 2 | H2H | 1 |
| 3 | Rank | 24 |
| 20 | Age | 34 |
| 17-4 | 2024 W/L | 14-9 |
| 172-47 | Career W/L | 206-230 |
I think Alcaraz should be able to win this match, but there are certain things that could complicate matters. A good performance from Struff could certainly push this match into three sets, which isn't ideal for the Spaniard due to his injury worries.
Still if he brings the level he brought to the court in the past few matches, then should he fine to win.
Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz to win in three sets.