World number 1, Novak Djokovic, won't have an easy task at the 2022 Madrid Open if he wants to add a fourth title in the Spanish capital.
The Serbian triumphed at the Madrid Open in 2011, 2016, and 2019. In 2022, he will try to win his fourth title and get one step closer to Rafael Nadal who celebrated a title triumph five times in Madrid.
However, his journey to the trophy won't be easy as the Serbian will face a lot of challenging opponents on his way to the trophy if he wants to win one. As the first-seeded player at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid, Djokovic can enjoy some rest in the first round of the tournament as he received a bye.
However, in the second round he can already expect a difficult test as he will meet the winner of the match between Gael Monfils and Carlos Gimeno Valero, who received a wild card for the event.
Djokovic's possible third-round opponent can be any of the four players in his top part of the draw, but bad news for the Serbian is that three of them will be tough to beat.
Only one from the trio—Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem, or Denis Shapovalov—can make it to the third round and possibly meet Djokovic. One of them is a former world no. 1, another is a former Roland Garros finalist, and the third one is a junior major winner.
In the quarter-finals, the 20-time Grand Slam champion can face clay-court specialist Casper Ruud or one of the home players, Roberto Bautista Agut or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
In the semi-finals, Djokovic can meet his rival Rafael Nadal or young star, Carlos Alcaraz, who could both prove to be a tournament-ending matchup for him, given their clay-court qualities.
Djokovic's possible final opponent could be anyone on the other side of the draw, but the hottest favorites include Andrey Rublev, his recent final opponent at the 2022 Serbia Open, or Diego Schwartzman, another clay-court specialist.
2021 Madrid Open champion Alexander Zverev is also in the bottom part of the draw, and 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters champion, Stefanos Tsitsipas will also attempt to make a good result in Madrid.
Novak Djokovic's path to the trophy at the 2022 Madrid Open:
| Round | Possible opponent |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | BYE |
| Round 2 | Gael Monfils |
| Round 3 | Dominic Thiem / Andy Murray / Denis Shapovalov |
| Quarter-finals | Casper Ruud / Hubert Hurkacz / Roberto Bautista |
| Semi-finals | Rafael Nadal / Carlos Alcaraz |
| Final | Alexander Zverev / Stefanos Tsitsipas / Andrey Rublev |
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