Carlos Alcaraz has made it to the 2024 China Open final by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final.
The Spanish player hadn’t reached a final since his Olympic gold medal match against Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros. That loss seemed to affect him mentally, as he lost early in both the Cincinnati Open and US Open.
He had three losses in four matches, which is unusual for him. But then he bounced back, leading Team Europe to victory at the Laver Cup and bringing that form to Beijing.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇪🇸 Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Alcaraz’s Journey:
Entering the ATP 500 event in Beijing, Alcaraz knew he’d face tough opponents if he wanted the title. In the semi-final, he played against Medvedev, who had been strong throughout the tournament. They had met seven times before, with Alcaraz leading their head-to-head 5-2 and winning both matches this year.
In their latest match, Alcaraz broke Medvedev’s serve first but was immediately broken back. He broke again to lead 4-3 but couldn’t hold it. Fans might think this shows how unpredictable tennis can be.
Alcaraz sometimes struggles with his serve compared to others like Jannik Sinner, whose serve has become a real weapon. Medvedev was close to winning the first set at 5-4 and 15-0 but then lost 12 of the next 14 rallies. Alcaraz took the set 7-5.
In the second set, Alcaraz broke first again in the fifth game and held his serve easily afterward to lead 4-2. Despite Medvedev’s efforts to break back, he couldn’t find any openings on Alcaraz’s serve.
Medvedev was serving to stay in the match but failed as Alcaraz won it 7-5, 6-3. Now he’s heading into the final of the China Open.
Who do you think will win?
