Carlos Alcaraz is in some real trouble at the moment in Turin! After losing his first group stage match to Casper Ruud, we heard him say, “I don’t know if it was because of the nerves of the first match, but I didn’t feel completely well. My stomach limited my game a lot and made me feel uncomfortable…Given how I’ve felt, it’s difficult to think about the semis.” However, there have been instances where we’ve seen players losing the first match and still managing to find their way to the title. He faces Andrey Rublev (RUS) in the next match. Can he make a strong comeback against the mighty challenger?

Carlos Alcaraz vs Andrey Rublev: Preview

Alcaraz has been very impressive this season. He has won four titles this season and two among them are major titles (French Open, Wimbledon). Apart from his heroics at those two Grand Slam events, Carlos Alcaraz has also won the Indian Wells Masters and the China Open. However, despite all these stellar performances throughout the season, his fans are now a bit worried after seeing him getting outplayed by Ruud in the previous match. In the first group stage match at the 2024 ATP Finals, Ruud defeated Alcaraz by 6-1,7-5.

What will be the scoreline in the next? Well, perhaps Andrey Rublev can give this answer! Rublev has won two titles this season. He started the 2024 season with a bang by winning the Hong Kong Open. Then later on, he also clinched the Madrid Open. Over there, he defeated Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime by 4-6,7-5,7-5 in the final. However, here in Turin, just like Alcaraz even Andrey Rublev faced defeat in his first match. He was defeated by Alexander Zverev (GER) in the first group-stage match by 4-6,4-6.

Alcaraz vs Rublev: Head-to-Head

Carlos Alcaraz has faced Andrey Rublev only twice in his career so far. At the moment, their H2H is well poised at 1-1. It’ll be interesting to see who has the last laugh in their third encounter.

• 2024 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid QF: Rublev 4-6,6-3,6-2.
• 2023 Nitto ATP Finals Round Robin: Alcaraz 7-5,6-2.

Prediction: Rublev to win in three sets

Now, this one is pretty much tricky! If we take a look at Carlos Alcaraz’s record in the 2024 season, then surely he’s not only a favorite to win this contest but also a real contender for the title. However, there are some doubts surrounding his fitness heading into this match and he doesn’t look too confident at the moment. He was also seen suffering from a nose blockage during his previous match against Casper Ruud. Has the Spaniard recovered from all of these things? If yes, then surely, this match is going to be a really challenging one for Rublev.

If not? Well, then we’re expecting Alcaraz to go down in this epic contest, but only after giving a tough fight! Carlos Alcaraz (3) has a win-loss record of 47-11 this season. On the other hand, Andrey Rublev (8) has recorded 43-25. Numbers are a bit in favor of the Spaniard, but the situation is a bit different at the moment. So, we’re picking Rublev as the favorite in this battle.

Talking about their playing styles, Carlos Alcaraz is a really special player! He’s often seen trying to hit a lot of winners with the help of his strong and precise forehand hots. Even his backhand shots are quite lethal and it has the ability to cause a few troubles for Rublev in this match. Carlos Alcaraz loves disguising his opponents with his impeccable drop shots. He is usually seen trying to push his opponents further back on the courts in a defensive position before coming up with his incredible drop shots. Apart from that, even his court coverage is truly exceptional.

On the other hand, Andrey Rublev is more like an offensive baseliner with a big forehand in his armory. His consistent two-handed backhand is one of his strongest weapons. Even his venomous serves have the potential to trouble even some of the finest returners of the game. We all have seen Alcaraz’s serve has been a big problem this season but he has been one of the best returners on the Tour this season. It’ll be interesting to see how well the Spaniard handles this challenge against the Russian.

Talking about Rublev’s weaknesses, well at times he becomes a bit too aggressive in certain phases of his matches, and this forces him to generate a lot of unforced errors. If he can keep a check on this in this match, and take a lead in the first set, then we can definitely expect him to end this match on a winning note.