Carlos Alcaraz fought off a late charge from Roberto Bautista Agut to register his second straight-sets win at the Barcelona Open Tennis 2023 on Thursday. The 19-year-old Spaniard continued his title defense with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Bautista Agut. He will face 10th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Also Read: Most French Open titles (Men)

"I'm happy to have advanced, it was a complicated match against a tough opponent and with difficult wind conditions. You have to adapt and find solutions in situations like this. It was very difficult to play at my best level today, and I'm sure it was for Roberto as well. All you can do is keep working out there as best as you can." Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz improved to 9-1 against fellow Spaniards, with the only loss coming to Rafael Nadal in the Indian Wells semifinal last year. Alcaraz is attempting to become the first repeat champion at the ATP 500 since the Spanish giant's reign from 2016 to 2018. He is playing on Nadal Center Court in Barcelona for the Barcelona Open Tennis 2023.

After trailing 2–3 in the first set of Barcelona Open Tennis 2023, Alcaraz responded with six straight games to take control. He hit the match shot to bring up his third and final set point of the first set. Alcaraz slipped in a desperate backhand and floating a slice past a stunned Bautista Agut. Agut thought his overhead had won the point. Despite being broken twice in set two, Alcaraz cruised through the finish line to win the last 11 points at 4–5, 15/15. He won in one hour and 53 minutes after breaking serve five out of ten times. While Bautista Agut came back with three breaks in seven chances to damage.

Also Read: Tennis stats: Greatest Tennis rivalries in the history of men's tennis

Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas also moved a step closer to capturing his first title at an ATP 500 event on Thursday. He defeated 14th seed Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 16 match at the ongoing Barcelona Open Tennis 2023. The Greek used excellent footwork to command his forehands in a hard-hitting match. On Barcelona clay, the second seed saved both break points and hit groundstrokes with weight.

The Paris Olympics 2024 men’s tennis draw is on the table and Two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal will meet Hungary’s Marton Fuscovics, in Round 1. Nadal enters the tournament unseeded and is set to play his last Olympic games. There is a high possibility that he could play world No. 2, Novak Djokovic in the second round.

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024 Men's Singles Seed announced

Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career. 

The Serbian, seeded No. 1, is set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Ebden received a last-minute entry into the Games after Holger Rune announced his withdrawal from the men’s singles event on Wednesday due to his wrist injury.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, seeded No. 2, will begin his debut Olympic campaign against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. 20-year-old Alcaraz enters the tournament as the world ranked No. 3 and is the most in-form player in the world right now. He recently won both the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon titles. 

Reigning Olympic men’s champion Alexander Zverev will face Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first round. Zverev won gold in Tokyo after thrashing Khachanov in the final. He is also in form but has failed to clinch a single title this year after reaching three finals.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. But he pulled out due to illness. He is going to be a huge miss. Denmark’s Holger Rune and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz will also miss the Men's Singles. Two-time gold medalist Andy Murray pulled out from Singles before the seeding and said that he would only compete in the men’s doubles event. 

Read Also: Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Day -1 (25th July) LIVE Updates - Dhiraj Bommadevara stars for India with 681 points as India qualifies for quarter-finals in team and mixed events

Men's Singles Tennis draw for Paris Olympics 2024

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men’s singles draw, and in the men’s doubles draw alongside fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti. In Sinner's absence, Novak Djokovic is set to be the top seed in Men's singles at the Paris Olympics 2024. The brackets will feature 64 players, resulting in 16 seeded players. To win the gold, one must win six matches. The top 16 pre-seeded players won't face each other in the first two rounds. The players from the same country also cannot face each other in the first two rounds.

Read Also: Last 10 Wimbledon Champions List (Men's)

Paris Olympics 2024 Men's Singles Seed

Novak Djokovic is likely making his last Olympic Games appearance and will be searching for his first gold medal. Djokovic won singles bronze at Beijing 2008 but a gold medal is the one prize he doesn't have won in his historic career.

The favourite for the gold is world No 3 and third seed, Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz is making his Olympic Games debut and coming after winning the French Open and Wimbledon, making him the most in-form player on tour.

Alexander Zverev is also a contender for the gold. World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev will compete as an authorized neutral athlete and is projected to be the fifth seed.

Men’s singles seeds (as of 22 July 2024)

1. 1) Jannik Sinner, Italy
2. Novak Djokovic, Serbia
3. Carlos Alcaraz, Spain
4. Alexander Zverev, Germany
5. Daniil Medvedev, Authorised Neutral Athlete
6. Alex de Minaur, Australia
7. Casper Ruud, Norway
8. Taylor Fritz, United States
9. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece
10. Tommy Paul, United States
11. Ugo Humbert, France
12. Holger Rune, Denmark
13. Lorenzo Musetti, Italy
14. Sebastian Baez, Argentina
15. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada
16. Arthur Fils, France

Novak Djokovic moved one win closer to capturing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title when he ended 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti's dream in straight sets and sought revenge on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz match will be the rematch of last year's final which the Spaniard won in five sets.

Also Read: Most Grand Slam finals in tennis history

If the 37-year-old Serbian wins a record-tying 25th major on Sunday, he will become the oldest champion in Wimbledon history. Djokovic, leading Alcaraz 3-2 in the ATP head2head series, will be eager to avenge that defeat and equal Roger Federer's record eight Wimbledon crowns.

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz Match Info

• Men's Singles Final: July 14, Sunday
• Venue: AELTC Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Ground
• Location: London, England
• Court Surface: Grass

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Form against each other

In the past two years against one another, Djokovic has three wins and Alcaraz has one. In their last match, on November 18, 2023, Djokovic won 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic has clinched nine sets against Alcaraz (64.3%), while Alcaraz has taken five. In 136 total games against one another, Djokovic has taken 77, while Alcaraz has claimed 59. When going head-to-head, Alcaraz and Djokovic have averaged 34 games and 3.5 sets in their four matches against each other.

Djokovic's 2024 performance

Djokovic has captured zero tournament victories on the year, with an overall record of 16-6. In 2024, Djokovic hasn't yet played a match on grass. He is averaging 27.3 games per match (33.2 in best-of-five matches) through his 22 matches played this year across all court surfaces, posting a 57.7% game-winning percentage. Djokovic has put up a service game-winning percentage of 82.1% on all surfaces (247-for-301 in service games) and a return game-winning percentage of 33.1% (99-for-299 in return games).

Also Read: Most Matches Played in Grand Slam

Alcaraz's 2024 performance

Alcaraz has won two of his nine tournaments this year, with an overall match record of 32-6. He has a match record of 7-1 on grass courts so far this year. Alcaraz has competed in 38 matches this year (across all court types), and 26.6 games per match (34.4 in best-of-five matches). The World No. 3 has won 35.6% of his return games this year, while also winning 83.5% of his service games.

The full list of entrants for the Paris Olympics 2024 Tennis Event has been confirmed on Thursday at Wimbledon by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), organizer of the event on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Indian athletes who qualified for the Paris 2024

The Paris Olympics 2024 will be held on clay at the Roland Garros Stadium over nine days, from 27 July to 4 August. It will be played on 12 competition courts, with six more for training. The Philippe-Chatrier stadium, which can seat 15,000, and the Suzanne-Lenglen stadium, which can hold 9,000, will be the main courts and both have retractable roofs.

Lebanon makes its Olympic debut

A total of 41 nations will be represented, with 184 players competing in five events (men's and women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles). Lebanon will make its debut in the competition. Sixty-four players will compete in both singles events, while 32 teams will contest both doubles events. Entries for the 16-team mixed doubles event will be determined on July 24.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray lead the list

The men's and women's singles rosters feature top players such as world No. 1 players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina. The lists also include other former Olympic champions such as Rafa Nadal, a singles and doubles gold medalist, as well as two-time singles gold medalist Andy Murray and Beijing 2008 doubles gold medalist Stan Wawrinka. 

There is a limit of four singles players per gender and country. Nations have also been able to nominate up to two doubles teams per event, with a maximum of six players per gender per country in total.

Under the ITF Ranking System, all players must be in good standing with their national federation and have met the eligibility requirements for the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. Any player who did not meet this criteria could have had his or her national federation apply for an exemption from the ITF Olympic Committee. The ATP and WTA rankings as of June 10 were used for entry.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: IOA's members to get allowance of $300 per day, players to get $50

For men's and women's doubles, the top 24 teams were selected on a combined singles or doubles ranking, with the top 10 doubles players eligible to enter directly with any partner with a Top 300 ranking. In accordance with IOC player quota regulations, for the remaining eight teams priority was given to teams that included two singles players, followed by teams that included one singles player.

Entries for the mixed doubles event, which will feature 16 teams, will be determined on-site from players already competing in singles or doubles, with a maximum of one team per country. Registration closes at 11:00 local time (09:00 GMT) on Wednesday 24 July and the ITF will announce the entry list shortly afterward.

Check out the full entry list of Paris Olympics 2024 here

Tennis in India is not as popular as cricket. But Indian tennis has been enjoying a good run of late. No doubt, the athletes have been neglected for many years. But thanks to their constant efforts, tennis is already set to be a revolution in the near future. In this article, we will explore the players who have achieved positions in the top 100 ATP rankings in the category of men’s singles since its inception in 1973. So Let's take a look at the 'Highest Ranked Indian Tennis Player'.

Also Read: Rohan Bopanna qualifies for Paris Olympics 2024

Highest Ranked Indian Tennis Player

10. Jasjit Singh | 89

Jasjit Singh was the first Sikh player to represent the Indian Davis Cup team. Notably, India advanced to the final in his inaugural Davis Cup appearance. Furthermore, he finished second in the 1975 Australian Open and the 1969 US Open. Jasjit achieved the world ranking of 89 in the men’s singles category on June 3, 1974.

9. Yuki Bhambri | 83

Yuki Bhambri achieved the junior no. 1 ranking in February 2009. During the same year, he secured the Junior Australian Open Boys singles title, thus becoming the fourth Indian in history to achieve such a feat at a Grand Slam championship. In 2015, Bhambri achieved a significant milestone by entering the top 100 ranking in the men’s singles division.

After that, Yuki qualified for the 2015 Australian Open, losing to Andy Murray in the first round. On April 16, 2018, Yuki reached his highest men’s singles ranking, attaining the 83rd position. In 2018, Yuki reached the third-round of the Indian Wells Masters and second round in the Miami Open, both was prestigious ATP Masters 1000 events.

8. Prajnesh Gunneswaran | 75

Prajnesh Gunneswaran turned professional towards the end of 2018. Entering the 2018 season ranked at 243, he consistently performed well, finishing the season with a career-best ranking of 104. On February 11, 2019, Prajnesh achieved a significant milestone by entering the top 100 ranking in the men’s singles division for the first time in his career. Prajnesh attained his highest career ranking of 75 on April 22, 2019. His most notable accomplishment remains the winning of a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

Also Read: [Updated] Most weeks at no.1 in tennis (male)

7. Anand Amritraj | 74

Vijay Amritraj’s younger brother Anand Amritraj has a win-loss record of 195-170. Anand secured seven singles titles throughout his career. He also contributed to India’s 1987 Davis Cup team, which advanced to the final. On November 6, 1974, he attained his highest ranking in the men’s singles division, reaching the 74th position. His most notable performance in a Grand Slam was reaching the third round of the US Open in 1974.

6. Leander Paes | 73

Leander Paes has emerged victorious in 101 matches throughout his career. His most notable performance in a Grand Slam tournament occurred in 1997, when he advanced to the third round of the US Open. Moreover, his highest singles ranking was 73. He reached that position on October 24, 1998. Leander has clinched eight Grand Slam titles in men’s doubles and 10 in the mixed doubles category.

5. Sashi Menon | 71

Sashi Menon actively participated in over 700 matches from 1970 to 1984, 15 years of his career. With a career win percentage of 46.4%, he secured four singles titles. His highest ranking in the men’s singles division was 71, achieved on October 21, 1975. 

4. Sumit Nagal | 71 

The 4th Indian men’s singles player to enter the highest ranked Indian tennis player list is Sumit Nagal. He achieved this milestone on June 17, 2024, by finishing runner-up at the Perugia ATP Challenger tournament. This performance moved him 6 spots up in the rankings. Nagal was ranked 77th last week. 

In 2024, Nagal made it to the second round of the Australian Open. He also won the men's singles title at the Heilbronn Neckarcup 2024 Challenger event in Germany in June and the Chennai Open in February. Nagal has won four ATP Challenger titles since 2023 and Heilbronn was his fourth title on clay.

Also Read: Sumit Nagal reaches highest ranking of his career ahead of Wimbledon 2024

3. Somdev Devvarman | 62

Somdev Devvarman did not attain any accolades in Grand Slam tournaments, but he secured a gold medal in the men’s singles event at both the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 Asian Games. On July 25, 2011, Devvarman achieved his career-high ranking, reaching 62nd in the ATP Men’s Singles. Regarding his ATP titles, he attained two runner-up titles in the ATP World Tour 250 series.

2. Ramesh Krishnan | 23

Ramesh Krishnan emerged as a notable figure in the world of tennis during the era of Vijay Amritraj. With a career win-loss record of 319-285, Ramesh attained his highest individual ranking of 23 in the men’s singles category on January 28, 1985. His most notable performances at Grand Slam events include reaching the quarterfinals twice at the US Open and once at Wimbledon. Additionally, he was part of the Indian team that advanced to the Davis Cup final in 1987 and also secured eight ATP 250 series titles throughout his career.

1. Vijay Amritraj | 18

The leading figure in men’s singles tennis in India is Vijay Amritraj. Throughout his illustrious 23-year professional career, he achieved a win-loss record of 399-308. On July 7, 1980, he reached his career-high ranking of 18, a record that still stands as the highest ranked Indian tennis player in the men’s singles category. Furthermore, his notable Grand Slam performances include two quarter-final finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open.