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The top players on tour will compete in the 2024 China Open this week. The tournament marks the beginning of the Asian hardcourt swing and is a part of the ATP 500 series on tour.
Four of the top five players in the world will enter the main draw in Beijing. Jannik Sinner will be the top seed and the defending champion at the event. Americans Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul have opted to compete in Tokyo and won't be a part of the China Open.
While Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz are expected to be strong favorites in Beijing, the main draw also includes talented players such as Zhizhen Zhang, Lorenzo Musetti and Fabian Marozsan.
On that note, let's take a look at five dark horses who could potentially make a difference in the 2024 China Open.
5) Francisco Cerundolo
Fifth on the list is promising Argentine Francisco Cerundolo. Cerundolo is slowly becoming a serious competitor on the men's tour. He's had a decent season so far by chalking up 28 wins from 54 matches, including a title-winning run in the Umag Open. He also reached the fourth round of the French Open, but couldn't make his mark against Novak Djokovic in a five-set bout.
The Argentine recently featured at the Laver Cup and earned a valuable point for Team World in the singles event. He outfoxed Casper Ruud in one hour and 39 minutes, 6-4, 6-4. Cerundolo has perfomed well on clay, but is yet to find his best potential on other surfaces this year.
With consistent wins against higher ranked-opponents, he will feel confident about his chances and could make a deep run in the China Open.
4) Gael Monfils
Next up is French veteran Gael Monfils. Monfils returned to the men's tour last year and has performed at a decent level since then. He captured the title in Stockholm last year and reached the semifinals of the Qatar Open and Mallorca Championships this year.
At 38-years-old, the Frenchman still possesses the fitness and explosiveness to compete at a high level. He's managed to outmuscle top 10 players such as Carlos Alcaraz and Hubert Hurkacz this year and looks poised to make a significant impact at the end the season.
Despite crossing the initial few hurdles at most events, he's been unfortunate to miss out during the final few rounds. If Monfils begins well and finds his form in Beijing, he could be a serious threat in the China Open.
3) Alexander Bublik
Third on the list is Kazakh No. 1 Alexander Bublik. After an encouraging start to the season, Bublik dipped in form during the claycourt swing. He's garnered 25 wins from 47 matches so far, including a title-winning run in the Montpellier Open. He also reached the finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, but lost to Ugo Humbert in close encounter.
The 27-year-old will enter Beijing on the back of a second-round exit in Chengdu. Having already gotten a taste of the conditions, he will be raring to go again in the China Open.
While his perfomance on clay and grass have been mediocre, Bublik did register strong results on hardcourts this year. If he keeps his focus during the first week and navigates past tough challenges on tour, he should be able to make a deep run in the China Open.
2) Jan-Lennard Struff
Munich Open winner Jan-Lennard Struff is also one of the dark horses in Beijing. Struff has had a solid season this year by picking up 27 wins from 44 matches, including a title-triumph in the Munich Open. He also reached the semifinals of the Swiss Open and quarterfinals of the Halle Open, where he lost to Jannik Sinner in a three-set bout.
The German will enter Beijing on the back of early exits in Cincinnati and New York. He will be determined to steady the ship and get back to winning ways on tour. Despite his poor record on hardcourts, Struff possesses the skill-set to perform on the big stage.
He's managed to push Sinner to the limit this year and also overpowered higher-ranked opponents such as Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune. If he keeps his focus during the first week and manages his matches well, he could have a say in the China Open.
1) Lorenzo Musetti
At top spot on the list of dark horses is World No. 19 Lorenzo Musetti. Musetti has among the stand-out performers on the men's tour over the past couple of months. Apart from a runner-up finish at the Queens Club Championships, he also reached the semifinals in Wimbledon and the Summer Olympics in Paris. He came up shy against Tommy Paul in Queens and lost to Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon and Paris.
The Italian is expected to be the seventh seed in Beijing. With most of the top 15 players opting to compete in Tokyo, he will fancy his chances of making a deep run in the China Open. The 22-year-old reached the quarterfinals of the Chengdu Open last week, where he lost to Adrian Mannarino. He should be able to utilize his match fitness and chalk up a long run in Beijing.
