ATP Barcelona: Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas lead strong field
Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the two absolute headliners at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona. But there is no lack of quality behind that either.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Mar 23, 2021, 06:29 pm
Tournament director David Ferrer started the presentation of the starting field for the ATP 500 event in Barcelona in the calendar year 2021 with big goals. Because the already top-class field of participants will be followed by other top stars via wildcard, as the former top 10 player explained. But regardless of who else will do the honors in the Spanish metropolis, Rafael Nadal will probably not overtake Rafael Nadal's rank as a crowd puller in 2021 either.
Once again, it will be the third in the world rankings who will lead the field in his home country. At number two, Stefanos Tsitsipas starts the race, with Diego Schwartzman a third top 10 player to be found in the entry list. Especially outside of the top ten, the tournament shines with sounding names: Denis Shapovalov, Roberto Bautista Agut, Grigor Dimitrov, Felix Auger-Aliassime - the list of top players in Barcelona is a long one.
Because two absolute hopes for young talents will also open up in Barcelona. On the one hand, the Italian Jannik Sinner, who is well established on the ATP tour, and on the other, his much younger counterpart Carlos Alcaraz, who received a wildcard for the tournament in his home country. Equipped with a wildcard, the old master Feliciano Lopez will start the race in Barcelona.
Thiem & Djokovic in Belgrade instead
Only two names will be sorely missed in Barcelona this year: Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem. The world number one and fourth will instead compete in the capital of Serbia at an ATP 250 event. A decision that came as a surprise, especially for the Austrian.
The Barcelona event - like almost all events these days - will take place under strict security precautions. According to the organizers, there will be a very limited number of spectators, which in turn guarantees one thing: "We will have a safe and exciting tournament," said the organizers in the course of the presentation.