Former French Open champion picks two players she thinks could win in Madrid following Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal

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The 2025 Madrid Open will be missing one of the ATP Tour’s biggest names following his withdrawal due to injury.

On Thursday, world number three Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open, having sustained an injury in Barcelona recently.

The Spaniard struggled with an abductor issue during the final of the Barcelona Open, which Alcaraz lost in straight sets to Holger Rune.

There will be plenty of ATP Tour stars looking to take advantage in Alcaraz’s absence, as they look to clinch the title in Madrid.

One former French Open champion has now shared the two names she thinks are the favorites for this year’s tournament.

Ana Ivanovic picks Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev as favorites for the Madrid Open

2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic picked her favorite for the title during an interview for the Madrid Open YouTube channel.

“I mean, Novak [Djokovic] is definitely always a candidate,” she said.

“There is a lot of players playing well and the young ones, but actually I haven’t even seen the draw.

“But I think it’s going to be [Alexander] Zverev or Novak.”

Zverev beat Roberto Bautista Agut in his opening match, 6-2, 6-2, to advance to the third round, where he’ll take on Nuno Borges or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Djokovic has yet to take to the court in Madrid, but will begin his campaign on Saturday, April 26, against Matteo Arnaldi.

Zverev and Djokovic are two of just six players to have won multiple titles in the Spanish capital since the event joined the Masters 1000 calendar in 2002.

Alongside 2024 Madrid Open champion Andrey Rublev, Djokovic and Zverev are the only former champions participating in this year’s tournament.

Perhaps 2025 could see another star lift their maiden Madrid Open title, as several players look to be in good form ahead of the event.

Three ATP players who could win their first Madrid Open title in 2025

With big-favorite Alcaraz missing from the tournament, it may be time to crown another first-time champion in 2025.

Alex de Minaur

Australia’s Alex de Minaur is yet to win a Masters 1000 title but has made big strides on clay this year, impressing at the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open.

• 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters (SF) – Alex de Minaur lost to Lorenzo Musetti, 6-1, 4-6, 6-7
• 2025 Barcelona Open (QF) – Alex de Minaur lost to Carlos Alcaraz, 5-7, 3-6

The world number seven could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Alcaraz’s withdrawal, as he was potentially set to face off against the Spaniard in the quarterfinals.

De Minaur will begin his Madrid Open tournament with a match against Lorenzo Sonego, whom he has beaten in each of their three previous meetings.

Lorenzo Musetti

The man who beat De Minaur in Monte-Carlo, Lorenzo Musetti, could also be in with a chance of winning his first Masters title in Madrid.

Musetti lost to Alcaraz in the Monte-Carlo final, but showed just how dangerous he can be on clay courts throughout the tournament.

The Italian has won six matches against top-ten players on clay during his career to date, and will be a dangerous opponent for anyone in the Spanish capital.

Musetti will take on Argentinian star Tomas Martin Etcheverry in his opening match on Saturday, April 26.

Francisco Cerundolo

26-year-old Francisco Cerundolo may not be the name most are picking to win the title in Madrid, but there’s no reason why the Argentine can’t make a deep run at the year’s second clay Masters tournament.

Cerundolo pushed Alcaraz close in Monte-Carlo earlier this month, before narrowly coming up short against Ben Shelton in the Munich semi-finals.

The world number 21 has yet to win a title above the ATP 250 level, but could be set for a big win in Madrid.

Cerundolo beat Harold Mayot in his opening match, 6-3, 6-4, and will now take on his countryman Francisco Comesana in the third round on Sunday, April 27.