The 5 players who arrive with more urgency to the hard court tour

We enter the second part of the season, bringing hard court into play. After some exciting months of clay and grass, the surface that dominates the circuit returns, welcoming specialists in these conditions. Some players have not been very lucky throughout the season or have chosen to save their energy to give their best in what they do best, even if it involves risks. In the upcoming weeks, we will witness the ATP Toronto, the ATP Cincinnati, and it will all conclude with the US Open 2025, a tournament where Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will strive to continue their reign.

At the top of the race for the Turin finals, we see renowned names such as Sinner, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev. However, we are missing players who we were accustomed to seeing at the top of the ranking, so they come to this tour with more urgency than ever to try to counter the effects of a first half of the season that fell short of expectations. Let's review some of the names that, due to their status, should be higher in the world rankings.

- Andrey Rublev

The Russian is currently fourteenth in the rankings, and his attempt to regain points at the ATP Los Cabos didn't go as planned. He earned 100 points in Mexico, but the draw required him to at least reach the final. He fell to Aleksandar Kovacevic in the semifinals by 3-6 6-4 6-4, maintaining a challenging streak of results. Additionally, he had results far from his goals in Grand Slams, although he secured the ATP 250 in Doha... The dominant Rublev with his powerful forehand and authoritative demeanor on the court seems like a thing of the past, as psychologically, he is still not at his best.

Daniil Medvedev

What can we say about Medvedev? He was a Russian machine, with an unbreakable mentality, even managing to win a Grand Slam, becoming the only player born in the 90s besides Dominic Thiem to achieve this feat. It's surprising to see him at 19 in the race towards the ATP Finals, considering he was the champion. The Russian has not clinched a title since the ATP Rome 2023, despite his considerable success that year (5 titles). One thing for sure is that Medvedev always surprises, for better or for worse. It seemed like his dry spell might end with the final in Halle against Alexander Bublik; however, he appears to be facing a mental barrier since last year. Nevertheless, it's the perfect time to bounce back and produce good results as his favorite part of the season begins.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

The Greek's current situation is discouraging. Goran Ivanisevic mentioned that he significantly needs to improve physically, and his weaknesses with his backhand become more evident each day. Tsitsipas also triumphed in the ATP Finals back in 2019. However, few would have predicted in 2025 that he would only have reached two Grand Slam finals and that his level would drop as significantly as seen in recent months, suffering notable defeats like against Matteo Gigante in the second round of Roland Garros (6-4 5-7 6-2 6-4). He ranks 24 in the race and must accumulate points somehow to avoid dropping out of the top 30, a plausible scenario given his current form.

Matteo Berrettini

Another regular at the ATP Finals facing a tough period, predominantly due to injuries. He struggles to fully recover, and each time a different part of his body fails him. Most recently, it was his abdominal muscles, forcing him to withdraw in agony from both the Mutua Madrid Open and the ATP Rome. The Wimbledon 2021 finalist exited in the first round this year, losing to Kamil Majchrzak by 4-6 6-2 6-4 5-7 6-3, showing no signs of enthusiasm in his current game. He also skipped Roland Garros and couldn't progress beyond the second round at the Australian Open (7-6 2-6 6-3 7-6 against Holger Rune). Ranked 53 in the standings, his near future looks uncertain, although the North American courts suit him perfectly.

Hubert Hurkacz

The Polish player dazzles with his tennis at his peak and has proven his ability to compete with the best and even defeat them. He could be considered a player to watch on the tour; however, he has not fully recovered from the injuries sustained since hurting his knee at Wimbledon 2024, and his season has been very inconsistent so far with several ups and downs. He was listed for the ATP Umag but decided to withdraw, opting to join the tour in the United States and Canada. Sitting at 48 in the race to the ATP Finals, he must secure some positive results during the tour to climb the ranks. He has excellent support from coaches Nicolás Massú and Ivan Lendl.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los 5 jugadores que llegan con más urgencia a la gira de pista dura