Hopman Cup 2023: Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin
Date: July 21, 2023
Tournament: Hopman Cup 2023
Round: Group stage
Venue: Nice, France
Category: Exhibition Event
Surface: Clay
Prize money: NA
Live telecast: USA, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Netherlands & India - Tennis Channel | Rest of the World: Hopman Cup TV
Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin preview
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will square off against David Goffin in the round-robin stage of the 2023 Hopman Cup on Friday.
Alcaraz has enjoyed tremendous success this season. After skipping the Australian Open due to an injury, he won the Argentina Open and was the runner-up at the Rio Open. The Spaniard then claimed the title at Indian Wells, but his title defense at the Miami Open ended in the semifinals.
Alcaraz successfully defended his titles in Barcelona and Madrid but suffered a shock defeat to Fabian Marozsan in the third round of the Italian Open. He reached his maiden semifinal at the French Open but went down to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
Alcaraz bagged his first title on grass at the Queen's Club Championships. The 20-year-old then went on to win his second Major title at Wimbledon over four-time defending champion Djokovic in the final.
Goffin kicked off his Hopman Cup challenge against Borna Coric. The Belgian went down an early break in the first set and never recovered after that to lose the set. There was a bit of back and forth in the second set, with a total of six service breaks between the two.
Goffin managed to gain the upper hand to take the set and level the proceedings. The third set was played as a match tie-break. The Belgian was initially able to keep up with Coric, but he lost seven straight points from 4-3 to lose the match 3-6, 6-2, 4-10.
Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin head-to-head
The two have split their previous couple of meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Goffin won their last encounter at the 2022 Astana Open in straight sets.
Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Carlos Alcaraz vs David Goffin prediction
Alcaraz's win-loss record for the season stands at 47-4, while it's 9-13 for Goffin. Given their results, it's quite clear who's the favorite to come out on top in this contest. The Spaniard could be a little tired after a successful grass campaign, and switching over to clay on such short notice could prove to be tough.
Goffin did manage to one-up Alcaraz the last time they played. He was able to assert himself quite well from the baseline back then and will need to do the same once again.
Alcaraz's power-packed game mixed with deft touch works quite well on all surfaces. He's the man to beat at the moment, but with momentum on his side, it won't be an easy task. If the World No. 1 is well-rested after his Wimbledon heroics, he should be able to handle Goffin with ease. Otherwise, he could find himself being challenged by the Belgian.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.