Rafael Nadal's exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev's return to Acapulco 2 years after controversial probation: 5 stories to follow for the week
Another brand new week of tennis is upon us, with many fans counting down the days until Rafael Nadal's return. The 22-time Major champion is set to contest an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz over the weekend.
Jessica Pegula is back after an injury break this week, while Daniil Medvedev is on a mission to defend his title in Dubai. The Russian has previously never defended any of his titles.
Alexander Zverev returns to Acapulco for the Mexican Open two years after being defaulted from the tournament. As for Andy Murray, he'll be eager to improve his underwhelming start to the season.
Here are some of the stories to keep an eye out for this week:
#1 - Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz to headline the Netflix Slam
Nadal and Alcaraz will go toe-to-toe in an exhibition match on March 3, 2024, at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dubbed as the "Netflix Slam", the match will be broadcasted by the streaming giant.
This will be Nadal's first match since his quarterfinal exit from the Brisbane International in January. The tournament was his first following a near-year-long hiatus. The Spaniard picked up another injury during his loss and skipped the Australian Open.
Nadal was supposed to return at the Qatar Open but withdrew from it as well. Alcaraz himself is dealing with some fitness concerns. The 20-year-old injured himself just minutes into his first-round match at last week's Rio Open. Nevertheless, the Spaniards are raring to go for their upcoming duel.
#2 - Daniil Medvedev aiming to defend a title for the first time in his career
Medvedev has 20 titles to his name but he hasn't managed to claim back-to-back trophies at the same venue so far. He'll be eyeing to remedy that stat with his run at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where he's the defending champion.
Medvedev returns to action for the first time since his heartbreaking loss to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Australian Open. He blew a two-set advantage as his younger rival staged a comeback to win the title.
This marked the second time Medvedev let go of a two-set lead in Melbourne as he did the same during the 2022 final against Nadal. His defeat to Sinner also marked his third straight loss to him in a final.
Medvedev then opted to take a break and didn't defend his titles in Doha and Marseille. He'll take on Alexander Shevchenko in his Dubai opener on Tuesday.
#3 - Jessica Pegula returns to action after an injury hiatus
After a rough start to the year which culminated in a second-round exit from the Australian Open, Pegula took a break to recover from an injury. She's now ready to compete and headlines the San Diego Open as the top seed in singles and doubles.
Pegula had to sit out the entire Middle East swing, which cost her some points. She'll be eager to regain some of those points this week. She has received a bye into the second round, where she'll meet the winner of the match between Jule Niemeier and Varvara Gracheva.
Pegula could face either Caroline Wozniacki or Dayana Yastremska in the quarterfinals, followed by fourth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals. Beatriz Haddad Maia or Emma Navarro could await her in the final.
#4 - Alexander Zverev's return to Acapulco two years after being defaulted
Zverev's previous appearance at the Mexican Open in Acapulco ended on a bitter note as he was defaulted from the tournament. As the defending champion in singles he made a winning start by defeating Jenson Brooksby in the first round.
Zverev was also in the fray in doubles with Marcelo Melo but the duo lost in the first round. The German didn't react in the best manner to the defeat as he repeatedly hit the umpire's chair with his racquet. As a result, he was promptly defaulted from the tournament.
Zverev now returns to the tournament two years after the infamous incident. He will face compatriot Daniel Altmaier in the first round on Tuesday.
#5 - Andy Murray vying to win back-to-back matches for the first time this year
Murray snapped his six-match losing streak which dated back to last year with a win over Alexandre Muller in the first round of last week's Qatar Open. He then narrowly lost to Jakub Mensik in the second round.
With a win under his belt, Murray's next goal would be to win consecutive matches for the first time in his season. He's competing in Dubai this week and is up against Denis Shapovalov in the first round. The latter is on a comeback trail and is in a similar situation as Murray.
Shapovalov has won just a single match this year. Given their form, this match could swing either way but it will be a much-needed win for the victor in the end.