Shanghai Masters 2024 Draw: Carlos Alcaraz's projected path to the final ft. potential SF clash vs. Jannik Sinner

The penultimate ATP Masters 1000 event is slated to take place at the Shanghai Masters from October 2-13. All the top male players are set to compete at the event to collect valuable points to qualify for the year-ending ATP Finals.

Carlos Alcaraz is the third seed at the tournament and is one of the favorites to clinch the title. The Spaniard has had an exceptional season, winning two Major titles and a Paris Olympics silver medal. However, in the recent hard court events, the World No.3 has had early round exits at the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.

However, the 21-year-old remains one of the top players in the world and is expected to make it into the later rounds in Shanghai. Being the third seed, he will begin the event with a bye in the first round. Let's look at the possible opponents the Spaniard will face to reach the final.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential 2R opponent- Juncheng Shang

Juncheng Shang has shown great form in 2024, having a 24-14 record in the year. The Chinese player is on the cusp of breaking into the top 50 in the rankings and sits on a career-best ranking of 52. He last played at the China Open, losing in the first round to Yunchaokete Bu.

However, Shang won his maiden ATP title at the recently concluded Chengdu Open, winning against Lorenzo Musetti in the final. He also took out another higher-ranked player Alexander Bublik on his way to the final.

Alcaraz leads the head-to-head 1-0 against Shang. The pair were slated to have a third-round clash at this year's Australian Open, but the Chinese player retired before the match.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential 3R opponent- Nicolas Jarry

25th-seeded Nicolas Jarry is the possible opponent for Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the 2024 Shanghai Masters. Jarry has not been in the best of form in 2024, winning only 17 of the 37 matches that the Chilean has played this year. He last played at the China Open, losing in the first round against top seed Jannik Sinner.

Jarry reached two finals in the year at the Argentina Open and the Italian Open. However, since reaching the final in Rome, the Chilean's form has completely nosedived as his record after that event has been 1 win and 8 losses.

Alcaraz has a 2-1 head-to-head record against Jarry, but the Chilean won their last match at this year's Argentina Open.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential 4R opponent- Ugo Humbert

The Frenchman Ugo Humbert will likely be Carlos Alcaraz's fourth-round opponent. The World No. 19 has a 31-20 record in the season. He currently is playing at the Japan Open, where he is slated to face Tomas Machac in the semi-final.

The French player has won two hard court titles, winning the Open 13 (beating Grigor Dimitrov in the final), and the Dubai Tennis Championships (beating Alexander Bublik in the final). Umbert defeated top-ranked players like Hubert Hurkacz and Daniil Medvedev on his way to those titles.

Alcaraz has a 2-0 record against Humbert. The Spaniard defeated the Frenchman twice this year, once in the fourth round at Wimbledon, and most recently at the Davis Cup.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential QF opponent- Tommy Paul

Alcaraz will potentially face 11th-seeded American Tommy Paul in the quarter-final at the Shanghai Masters. Paul's season in 2024 has been good as he has won 39 of the 54 matches he has played. He last played at the Japan Open, where he lost to Tomas Machac in the Round of 16.

Paul has won two titles this season, the Dallas Open and the Queen's Club Championships, defeating Marcos Giron and Lorenzo Musetti in the finals respectively.

Alcaraz has a 4-2 lead over Tommy Paul in the head-to-head record, with the Spaniard winning the recent encounter at the Paris Olympics.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential SF opponent- Jannik Sinner

The semi-final at the 2024 Shanghai Masters has the prospect of being a blockbuster clash as a potential faceoff between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is on the cards. Sinner has won 57 of the 62 matches he has played. The Italian has won six titles in 2024 and is currently playing at the China Open, where he is slated to face Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-final.

Alcaraz is one of the two players who has defeated Sinner on hard courts this year. The pair met at the semi-final of the BNP Paribas Open, where the Spaniard won the match after dropping the first set before winning in three sets.

Overall the head-to-head record is 5-4 in favor of Alcaraz, with the Spaniard winning the most recent encounter at the French Open semi-final this year in five thrilling sets.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential Final opponent- Novak Djokovic

The final might be another high-octane clash as Novak Djokovic might be the last hurdle for Carlos Alcaraz to win the title in Shanghai. The Serb has not been in the strongest form in 2024, as he has no ATP Tour titles this year. He last played at the US Open in August, losing to Alexei Popyrin in the third round and finishing the year without a Major title for the first time since 2017.

Djokovic has a 40-8 at the Shanghai Masters, winning the title four times, The Former World No. 1 won the last title in Shanghai in 2019, defeating Borna Coric in the final.

Djokovic leads the head-to-head 4-3 against Alcaraz. The pair have already plated two marquee matches this year. While Alcaraz won the Wimbledon final in straight sets, the Serb defeated his young Spanish rival in the final of the Paris Olympics.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer