VIENNA OPEN: With the winter months fast approaching, the ATP Tour moves inside this week for the Vienna Open which is played on indoor hard courts. Having been promoted to the ATP 500 circuit in 2015, the tournament offers huge prize money and is an opportunity for the top players to put some noticeable points to their name on the world leaderboard.
Daniil Medvedev – Reigning champion
Daniil Medvedev is having yet another stellar year on the ATP Tour. It is no surprise that the former US Open champion is doing most of his damage on the hard courts, where he really comes into his own.
The Russian has bagged an impressive five titles on the ATP Tour this year, including two on the Masters 1000 circuit. He kicked off his season in style back in February when he won the Rotterdam Open on indoor hard courts.
Having been victorious at the Vienna Open last year, Medvedev comes here with a title to defend, something which he has never successfully managed in his illustrious career. He won in real style last time, losing his first set of the tournament in the final.
A win here would make it six titles for Medvedev in 2023 and five on hard court surfaces. He will be hoping to continue his hard court form in preparation to avenge his 2022 Australian Open final loss in the new year.
Francis Tiafoe – Back for more
Francis Tiafoe was once an up-and-coming youngster on the ATP Tour with bags of potential. Now aged 25 he is really starting to come into his own and with two ATP Tour titles to his name this year, 2023 has been his best year on the Tour.
Tiafoe had his first taste of a final on the ATP 500 Tour back in 2021 when he reached the final of this tournament, which he would go on to lose 5-7 4-6 to Alexander Zverev in a close-fought encounter.
With three career titles to his name, Tiafoe’s last win on hard court came back in 2018 when he won the Delray Beach Open aged just 19. This season his wins have been split 50/50 between clay and grass.
Tiafoe is regarded as a solid all-round player and what better way to prove that than to secure ATP Tour wins on all three surfaces in the same year, should he reverse the result of the 2021 final.
Dominic Thiem – Hometown hero
Dominic Thiem is a legend of Austrian tennis and the man who was born just outside Vienna will be hoping to return with a bang and put in a strong showing at this year’s Vienna Open.
Having ranked as high as world number three back in 2020, Thiem’s injury woes have since seen him slip down the leaderboard where he now sits in 73rd position. With his only Grand Slam win coming back in 2020 at the US Open, Thiem was one of the world’s most feared players just a few years ago.
With 2023 his true comeback year, Thiem reached his first ATP Tour final since 2020 back in August. That final came in his home nation as he disappointingly lost out to Sebastien Baez in the Austrian Open final.
Back in his home nation, Thiem will be keen to score his first victory on the Tour in over three years in order to truly kick start his return to the top table of world tennis.
