Carlos Alcaraz leads a strong field at the Rio Open, the season’s first ATP 500 event on claycourt set to be played in the Brazilian city from February 18 to 25.
Looking to challenge Alcaraz will be defending champion Cameron Norrie and a host of claycourt specialists - Nicolas Jarry, Sebastian Baez, and Francisco Cerundolo to name a few.
With the main draw action commencing on Monday, here’s everything you need to know about the tournament.
What is the Rio Open?
The Rio Open is an ATP 500 tournament played at the Jockey Club Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as one the first ATP 500 claycourt tournaments of the season. The tournament is a fairly new addition to the calendar, having been introduced in 2014.
The tournament holds the distinction of being the only ATP Tour 500 event in South America, and since 2020, the only Tour-level event in Brazil.
No player has lifted the trophy more than once in the tournament’s brief history. Former champions include Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Dominic Thiem, Carlos Alcaraz, and Cameron Norrie.
Venue
The tournament will be played on the claycourts of the Jockey Club Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The venue has a sitting capacity of 6,200.
Draw
Carlos Alcaraz will open his campaign against home player Thiago Monteiro and could run into fifth seed Sebastian Baez in the quarterfinals.
Also crowding the top half are the likes of third seed Nicolas Jarry and sixth seed Laslo Djere, who find themselves on a collision course in the semifinals if the results go their way.
Anchoring the bottom half of the draw is defending champion Cameron Norrie, who will take on Hugo Dellien in the opening round. His projected semifinal opponent is fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo.
Schedule
The qualifiers for the tournament began on Friday (February 16), with the main draw starting on Monday (February 19). The final will take place on February 25.
Prize Money and Ranking Points
The total prize money for this year's edition of the Rio Open is $2,100,230. Here's a breakdown of the ranking points:
Where to Watch
Viewers in the US, UK, and Canada can watch the Rio Open live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be available on Tennis Channel.
UK: Viewers in the region can tune in for live action on Sky Sports.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can catch all the action on TSN.